Is it ok to ban books?

Question

Before you say no, think about this fictional scenario:
The Amish put pressure on the local library (in an Amish community) to remove a book called
"How to kill an Amish person in three easy steps."
are they right or wrong?

SP - not your home - ok, but what about your local library that is in YOUR community to which YOU pay taxes?

Most answers are missing the gist of the question: It is a question of scale - what scale should you be able to control? Your children, your home, your community, your state? What?

On that note, many totalitarian states forced their doctrine down the throats of children and the parents had no say - could not ban or forbid ANYTHING.

Answer 1

I agree with adam, don't like it, don't buy it. And a library doesn't have to carry it just because it exists.

Answer 2

No everybody should have the freedom to choose. If you think a book will offend you then dont buy it. I've said that but I do agree that prisoners aren't allowed to write books about their criminal history and make a profit from it. So I would rather things were stopped from being written or stopped before they are printed. As we know, nothing makes something sell faster than controversy.

Things like that should be regulated but as for banning books like Harry Potter I think it's absolutly ludicrous. How could anyone deny a child (or adult for that matter) the wonderful imagination and writing style of J.K. Rowling.

As for your Amish question, if it was in an Amish communty then chances are it's going to be Amish people who take the book out on loan from the library. What makes killing an Amish person different from killing anyone else?

Answer 3

It's no ok to ban books. However, a small local library can't keep every book. They should pick only the books that the locals want. If the locals really do (or don't) want a title, it doesn't make sense to force the library to carry it.

Honestly though most traditional Amish don't patronize "English" services like our libraries. Keep in mind most of them stop school after 8th grade.

Answer 4

Wrong.
Censorship of information has always been one of the more persistent forms control used by governments to control people in the past and the present. If you ban one, what's to keep you from banning another, or 10 or 100 more?

Besides, with a title like that, could it not be possible that it was just a satirical or humorous book?

Answer 5

Wrong, once the door is open, where does it stop? A T.V. show, back in the 80's, did a show on censorship. A preacher had a list of songs that contained "objectionable" words. Whe approached with "Imagine" by John Lennon, he heard the phrase "Imagine there is no heaven". The preacher said the song says there is no heaven. When told it said "Imagine" he still said it was on the list. This amounted to thought censorship. In other words censorship can lead to major problems. Even if we disagree with something, we must allow it.

Answer 6

Knowledge is power. But it does not necessarily produce responsibility. That is why people are afraid of books. And that is why books get banned.

But people who ban books never really address the root problem that they really SHOULD be addressing:

Take the knowledge of how to make bombs and kill people. There are lots of different uses to which this knowlege might be put - it might be used to arm soldiers for defensive purposes, or it might be used to prevent people from making bombs, or, of course, it might be used to commit murder and mayhem. What distinguishes the purposes to which it is put is the psyche of the individual who recieves it. It's not knowing HOW to make a bomb that causes murders, but an inclination to murder people.

Many organizations even now which publicize means of committing crimes do so not to help criminals - real criminals obviously ALREADY know how to do these things! Rather, it is to help people defend themselves against criminals.

So no. Absolutely not. There is no reason to ban ANY book. If you need to ban something, ban READERS! Prevent people who you know would misuse the knowledge from aquiring it and most of your problems are solved! Let people who MIGHT misuse knowledge acquire it and smoke them out while you can!

Books are good. PEOPLE are bad.

Answer 7

I believe every community and library has the right to ban whatever books they wish to. However I believe large public libraries in cities should b erequired to display all literature ever written to anyone who wishes to read it. The internet also should not censor any books. (Thankfully i'm pretty sure they don't.)

Answer 8

Banning books is an archaic "solution" to a non-existent problem. Let people say what they want to say. If you disagree, write your own book. The more people communicate, no matter how radical their ideas seem, the more we can understand each other.

Answer 9

no it's not ok. but kids should be taught that you don't have to agree with anyone and they should know right from wrong, and think outside of the box. i did not like some of the words in the music my son listens to like beat your mom with a shovel, my son told me it's suppose to be extreme that's how they sale their music. it draws the artist attention.

Answer 10

Is it a Public Library?

Then no, it is not OK.

This has been another another edition of simple answers to simple questions (w/apologies to Atrios).