Last week was Banned Books Week, another bookish thing I’m ambivalent about. Its point is to promote awareness of challenges to books and to help guard against suppression of free speech. I’m all for free access to books, but I’m not exactly all for Banned Books Week either.
The vast majority of book challenges happen in school districts for assorted reasons: sexual content, graphic language, being unsuited to an age group, etc. I don’t believe books should be removed from a school library, but I can’t be upset at parents who want some control over what their children are taught. One way to improve a curriculum is to question it. And it’s a good thing whenever a parent shows interest in their child’s education, even if it is an attempt at banning a book. For the most part, I think school boards handle challenges in a reasonable way. A title is questioned, excerpts are presented (although reading the entire book would be better), debate follows, and the board votes.
It’s a shame, though, when books are removed from a school library. Not all parents feel the need to control environments outside the home and some want their own children to have access to “questionable” literature. Besides, a quick way to get kids to read what you’re trying to protect them from, like a book containing explicit sexual content, is to ban it. If it’s not available at school, they’ll find it in a public library or bookstore. Rather than waste energy on having a book banned, parents might be better off talking with their children about why certain content is objectionable. Unfortunately, many either don’t have enough time or aren’t equipped to deal with certain subject matter.
Of course, censorship, when it comes to suppressing information or ideas from adults, is wrong on all counts. You could make an argument that banning books at a public library makes the world safe for children. Yet the world isn’t populated solely by children. I understand the desire to keep schools as kid-friendly as possible, but you can’t stop adults from having access to books because you’re afraid a child might read it. Outside of school, parents need to monitor their children.
Don’t like the content of a library book? Take it away from your kid. Hate the fact that porn is easily accessible on the Internet? Watch your kid’s computer usage. Don’t like the language on TV? Change the channel.
I started writing this post about my own ambivalence toward Banned Books Week. In my own experience, I have never felt like I have been prevented access to any book I wanted to read. After a quick Internet search, I couldn’t find a single current reference to books being banned outside of a school system. Some have tried and failed, but I still feel confident that the First Amendment is doing its job. I’m just not so sure Banned Books Week has anything to do with it.
