We live in the “land of the free,” as our national anthem tells us, and that includes freedom to read whatever we please. While there are still groups that successfully petition to have certain books removed from library shelves or schools, there is no overarching governmental entity decreeing that certain books may not be read at all.
That isn’t a universal condition. There are still countries in which the government mandates that certain books are off limits. And it’s not that long ago that prurient material, and certain other types of reading matter, was, to use a common expression of the day, banned in Boston.
But if you or I want to read a hot X-rated novel (or an instructive manual on esoteric sex practices), an anti-government screed, or even a book on how to construct a bomb, we’re free to do so. (We may attract the attention of the FBI, but they can’t and won’t stop us from buying or reading the book.)
If we want to read a book that sharply criticzes the government, or the current administration in particular, no one’s going to stop us—or even try. And if we want to WRITE such a book, no one is going to try to put a halt to that endeavor, either.
Whatever faults you may find with our country, whether you’re a writer or simply a reader, isn’t it great to be living in the land of the free, where, as long as whatever we write is not libelous, we’re free to read and write whatever we want!