there's a much greater reason why books should not be banned than that we aren't stupid enough to believe everything we read. this reason is that to do so would limit creativity and free thinking and personal liberty and this is much more dangerous than the ideas these controversial books allegedly promote. some of the greatest books in history were once banned or rejected by people who were intolerant of different ideas. books can certainly open up new worlds to people and this is a scary thought but it is one that must be entertained. the greatest, most interesting, influential, controversial, inspiring ideas are inscribed in the books we have today and there is no better legacy the past offers. books are very powerful and I DO think that they can change people's minds. herein lies their greatness. but they should be embraced because of this, and not shunned. I believe that the most important things my country has given me are freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom to think freely.

Interesting take, Billy.

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I mean, for real, are we really that slow to believe and try to make realistic anything we read in a book? Are we that gullible?

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hahahha, I'm going to stay away from that one...

Banning books is completely ridiculous. If we don't get them at the school library and we really want to read them we'll find a way. I mean, seriously, whats next? do we have to rate books the same way we do movies??? that's crazy.

and on the subject of romeo and juliet promoting suicide: Shakespeare(or whoever u think he is) wasn't promoting suicide. Almost all of his main characters have tragic flaws. Romeo and Juliets was being too passionate(the friar said to "love moderately")/ being obsessed with suicide. If the teachers are doing what they're supposed to do, then the students would learn that there is nothing romantic about suicide...but I guess instead of just finding a reasonable way to fix the problem, they go the easy way. and trying to ban it.
really, it's ridiculous.

there's a rather big double standard in banning books, most people at the forefront of banning books fail to realize a book they take so high into regard, something they are willing to fight over and believe in...contains more sex and violence then any other book I have ever read. Not to mention we teach that same book to our children from a very young age...it rather makes me ill to think about how hypocritical we as a society have allowed ourselves to become. It's time we stop banning books...or if one book can be banned for sex and violence...then I have one I'd like to add to list.....

hey blue i jus wanted to say that i completely agree with you. jus recently, we had a "banned book week" at our school. In the library, several books were covered with paper bags and the words "censored" or "no peeking". of course you look, and i found these books to be harmless! The only advantage of banning books is less trouble for the librarian because it is one less book to keep track of. In addition, i also wanted to say that there are wayyyyyy more disadvantages to banning books. it only keeps students from extra learning. wasnt clockwork orange banned before? its one of my favorite books! please, we dont need anymore of this banning books nonsense.

I personally don't think banning a book solves any of the problems people attribute to the book. I think it's really stupid when people and/or groups try to do that. I mean, for real, are we really that slow to believe and try to make realistic anything we read in a book? Are we that gullible? Are we that slow? I think it's very stupid, and the few close-minded people like to ruin it for everyone.

I really don't understand this either.Sheltering us as long as possible just makes it more cruel when we figure out what the real world was like. I have an aunt like that..she has my cousin in an all girls school,with that olden days stuff.

Another book to read is Ferenheight(sp?) 451.It's about futuristic firemen who are hired to burn books.If there was a book in someone's house,they would burn the whole house down.We read that in 7th grade,and then the school banned it because "we weren't ready to read it." and moved it up to the high school.So much for that.

No, thats never happend to me

So why are we banning books? It aint nothing in them we dont hear everyday from schools, the media, music, everything! Damn.

The idea of censoring something because it MIGHT upset someone worries me. What if everyone decided it was ok to "protect" people from "upset"? Whose views of the world, news or life would be correct?

In our school district, schools have blacked out words in Romeo & Juliet, Kurt Vonnegut is no longer allowed as student reading, Schindler's List can no longer be watched by student's in history class & it just goes on. Of Mice & Men has been restricted to needing parent permission . If it continues then our required reading list will vanish. Not a bad thing to some students but then colleges expect you to have been exposed to certain classics.

There is an excellent source to report censorship complaints. Go to www.ncte.org
We have reported the censoring of books & plays by our school district & they are investigating it.

It reminds me of having to take medicine when I was younger. They'd always say it was good for me. If they don't let us make some decisions for ourselves now then how will we cope in the adult world?

i just don't understand banning books-it doesn't make sense!

my grandma used to work at our school library and she said that a mother tried to get them to ban RL Stein books cause her daughter was weak and sick etc.etc., and she red them and got all scared. it's so stupid! if u don't want your daughter to read them, just dont let her read them! everyone sholdn't be punished for one persons weakness!

there's a really good book read called The Day they BUrned the Books. It's about people trying to ban Huckleberry Finn cause it says n*gger(even though twain was against slavery). and the principal rips out pages of the bible cause of the stories in it. (well there are some pretty nasty stories, like this one about tamar, its all about sex. well actually like the whole bible is about sex.) but i just don't see why people think that their children's lives will be better if they can't read about contriversial things.

i hate it myself when your parents or society in general ban you from reading a certain book..
restricted reading is compltely upto an individual. its not like your mind loses its virginity. people say that you have a whole lifetime to know about it but beleive me self help is the best help. i am not professing mind corruption but normal awareness, which believe me is the saving grace..
seriously our parents think that we don't know many things when infact they are totally mistaken about that. we are more generally aware and mentally mature where knowing the wrong things is concerned and there is no denying that..

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Quote I don't know about any of you, but my parents telling me not to do something increases my desire to do it about twenty fold.

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ditto, the more our parents put tabs on doing something, the more eager and curious u get about bending rules......

I know a teacher who actually lost their job due to having the class read a "controversial" book. While the book was not the only thing, it was certainly the straw that broke the camel's back.

The problem is that many parents want to shelter their children as long as humanly possible from the world. This is impractical and damaging with the type of media exposure we have today. To illustrate this point, by the time my parents finally decided I was old enough for the birds and bees talk, I already knew everything they had to say due to sex scenes in movies, internet pornography, et cetera.

It seems to me that many parents don't realize that sheltering your child too much is just as damaging as over-exposing them. If issues such as suicide, violence, sex, and drugs are approached in an objective, straight-forward manner, kids would be more likely to come to good conclusions about them. This, "Don't talk about <controversial concept>, it's bad." crap will only encourage kids to do it. I don't know about any of you, but my parents telling me not to do something increases my desire to do it about twenty fold.

To continute the R&J theme, what's better? Closing your eyes and pretending suicide doesn't exist, or having a serious discussion about it where you can illustrate that you'll be cheating yourself out of love, happiness, and all the potential accomplishments that make life worthwhile? Denial is never a healthy state to live in.


-Sivad

___R&J does say that there are things adults do that are worth dying to escape. I can see how that might pÏss them off, but I don't think they'll succeed in banning it(everyone knows what happens before they read it anyway). It's also multi-dimensional, useful for comparing the two movie versions, and very well written so good luck to whoever thinks they can beat Shakespear.