Banned Books Week
Q: What do Mark Twain, Judy Blume, J.D. Salinger and J.K. Rowling have in common? Here’s a hint: It’s not a moustache.
A: They’re each authors of a book that has been banned.
Yup, someone felt it necessary to ban Harry Potter… and understandably so, right? Even though there’s no such thing as magic, which is a strong indication that wizards and witches aren’t real, we still need to protect our children from the evils of such fictitious foolishness.
To help promote reading and showcase the absurdity of banning literature, every year the American Library Association celebrates Banned Books Week on the last week of September. 2008 marks the 27th anniversary of BBW(Banned Books Week, duh) in which we celebrate the freedom to read whatever we like as well as celebrate the freedom of expression, regardless if it’s unorthodox or unpopular in mainstream society.
This morning on NPR’s Morning Edition, there was a great piece about banning and burning books. They paid special attention to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and discussed several reasons why the book was banned. I highly recommend checking it out.
Anyway, if you think banning books is stupid and you want to help promote Banned Books Week, head on over to the ALA’s website to find out what you can do.
It’s people like this that promote the banning of books… and warp/scar young children:
Comments
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Boggy Creek Creature
September 30, 2008
Thanks for mentioning this. I spent a great deal of time in high school helping the library celebrate and inform about this day. I’ve fallen out of practice in the subsequent years.
But that changes now: I’m picking up my beloved copy of “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Thanks again, ya’ll.
p.s.- remember that helicopter mom who tried to force our library to ban any information that may inform her delicate lace children that there are, indeed, gay people in our town and they want to do horrible things?
Things like love and be loved, raise families, try and be a contributing member of society. You know, everything that mother wasn’t doing.
I am so relieved that we have such an awesome library.
libertas
September 30, 2008
Community Access Television is running a special edition of Book Notes about local activities during Banned Books Week.
yrfuneralmytrial
September 30, 2008
I think that woman is the enemy of a healthy diet. If this was the old testament, she would be forced to eat a salad. I do think I saw a real warlock boy though. He had a warlock haircut. Pretty cool. Maybe he could turn her into a giant candy bar for all those kids to eat.
bryce
September 30, 2008
When I was in the sixth grade my librarian tried to talk me out of checking out The Catcher In The Rye. She told me it was filth, and that she thought it should be banned from the school district.
I guess she didn’t realize she was talking to a dude in the sixth grade, because that gave me a huge boner. And of course I checked it out.
Lacy
September 30, 2008
I am always astounded that the people who want to ban books are in fact doing the books a favor and seem so unaware of this fact. I always want to know why and for what content something has been banned. And it’s usually tamer than anything on VH1.
George
October 1, 2008
Wow. That lady in the video is scary! I’ll tell you what should be banned…every idiot parent who would take their children to be influenced by that crazy bitch. “Harry Potter would have been put to death in the old testament.” Probably…unless he melted their faces with his magics first. Yes, yes. Let’s go back to old testament times when all was right with the world. To borrow from Total Bastard…Go kill yourself lady.
I just read the list of the 100 most censored books in America. Holy ****! What a list of awesomeness. It’s apparent that ignorance tries to censor genius.
Our library totally rules!!!
beth
November 1, 2008
What is purity and who can tell me how to purify myself? I believe scaring crap out of small children that can’t “fend for themselves” (ha ha more like can’t think for themselves while being brainwashed by guilt) is a sin. Keep your followers ignorant. Ha