We just celebrated Banned Books Week last week—if “celebrated” is the appropriate word to use when discussing books that have been removed, or requested to be removed, from libraries, schools, bookstores, and other venues.
There certainly are books we find offensive, although they are not necessarily the ones the self-appointed censors would have us remove from the public eye. But in the words of Evelyn Beatrice Hall, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (Her quote is often misattributed to Patrick Henry and less frequently to Voltaire.)
This is America, where freedom of speech is key. Short of falsely yelling, “FIRE!” in a crowded theater, and short of inciting a riot, we have the right to speak our minds in all venues. (A quick perusal of the posts on Facebook will testify to the truth of that.)
It seems to me (and I admit I have no statistics to back this observation up) that more of the censorship attempts are perpetrated by conservatives than liberals, although liberals get in the game too when they call for bans on such classics as Huckleberry Finn because one of the characters is known as “Nigger Jim.”
These self-appointed censors are overlooking the American right to freedom of speech and, perhaps even more important, the God-given right for all people to think for themselves. Even reading hate-filled screeds can be informative. (Does the instructive phrase “Know your enemy” resonate?)
To put it simply, we don’t believe in banning books, and we hope you will fight back against any attempt to ban any books in any venue in which you have a say…not only during Banned Books Week but all year round.
The right to be informed and to think for yourself is paramount. And we don’t need Big Brother telling us what we may and may not read!