Saturday, September 24, 2005

banned fish

Banned Books Week 2005
Saturday, September 24 through Saturday, October 1

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
-Mark Twain

posted by mysfit @ 7:51 PM 

17 little fish:

Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

i'll talk more about how important this is to me another time

one more thing - the spam comment i just deleted from this post was for a site called "adware" - how dumb do they think we are?

7:04 PM  
Blogger LiVEwiRe swam up to say...

I need a label like that but change the word 'read' to the word 'approach'. Anyway... I don't even have the right words to explain how I feel about banning books. Burn your damn bras if you want to, just not the books. Books are small, custom blends of love, fear, memories, fantasy, information and feeling. No matter what happens, they never really go away. Once read, a part of them will always be with you.

8:17 PM  
Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

sock - yeah the poor beleagured moralists have the internet to worry about - besides who reads books nowadays? :)

i happen to agree livewire, but just to play devil's advocate:
"No matter what happens, they never really go away. Once read, a part of them will always be with you."
this is prbably part of the reason some people get so up in arms about books.

11:35 AM  
Blogger phylos swam up to say...

I found the reasons that books are challenged odd - swearing, sex, homosexuality. Let me guess - christians. *shakes head slowly and sadly*
Can we all get together and challenge the bible? Smite them at their own game?

7:16 AM  
Blogger phylos swam up to say...

88 Where's Waldo.
What in the name of all the gods does anyone find offensive in that?

7:19 AM  
Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

"Can we all get together and challenge the bible? Smite them at their own game?"

philos - i love when you visit the fish

10:28 AM  
Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

feels kinda weird that i've censored three spam bots from my anti-censorship post, but dammit this is my site!

1:15 PM  
Blogger Carl V. Anderson swam up to say...

Waldo should've been banned...I've been wearing red striped sweaters ever since being exposed!

Great Twain quote!

2:30 PM  
Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

carl, why does that not surprise me?

thanks, i thought so too

2:50 PM  
Blogger Carl V. Anderson swam up to say...

I agree with you Jenn See as to why a majority of books get challenged. I don't think books should be banned but I applaud parents who at least examine things to determine whether they feel they are appropriate for their children at the time. Most normal parents aren't trying to hide the world from their kids, they are just trying to allow their children to experience things when they are age appropriate. I don't think this is a factor that alot of school's take into account. Kids are exposed to things way too early that they do not have the maturity level to deal with.

3:38 PM  
Blogger oldben swam up to say...

Kids are exposed to things way too early that they do not have the maturity level to deal with.

i agree somewhat karl, but i think that there's a bit of a backlash going on now. i think one of the biggest problems is that parents don't give their kids enough credit these. let them go out and skin their knees and get into fights and tell them to suck it up, they'll be ok. instead, they're sheltered, spoiled, and expected to not think, just follow direction. if a child is encouraged to have an opinion and challenge ideas, that child will grow to be a well-developed adult, as opposed to the shallow, uninterested masses that are currently running around. who was the last great voice of a generation? where is that voice now?

3:49 PM  
Blogger Carl V. Anderson swam up to say...

I know there are two sides to every coin Ben so I agree with what you're saying. I just don't see it as a situation involving giving credit to kids or not giving them credit. I'm okay with having my kid read, hear, watch challenging things that make them think...when they are at the age level in which they have some ability and insight with which to make good decisions about the material being given to them. I just have extreme doubts about letting the average public school teacher be solely responsible for deciding what my kid is ready for.

On the other had I wish parents, who pay the taxes and should have a say in their kids education, would not make rash, uneducated decisions about books, etc and instead would expend their energy getting involved in the school in a proactive way.

People do challenge things for ridiculous reasons, but behind each person that would be labeled "extreme right wing", etc. there are also reasonable, intelligent, caring and educated parents who are endeavoring to make good decisions for them and their children.

And I still think Where's Waldo should be wiped from the collective consciousness....damned stocking hat, striped shirt and glasses....

4:49 PM  
Blogger Carl V. Anderson swam up to say...

Oh crap...and here I was planning on using the O.C. as my model for appropriate sexual behavior for my 13 year old. Everything always has to be spoiled!

6:43 PM  
Blogger banzai cat swam up to say...

Hehe talking from banned books to upbringing by parents. Still, you can't avoid the linkage.

Personally, I figure it's because people don't think. They don't like to think. And they want other people do their thinking for them.

You can chalk it up to upbringing or stupidity or even laziness. But if people can't reason out WHY a book is good or bad, then we'll always get book-burnings.

*sigh*

2:55 AM  
Blogger phylos swam up to say...

Returning to Mr Wilde for a second..

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame"

9:36 AM  
Blogger phylos swam up to say...

I think you're right

12:38 PM  
Blogger mysfit swam up to say...

this discussion is why it is so important - as for schools i'm not sure how i'd feel since i don't have kids, there just has to be better way then banning books - like paying attention to what your kids are reading and discussing it with them - as for banning from libraries, i say get a grip and get out of the library my taxes pay for as well, if you don't want to read the books then don't

12:56 PM  

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