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The Official Book Censorship Thread

Rather than banning a book, why not buy a few extra copies to loan out to parents; invite them to read the book along with their student? That way the parent is directly involved in the process and can rationally explain to their student what objections they might have to this or any other book?
 
Each book was written in it's own times and acceptance of certain words were different in each,I personally think banning a book is wrong on that criteria but each parent has their view.I am sure there are worst books out there with not just vulgarity and the kids do get to them somehow.
 
abecedarian said:
Rather than banning a book, why not buy a few extra copies to loan out to parents; invite them to read the book along with their student? That way the parent is directly involved in the process and can rationally explain to their student what objections they might have to this or any other book?
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:lol:
 
There was a time, in my heady freedom, when I made it my business to read every banned book I could find, beginning with Ulysses, and then Lady Chatterly's Lover, and so on.
Book banning is a cancer? Probably so.
However, when we use terms like "N-word" and "F-word," it seems to me we directly recognize that there are appropriate venues for different kinds of speech. And we therefore immediately undercut the argument.
 
I think I was trying to point out that the topic is a little more nuanced than that. But it is not a thought I intend to pursue any further.
 
It's school district banning books. Nothing new.

Kinda like trying to ban some words in Pledge of Alligiance.
 
Exactly. And I suspect there are many more examples than just Stanislaus County. The annual ALA list, which has previously been discussed here, usually has a whole bunch (with reasons given).
 
Peder said:
However, when we use terms like "N-word" and "F-word," it seems to me we directly recognize that there are appropriate venues for different kinds of speech. And we therefore immediately undercut the argument.
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Interesting point, Peder.
 
Peder said:
However, when we use terms like "N-word" and "F-word," it seems to me we directly recognize that there are appropriate venues for different kinds of speech. And we therefore immediately undercut the argument.
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Actually, it seems to me that most censorship is about not recognizing that there are appropriate venues for different kinds of speech; that certain words or ideas are inherently bad, regardless of context, and need to be censored - say, the oft-suggested banning of Tom Sawyer for containing the word "nigger," regardless of when it was written and who says it. And therefore, recognising that there are appropriate venues doesn't so much undercut as support the argument.

But that, of course, depends on exactly which argument you're referring to.
 
Beer Good,
Censorship is an emotional word freighted with considerable historical baggage and a wide range of connotations in different contexts. I used the the popular word 'nuanced.' To borrow a phrase, one can pick and choose the points one wishes to make. But, very unfortunaley, the N-word has not always been bad irrespective of context. I intend to stay out as much as I can, considering how previous discussions have gone. But I am not in favor of censorship, nor am I in favor of using the N-word, lest people jump to erroneous conclusions.
 
As regards Twain , his body of work needs to be looked at within the context of the times that it was authored in. While said word *is* abhorrent in modern society , it was common parlance during that era.


As an aside to Robert...nice scoot in your avatar.




B.
 
beer good said:
. . .But that, of course, depends on exactly which argument you're referring to.
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Hi BG,
I was thinking that one didn't have to go much further than the first post in this thread itself to see the variety of arguments that can rage.

The title of the thread refers to Book Censorship.

The opening sentence stating the scope refers to book banning

The very first link in the thread is to a school board banning a book.

And there are a variety of impassioned comments of all sorts appended to that article, until one individual suggested that the board simply decided not to include the book in the school curriculum, and further suggested getting the definitions of the words right.

I pick none, except that I am in favor of Motherhood, against Censorship, in favor of Free Speech, and against using the "N-word."

All the time.
Cheers :)
 
Banning books is by far the least ridiculous thing at my school. We can't search medicinal marijuana or abortion or like anything drug, or sex related really. Oh and I think Nazi is blocked too.

What I want to understand is why certain books are banned because of "vulgarity" while in my LA class this year for every book we have read we have seen 3 movies and every movie had at least one set of tits, except for office space... and that movie is like rated R anyways, oh and I think Black Hawk Down didn't have tits, but it's like the goriest movie ever. Our education system makes about as much sense as our legal system.
 
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