# BANNED BOOKS N/T



## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

A copy of the AARP news letter has a list of Banned Books. Banned by the American schools and libraries. The list was posted to coincide with the American Library Associations annual Banned Books Week, September 25-October 2. I am not sure if the American Library association is condemning the action taken by the schools or is on the same page as they are. My feeling is that they are not in agreement with the school libraries.

When I see things like this list my blood pressure could break the mercury right out of it's tube. There are 50 books on this list. Here is a sampling;

*Too political*, "Uncle Toms Cabin, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath, Doctor Zhivago". 

*Too much sex*, "Ulysses, The Sun Also Rises, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Jaws". 

*Irreligious*, "On The Origin Of Species, The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter Series".

*Socially offensive*, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Gone With The Wind, To Kill A Mockingbird, 
I have listed only the books with which I am familiar. Some people think they know what is best for us to read. So they must have all of the answers to life. If they indeed do have all of the answers, why not just share them, and make everyones life alot better, instead of trying to be control freaks.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Just to clarify, these are books that have been banned by various libraries and/or schools at some point in time for various reasons, _not books that libraries and schools (or the AARP) is recommending being banned._ In fact the list (and the ALA's "Banned Book Week") is designed to do just the opposite--celebrate the ability to read what we want when we want to, and illustrate the stupidity behind attempts to ban books in the first place. So don't let your blood pressure get too high. Perhaps if the writers of the article had spent more time _reading_ those books, they may have had a better command of the English language and could have written a clearer headline. The AARP's web site has been flooded with comments, and they changed the wording on the on-line version to make it a bit more clear what was being said. 

Later, 

K


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*Ha! *This morons who banned these in the past should have seen my read list in high school and college, they'd have a kiniption fit, OMG you read THAT!!! Dam right and if I have kids they will read even more if the time comes. Literate kids are enlightned kids, more ideas the more inquisitve the child is.

*WHO* are the illiterate idiots who came up with list like this in the past, I have read several of the books on this list and have seen movie versions of just about everything else, when I see lists like this I realize just why the Chinese are eating our lunch, heres why I think these were banned and i think they are pretty GD stupid reasons but these are reasons I have heard, read, or been told by "concerned" parents back in the day.

Too political, 
"Uncle Toms Cabin (slavery, must repress Southern responsibility for that), 
All Quiet on the Western Front (can't depict war in a bad light, where would we get new recruits?, HAHA most vets I knew grew up watching stuff like Full Metal Jacket) , The Grapes of Wrath (cant depict labor injustices between labor and managment, that might help support labor unions) , 
Doctor Zhivago (takes place during the russian revolution therefore it must be a commie recruitment tool (been told that by moron who never even saw the dam movie), despite that the unbeleivable harshness and horrors of the revolution depicted was a huge black eye to the soviets and the book was banned (how ironic) from the Soviet Unions till the 80's)". 

Too much sex, 
"Ulysses (called perhaps the greatest book of the 20th century, there it MUST be bad for kids),
The Sun Also Rises (Hemmingway, will convince teenagers to chase bulls IOWs be individuals and make, and live with the choices they make), 
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings ( about an oppressed woman who becomes a self defined and strong individual, we cant have people thinking for themselves, thats just not american!(too some people)), 
Jaws (OK I cant imaging why this would be classified under too much sex??? I guess all that stuff about a shark tearing people violently and bloodly apart is just fine and dandy with these yahoos but Ooooh no sex!!! Stupid)". 

Irreligious, (what happened to Seperation of Church and State?)
"On The Origin Of Species (We all know Charlton Heaston came down out of a cloud and with his big finger ala Monty Python the earth went poof into existance, at least thats how the Easter Bunny explained it to me, Science is the devils work apparently), 
The Lord Of The Rings (dark lords, wizards, elves, obviuosly all satans work),
Harry Potter Series "(dark lords, wizardfs, elves, obviuosly all satans work, wait I said that already, again what happened to Seperation of Church and State?Thats OK every child on earth has already read these on there own).

Socially offensive, 
"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Inventor, entrepenur, statesman, historian, obviously a terrible roll model, someone get these kids a autobiography of Bernie Madof, thers a roll model!), 
The Scarlet Letter (a novel about religious repression and hypocracy by the church? of course its banned) 
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (again slavery, racism, cant have kids learning about American History god forbid)
Gone With The Wind, (again slavery, racism, cant have kids learning about American History god forbid)
To Kill A Mockingbird (again, racism, injustace, intolerance, cant have kids learning about American History god forbid, i keep repeating myself here dont I)

Thanks I will make sure to put a few of these on my Amazon list,Its still going on though, I am amazed at what often gets classed as inappropriate. Its like movies, one movie gets an R or NC17 rating becuase someone is naked while other appalingly and offensivly violent gore porn movie will only get a PG13 rating. some peoples sense of proportion is really off kilter. too much concern about religiosity and not about creating intelectual citizens. I'm sure all images from the Hubble Telescope will also be proposed to be banned in parts of the country for showing the Universe to be way older than 6000 years. If we don't get rid of these idiots trying to control our childrens education, our kids are going to be the end result of this continuous dumbing down to the point that they will be completely unable intelectually to compete on the world stage, if that happens we will be a 3rd world Idiocracy. 

Bet this thread don't last too long, note: Sarcasm intended


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

The books were often banned for language, not content.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

JRR Tolkien, author of Lord of Rings, was a very devout practicing Catholic, and all his stories contain a great deal of Christian imagery and ideals.. 
I have no idea how anyone could find it "irreligious".. 

JRR Tolkien was a good personal friend of C.S. Lewis. 
Lewis, as a younger man, was a confirmed atheist. 
but years of friendship with Tolkien and their group of friends resulted in C.S. Lewis converting to Christianity, 
and becoming perhaps the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th Century. 
Lewis wrote "The Chronicles of Narnia", which of course is very strongly rooted in Christian ideals. 

Scot


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

"Thanks I will make sure to put a few of these on my Amazon list,Its still going on though, I am amazed at what often gets classed as inappropriate. Its like movies, one movie gets an R or NC17 rating because someone is naked while other appallingly and offensively violent gore porn movie will only get a PG13 rating. some peoples sense of proportion is really off kilter. too much concern about religiosity and not about creating intellectual citizens. I'm sure all images from the Hubble Telescope will also be proposed to be banned in parts of the country for showing the Universe to be way older than 6000 years. If we don't get rid of these idiots trying to control our children's education, our kids are going to be the end result of this continuous dumbing down to the point that they will be completely unable intellectually to compete on the world stage, if that happens we will be a 3rd world Idiocracy". 
* VIC SMITH* 
Vic, we must have the same brain waves. You could not have said it better. I believe the "Dumbing down" to be intentional. By whom, I am not quite certain, although I have a list, in my mind, of the usual suspects. I also believe that we are heading for another Dark Age. One way that I am sure of this is by reading and watching science fiction. The stuff of fiction today turns out to be fact tomorrow. Just think of some of the plots in books and film that we are seeing.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

You think that's bad! I know one guy that wouldn't let his small children watch Disney's "Bambi" or "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" because they were too scary and violent. I couldn't help but wonder how he handled his kids' TV watching. hehe!


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Since most schools and libraries are government operated entities (tax payer funded), then any mention of "banned books" by them is state sponsored censorship.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I don't have a problem with most of the books listed above. 

However, I don't see restrictions on what children are exposed to as "censorship", and it's certainly not a "ban" since the books are available elsewhere. You wouldn't let your kids eat anything they come across, even poisons, would you? Minds can be poisoned just as well as bodies, and responsible adults have an obligation to exercise a degree of control over what kids are subjected to.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Ray, While I agree with you on limiting what your children can read, I cannot agree with some organization doing just that. As a parent, we have responsibilities to nuture our children. I did not let the state or the schools my children attended have the last word on what they were exposed to.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Sure, but as a parent you can get your child anything you want them to have that isn't available at the school library.


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

My wife is a middle school librarian and parent complaints about books are a constant battle. Various groups with their own dogma dislike having books that may contradict what they think available to their children and their children's friends. She believes let them read and let them make informed decisions.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

The words "banned books" carry a very negative historical conotation. The Nazi Party had a list of "banned books" too. If the school and library authorities don't like them, then don't put them on the shelf. But do not tell me what my kids can and can not read. That's none of thier business. That is my call.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh my! 

As a radical right winger, I like books listed under all of those categories. 

I refuse to join AARP, but they do send me a handy hook&loop uncoupler every few months.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By nkelsey on 12 Sep 2010 09:44 PM 
My wife is a middle school librarian and parent complaints about books are a constant battle. Various groups with their own dogma dislike having books that may contradict what they think available to their children and their children's friends. She believes let them read and let them make informed decisions. 

Your wife has a very tough job. Those parents and groups can be very unreasonable. I commend her for sticking to here belief.


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Thank you, she is a very good person, still do not understand why she married me...but as it was 34 years ago, maybe she forgot!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I guess my memory must be getting really foggy, but I can't remember anything but one small sexual liason in JAWS. Today's "dramatic" television shows have more sex than that, and it is more graphic. Besides, I seem to remember skimming over the sex to get to the really good and gory stuff. For sex we had Plaboy and Penthouse, but that was my college days. 

Oh well, I seem to remember that Peyton Place was banned in Bostain. That alone assured that it would be a best seller. HUMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm! Maybe it's some kind of reverse psycology to get them to read! 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By nkelsey on 13 Sep 2010 08:27 PM 
Thank you, she is a very good person, *still do not understand why she married me...but as it was 34 years ago, maybe she forgot! * 


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Very good Nick. 
I got you beat. Been married to the same woman for 38 years. I too have no idea why she stuck around.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Everyone of those Dirty, filthly, sex filled, depraved, degerate, and apauling books were on my mandatory reading list when I was in high school. Al though I did not care for some of the books and balked at being forced to read them I think I am a better person hanving done so. 

My mother always use to tell me "No one is going to tell YOU what todo" ( it wasn't a complement when she said it) After being forced to read some of them books Her statement became reality.

JJ 

PS When it comes to censorship I allwasy think of the book burning scene in the movie FOOT LOOSE with Kevin Beacon. The pastor makes a interesting statement


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic,

Your first post said it all. 

I've read a lot of the books on the list, and we discussed WHY they might have been banned. Personally, I think by telling people NOT to do stuff, they DO it. 

I am less worried about the books my kids will read and more worried about this BS NEW MATH they are making them do. Adding now goes Left to right.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I think they should ban the following: War and Peace, Anything by Franz Kafka, Drippy dopey romance novels in general... the first two because they are beyond B-O-R-I-N-G and the last because they waste trees, and give women weird unrealistic ideas..... and then they expect men to live up to them.


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## ralphbrades (Jan 3, 2008)

Personally speaking if there was any publication that I would consider banning it would be "The Camden Steam Miniatures Book Catalogue" for the DIRE effects it has on my wallet... Every time I pick it up I see books in it that I never knew existed and now MUST HAVE!!!

regards

ralph


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