Banned Books . . .

Because someone decided the book should not be read by her kids/any kids/adults/the dog/anyone, and she got together with a bunch of other ignorant people. . . .

I have more thoughts as Book Banning Week comes to a close.

Synchronicity on a Sunday morning: 

I wrote a post recently about critical thinking/critical reading. And then last Sunday as I was  reading newsletters in my email inbox, I wandered down the rabbit hole that the Guardian Bookmarks newsletter opens. In it I read a review of Emily Wilson’s translation of The Iliad and remembered that I have her translation of The Odyssey, bought when it first came out, but I never got past the introduction (you know, life happened, and who had the time or energy to read Homer?). I pulled it off my shelf and saw that I had a flag on one page. I opened to that page, that line, and this is what I read:

But people who feel oppressed can become more dangerous than the people they fear.
~ Emily Wilson from her introduction to The Odyssey

Movies get the banning treatment, too

A long time ago I stood in line to see the movie The Last Temptation of Christ, a depiction of Christ that created a lot of controversy. Young people from a local church were moving along the movie line handing out flyers and urging us not to see the movie. 

Me (to young man handing out flyer): Have you seen this movie?

Young Man: Not personally, no.

Me: The only way to see it IS personally.

He moved on. He was young and believed what he was told.

Songs, too

My writing partner is a musician who also writes about music on her blog, More Than Meets the Ear. Take a look at her thoughtful story about teaching music to kids in the 70s. And sing along with us, “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree . . . “

Ignorance in the slime of absurdity

My friend Jennifer commented on my last post about book banning, and I’m pulling a line from that comment in case you haven’t seen it. It is such a good example of how people/institutions climb up on that band wagon, having no idea what the hell they’re doing:

So many books were banned in South Africa. Once, for a while, the censorship authorities banned Black Beauty, until it was brought to their attention that the protagonist was a horse.

Nothing to be afraid of here

Many of the books that the Banners are most focused on these days are books for young readers about gays and lesbians and transgendered people—books that might give young people the idea that there is nothing to be demonized here. But their parents, their school, their church, their political leaders are pushing them to be afraid of anyone and anything that is different, including the color of a person’s skin (for crying out loud, are we STILL deep in ignorance about THAT?!).  The other category of most banned books? Books that might indicate educate us about what racism is, how we can be anti-racist, that American “history” has perhaps left out some important details?  You think?! There is so much more to say about this, but the whole subject makes my stomach hurt.

What I have to say to Banners

. . . not that any of them are reading this post, but—you know—

Banning books is wrong. Guiding your children’s reading? I think that’s fine. First, of course, you have to pry that gaming device from their hands and then help them through withdrawal, but after that, read to your kids from any book you want. Buy them books you want them to read. By all means guide their reading habits. You get to do all of that. But you do not get to tell me what my kids should or shouldn’t read. If you are afraid of the subjects they might read, educate yourself. Your fear comes from ignorance, and there’s a simple solution: open your mind. It’s a lovely world out there, full of all kinds of people who are different from you. The fact that I am a lesbian does not make me a demon, and please note: I am not the one telling you what your kids can or can’t read. That’s  your job. I will assume that you are not a demon, but you become one when you try to force other people to think the way you do. Ever heard of Hitler? It’s quite possible you haven’t. Now that is scary.