by Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh: Word Branch Media Every year I write a blog for Banned Book Week, and this year is no different, and, sadly, there is no shortage of banned and challenged books in the US as well as worldwide. But, on the positive side, we at least have this opportunity to showcase the seemingly growing problem of special interest groups attempting to control the speech, thoughts, and beliefs of all. When I talk to people about Banned Book Week and my passion to eliminate restrictions in reading, I’m sometimes met with shock. That surprises me, but I think education is the key to make others more aware of censorship.
For those not familiar with Banned Book Week, it is the annual event, supported by the American Library Association (ALA), that celebrates our freedom to read and protests the censorship of books. The ALA recognizes the potential danger of the restriction of reading and the historical and contemporary impact it has on civilizations. Click here to read more about the ALA’s involvement in Banned Book Week. I think it is important to note that books that are banned and challenged in the US may not be what people think. We’re not talking about some dark pornography or terrorist manifesto; we are talking about American classics like The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird. We’re talking about beloved children’s books like Harry Potter and young adult favorites like The Hunger Games. We are talking about books that shed a light on racism and other social issues like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and The Bluest Eye. We’re talking about books that make us think and create, that lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and society. The reasons that books are banned or challenged are many, and while it may be tempting to blame it entirely on fringe religious and political groups, often it is ordinary people who initiate the challenges. Sometimes it is just well-meaning folks who just can’t understand why others don’t think or act like them. Sometimes it is a misguided notion that you can protect children by restricting what comes into their world. Valid points . . . to some extent. While parents have a right to restrict what their children read, they certainly don’t have the right to restrict my children’s reading. One person’s religious or political views that control their own choice of reading material shouldn’t dictate what I choose to read and, by extension, think. I get that some people think that The Color Purple, or similarly ranged books, isn’t appropriate for all age groups, and it is not. It is not the easiest read in the world, and it deals with some very adult subjects. But no one is suggesting that your second grader be forced into reading it, and even if you oppose your high school student reading Invisible Man as an assigned book, I know of no school or teacher that doesn’t have alternative books for students whose parents protest. But that doesn’t mean that other students shouldn’t be restricted from what is a learning and growing experience. And you may say-what is the harm in taking The Sun Also Rises or Harry Potter out of libraries to keep these special interest groups from squawking? The danger is that when one first amendment right is chipped away at, it sets a dangerous precedent for others. I’m not suggesting that we are in imminent danger of becoming a real-life Fahrenheit 451 society (which ironically is on the banned list), but, as James Madison said: “there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” ALA Press Release: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/09/affirm-freedom-read-during-banned-books-week-sept-21-27-2014 Notable First Amendment Court Cases:http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorshipfirstamendmentissues/courtcases Frequently Banned and Challenged Books: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics ALA Banned Book Week 2014: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek
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by Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh: President, Word Branch Media I went to a small Quaker liberal arts college in Ohio and later taught there. Although not Quaker, I received a large dose of the philosophy during my years at Wilmington College. One belief that has stuck with me all these years is the idea of bearing witness. Part of that idea is that a person should take a strong moral stand and live by that. Over time, I have felt strongly about a number of issues: equality, combating genocide, conservation among a few. But as a publisher and writer, no issue is more important to me than censorship.
Writing has always been politically explosive. From Socrates and Milton to Twain and Rushdie, writing bears the brunt of free speech infractions due to its permanence and portability. The greatest detriment to oppressive regimes in Europe was the invention of the printing press that made it possible and plausible for the masses to read and to write. Jonathan Swift’s metaphorical “A Modest Proposal” sank its barbs deep into British oppression of the Irish just as Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” held a mirror to the repressive side of African politics. Some religious groups have been as active, possibly more so, than governments when it comes to censorship. Hiding behind a smokescreen of morality, suppression of books by religions has a long and ugly history. The Catholic Church’s Index Librorum Prohibitorum, radical Islam’s fatwa against authors who cross a man-made line, and Scientology’s aggressive attacks on any critical writing are just a sampling of the groups who seek to silence writers on grounds that range from silly to deadly. Conversely, religious writings have suffered from censorship as well—usually from rival groups. Both the Qur’an and the Bible have been banned by governments and groups as well as various Buddhist writings and Wiccan books. And so, Gentle Readers, I invite you to take part in sharing quotes from your favorite banned writing on Word Branch Publishing’s Facebook page. From September 22nd to the 28th, I will be sharing my favorites, and we encourage everyone to do the same. If you haven’t liked our Facebook page, you can by clicking here. If you need some inspiration, check out some of the other resources below. http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/liste.html?tid=415&art_id=475 http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/ http://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/banned by Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh: President, Word Branch Media I’d like to celebrate Banned Book Week a little early this year in honor of Arizona’s new law, A.R.S. § 15-112, which bans curriculum in public schools that “Advocate[s] ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals” (Golgowski). While the letter of the law sounds like it could be positive—who doesn’t want to be treated as an individual?—the spirit of it is not.
The law is being used to dismantle Tucson’s established Mexican-American Studies program as well as to ban books in the schools that range from Shakespeare’s The Tempest to the acclaimed Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years. While the school district denies book banning—the books are merely “stored” away from students—both educators and parents find this move alarming (Rene). Whether the books are banned or under lock and key, the message to the students is clear: your right to a free and open education is being violated. So to highlight this ‘auspicious’ event I propose, Dear Reader, that we pick a passage from one of our favorite banned or challenged books (or publications)and add it to the comment section of this blog. Lists of banned and challenged books: Classics: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics Challenged in the 21st Century: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged Authors: http://www.banned-books.com/bblist.html Golgowski, Nina. “Shakespeare Work Axed in Arizona Schools as Law Bans 'Ethnic Studies’.” Mail Online News. 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. Rene, Cara. TUSD. 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. by Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh: President, Word Branch Media So cherished is the right of free speech that it is the first amendment of the constitution in the US. Internationally, it is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And every year the American Library Association (ALA) devotes a week to celebrate free speech with Banned Book Week.
My alma mater, Wilmington College, celebrated intellectual freedom by encouraging students, faculty and staff to pick a selection from their favorite banned books and read them aloud in the college theater. The ALA sponsors similar events nationwide at libraries, colleges and bookstores to remind us all that censorship is a dangerous thing and communication is a basic right. Books that are challenged or banned include some well-known classics like The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye. JK Rowlings, Judy Blume, Toni Morrison, Sherman Alexie and Mark Twain are among dozens of authors who are regularly challenged. Reasons for challenging a book range from offensive language and violence to political and religious viewpoints. September 24 to October 1, 2011 marks the 11 year of American Library Association’s Banned Books Readout. Anyone can participate either in a physical location or virtually to celebrate our freedom to read. Education is the best defense, so spread the word and read a few chapters from your favorite banned book. All of the information in this blog comes from the American Library Association’s website: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm |
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