Censorship - What's your take on it?

Question

Censorship of books is an oft-debated topic in our society. From having a book thrown out of a library to simply placing it in a special room, censorship offends many and at the same time, pleases many. How do you feel about it?

I came across this article, and frankly, it made me angry. But it also made me wonder how others approach literary censorship. So, I'm just looking for your opinions, backed up by facts if possible. If you want to read the article (it's short, if that is a deciding factor in your choosing to read it/not read it), here's a link:
http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/articles/2007/08/09/community/com652.txt#blogcomments

Answer 1

I lived for 19 years in a country that practiced - or at least tried to practice - extreme censorship: Saudi Arabia. During the 80s and early 90s, the government prohibited the import of most books and magazines, censored those that were permitted and totally controlled the radio and TV airwaves.
Even then, though, they weren't completely successful; in fact, the censorship often incited more interest in what was forbidden.
Then, in the mid-90s, it all broke down. The authorities knew that, to compete in the modern world market, computers and the Internet would have to be allowed in the Kingdom. Oh, they tried to "control" access as much as they could, but there is simply no way anyone can limit the Net. Then, since some of the Royal Family saw lots of money to be made, satellite TV came next. For the first time in hundreds of years, the outside world "invaded" Saudi Arabia. Nowadays, the country has changed and is changing in many ways - slowly but surely. Not always for the good, of course, for the Net and TV, like every other invention, is a double-edged sword, with benefits and harmful effects.
But I think the example of Saudi Arabia shows how, in today's world with its technology, censorship is doomed to fail. No one can totally stop the free flow of information - both good and bad - now that the genie is out of the bottle.
So, although many in authority may still try to control what others read/see/learn, they are fighting a losing battle in a war they can never win. For better and for worse, in the world of today, and, even more so, of tomorrow, censorship has and will become even much less effective than it was in the past.

Answer 2

The people in that town..especially the parents that wanted it banned, sound pathetic. If kids are seeing something that shocks them sexually (or drug related) in a book, I would be surprised. The fact is, what gives one person the right to censor a book....what makes them so above everyone else that they feel they know what is best for everyone else. If you don't want your kid reading the thing, try actually talking to them about it...not taking away that experience for everybody else. I also love how that woman totes the Bible, how it should be incorporated in all school systems. It is fine for people to have their own religious beliefs, but to force them on someone is incredibly annoying. To sum it all up, I do not believe in the censorship of books at all....libraries need to stop being such pansies and doing what everybody tells them to. Maybe some people can't afford these books, and now they can't get them because a library bans it. How fair is that?

Answer 3

This doesn't particularly surprise me. To the person who mentioned the Constitution, Oklahoma takes a pick-and-choose approach. My brother went to high school there and had some problems (more with the faculty than with other kids) because he didn't take part in the "voluntary" prayer, which was decidedly NOT non-denominational. Yes, this was public school. When my dad brought up the fact that the Supreme Court didn't allow such prayers, he was told that in Oklahoma they didn't agree with that decision, so they just didn't bother with it.

As for books, there are hundreds of books that are challenged every year, and your question is pretty timely, as Banned Books Week is coming up next month -- September 29-October 6. You can find a lot of info at http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm, including lists of books that have been challenged. Some of the titles may surprise you, although others will definitely not. :-)

I work at a bookstore and I am working on an event for Banned Books Week. Go to your local library and bookstores and get them involved!

Answer 4

I JUST bought "The Bermudez Triangle" because I wanted to support Ms. Johnson.

Personally, I hate censorship when it affects more than a person's own reading choice. Granted, we want to "protect" children from unsuitable content, but what I find unsuitable for my child might be wildly different from someone else's idea, and I don't think that other person should be able to tell my kid what they can and cannot read.

Before I turn into a growling, snarling, incoherant mess, here's some links for help in the fight against censorship.

But you are not alone. I was also very upset when I heard about what was going on in relation to Ms. Johnson's book. Libba Bray (author of "A Great and Terrible Beauty" and "Rebel Angels") also posted about this in her livejournal (last link in the list) -- it is the second entry if you click on that link.

Answer 5

My parents are both great readers, and as children we had full access to their bookshelves. This meant we grew up reading whatever took our eye. Of course, this had advantages and disadvantages. All of us kids were way ahead in our reading of most other kids our age, but teachers and most adults definitely did not approve. And we often came up against ideas and concepts that were quite strange and foreign to us, and had to make sense of them from a child's point of view.

Luckily, my parents are intelligent, articulate people who enjoy nothing more than actually spending time with their children, discussing books, art, music, and current affairs.

With their guidance we read books that contained some very difficult material, and discussed it in context, thus developing not only a love of reading which has been of immeasurable benefit throughout all our lives, but also an understanding and appreciation of difficult ideas, divergent opinions and unusual attitudes.

In other words, we became fit to be fully participating members of the human race, ready to meet others without fearing the new and deal with others without automatically condemning them.

Censorship makes it possible to narrow the opportunity to gain new insights and information. And even if a book, film or speech is crude and poorly produced, it can always teach us something if we are ready to listen.

The parents who advocate book bannings would be far better reading these books with their children, and discussing the issues inside the covers, introducing their own values and ideals at the same time.

Banned books are really no more than forbidden ideas, and when people are eventually old enough to sample these, they are at risk of developing warped notions and making incorrect readings.

But then, perhaps that is what the book banners actually want.

Best wishes to you :-)

Answer 6

Wow
Thanks for posting that
I had no idea Oklaholma was in the Bible belt????
... grin

I am against censorship
but more I am against censorship by religious groups
as if their "Truth" cannot withstand the 'Threat' of greater or different information

I believe the whole religion fed ranch of censorship reasoning violates my own Constitutional right of Freedom FROM religion

PS it took a bit of looking around within that site before I figured out where in the world those people were located LOL

Answer 7

I don't believe in censorship in any form. However, I do believe in restrictions on certain materials to minors. Quite honestly, there are things I write I would feel uncomfortable putting into the hands of kids. CD's and Video Games and Movies are rated. Books are not. And quite honestly, I feel they should be. I write things I don't think kids are ready for. And I see and read a lot of irresponsible junk that gives kids very confused images of certain activities. Autoerotic asphyxia for one. Certain S&M activities for another. I don't think certain subjects should be presented as "safe and sane" when in fact they are anything but in the hands of inexperienced and unskilled hands. Some authors say rating would hurt their sales. I say baloney. I would rather live without those sales. And I would feel more comfortable personally knowing parents knew what their kids were reading so they could help them make intelligent choices and be there to have discussions if necessary. I do not believe parents today have a clue what their kids are reading. They are just happy to see them with a book in their hands and that I find terribly scary. Pax - C

Answer 8

Censorship is wrong, plain and simple. No one has the right to decide for anyone other than themselves and their own children what people can or cannot read, watch, or listen to. If a person does not want to read or watch or listen to something, then they should simply not. But they do not have any right in keeping others from reading or watching or listening to that same thing if they DO want to.

Answer 9

As an adult and a parent myself, I feel that censorship in any form is suppression. People should have a mind of their own, I have the mental and emotional capacity to decide which is good for me or bad. I don't need other people to decide for me. I would like to instill that on my children, too. I remember my 9-year old had a 2nd hand cellphone and she ran to me and told me there are very graphic sexual images on the image folder. She made me erased them myself rather than keep them from me. I believe that parents should not censor, but parental guidance should be always present. Books, whatever their contents, are mines of knowledge. If our children are so "far away" from the Bible, that is not due to their absence in the library. You could put a thousand copies of it in every corner, but if our children aren't raised to it, they still won't read it. Values and character education begins at home, not in school. Categorizing books as "not suitable" or vulgar or mind-warping would only fuel people's urge to read it. Let your kids read books, just make sure you are there to offer guidance. When you've raised them to be open and respectful, they'd never keep things from you (such as reading a banned book, for example).

Answer 10

It relies upon on what it is...If it quite is a few thing young ones will watch, then definite. yet whilst no longer, then why complication making it to the place they are able to observe it? If it quite is Anime, no, because of the fact Anime could desire to continuously be enjoyed the way it substitute into dubbed [in case you like dubs, it somewhat is], and censors shouldn't get interior the way of it! yet movies on television that have a litte intercourse and cursing...yeah. because of the fact young ones could watch that. Oh, the ballot: computing gadget, because of the fact you could watch what you like once you like, so long because it quite is out and has had time to get on the internet. That and television is so lame now-a-day's. the only element's I watch on television are Dubbed Anime, "Crossing Jordan", "step-via-step" [from the '90s], "8 straightforward rules...", and the information. And whilst no longer something is on i'm going to discover some moderetly humorous Diseny or Nick teach on and watch that....computing gadget each of ways.