Banned Books Week kicks off today and runs through October 3rd. According to the American Library Association's website, Banned Books Week "is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment". Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
My Thoughts:
I feel that I need to add my thoughts on this awareness campaign. I realize that many of you will strongly disagree with my opinions, but all I ask is that you read my opinions. I welcome any feedback as long as it is posed in an intelligent and civil manner.
First, I am a proud American and strongly support our constitution. Our first amendment right to freedom of speech is a wonderful thing and should be defended. I do not believe that any book should be banned from sale or from inclusion in a public library, regardless of content. As Americans, we are allowed to choose what we write or read.
However, I strongly believe that not all written material is appropriate for people of all ages. Adults can choose to read whatever they think is appropriate. Parents need to choose what is appropriate for their children to read or not read. I do not think the government should dictate what my child is allowed to read, but that it is the responsibility of my wife and I to decide what is appropriate for our child. Just as it is your responsibility to decide what your child reads.
Now for the truly controversial topic. I support the idea of a ratings system for books. We already have similar ratings systems in place for motion pictures and video games. A ratings system would be an initial guide to assist parents with their decisions. The ultimate decision should still remain with the parents. Minors can see an "R" rated movie as long as they are accompanied by a guardian. Minors should be allowed to read a book with "adult content" as long as their guardian approves.
Each child is different. Some children mature faster than others. That is why I think it is important for the parents to be involved. No one knows their child better than the parents. Some children will be ready to read about adult issues and they should have the ability to do so with their parents' permission.
I also feel that there is a big difference between a public library and a K-12 school library. I do not believe that my child should be exposed to just any book because it is in a school library. I do not see this as a violation of First Amendment rights. Children do not watch the movie Saw for their third grade movie day. Likewise, they should not be exposed to the Kama Sutra in their third grade library.
There are numerous incidents where the line is not so clear. There have been challenges to books in school libraries due to racial controversy, sexual orientation, political preference, and many other ideals. I realize that it is impossible to just include books that are not offensive to anyone. That would, indeed, be a small library. But once again, the decision to allow a child to read something, regardless of whether it is in a school library, falls on the parents.
I read a lot. I will encourage my daughter to read a lot. I want her to read as broad a range of topics as possible. Reading is the major source of knowledge. Everyone should read about both sides of an issue so that they can arrive at an informed opinion and not just regurgitate what they hear from TV, parents or teachers.
To summarize, I oppose the banning of any book from being sold or included in a public library. As Americans, we have the right to decide what we read. I also oppose making every book accessible to our children. I feel it is the parents' responsibility to decide what their children are exposed to.
Thank you for reading my opinions and I welcome your comments.
1 comment:
I haven't given this a great deal of thought ... but I would support a rating system for books, too. It's a way to help kids and their parents make decisions without making sweeping decisions about banning books. However, I wonder how helpful it would be. I do not find movie ratings very helpful in choosing films for our family. Sometimes a PG-rated movie has what I consider to be gratuitous violence, while an excellent film is rated "R" for including the "F word" in the script, which I consider much less serious. (I'd prefer cursing over violence any day :-) ) The bottom line is that my sensitivities, and those of my kids, are different from those of the reviewer. So I question whether these ratings would be useful. Interesting discussion topic! Thanks for raising it.
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