In recent weeks there has been a lot of controversy down here in some Texas libraries. Some people have tried really hard to ban books. And they haven’t succeeded.
There are two books that immediately come to mind when I think of this recent nonsense. I don’t remember the titles, but one was a children’s book that dealt with transgender issues, and I believe the other dealt with growing up as an LGBT person. Also a children’s book. These are just the two examples that come to mind. This post is NOT about what you think when you see a trans person or what you think of so-called “adult” issues appearing in children’s books. Because right now the content is irrelevant.
These people (and there have been A LOT of them) have tried to get these books either out of the library or in a different section of the library because they don’t agree with them or their placement. Think about that. Now think about how many books are published each year that you don’t agree with. But you’re not in your local library trying to change which books they carry or how they display their books. And I’m definitely not doing that.
People need to just accept that the world doesn’t revolve around everything they believe in because I know I’m not the only one getting sick of this crap about banning or censoring books. There wouldn’t be any books in the library if everyone conducted themselves this way.
Have there been any high profile incidents of people trying to ban books near you recently?
Johnny Reads 
People have a sad tendency to try and ban any and everything they don’t particularly like or are offended by. They need to grow up.
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Yes! Growing up. So many people refuse to do it.
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It’s not really something we do in the UK, we are not a very religious society, and while books like Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ and James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ were initially banned here a long time ago for obscenity, there is a general feeling that if you ban a book, you immediately boost its sales. Head teachers here have the power to remove books from school libraries and do not need permission from any authority, and there was one instance of a religious head teacher removing Harry Potter books due to the supernatural content, but that really is rare, and pointless. Can’t fight the tide of Harry Potter, and again, probably just made every child, even those with no interest in that book go out and get it. Yay! 🙂
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Y’all don’t celebrate Banned Book Week? I think it’s in September.
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It’s more of a US thing, our list of banned books is too short, we’d all just have to spend the week reading ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ although the ban on that was lifted over 50 years ago. 🙂
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Hmmm. Now I know.
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No such incidents near me that I am aware of as of late, but book banning gets on my nerves in general. You are right on point with this entire post, if everyone acted like this there would be no books left to read.
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Well it’s nice to know the whole world isn’t trying to ruin libraries.
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Reblogged this on William Chasterson.
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Has there been a resergence in book banning in recent times, do you think? This type of conservative behaviour often surfaces when people feel under threat, when they worry their way of life is being eroded or undermined in some way.
No, we don’t go in too much for banning books in the UK – maybe the hoo-ha over ‘Chatterley’ taught us a thing or two.
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Eh. I don’t think so. But it’s one of those things that stays relatively constant, even at a low level. At least that’s what I think. I think you’re absolutely right about why people try to ban books. Except these books don’t even affect them one but. So dumb.
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People search for answers to what they see as problems in the strangest places. I suppose there will be some who think young people who read transgender fiction will somehow be influenced in their life choices – cos everyone who plays Call of Duty joins the army, everyone who reads Game of Thrones rushes out to buy a suit of armour and a dragon to train, of course 🙂
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Exactly right. All those happen on the daily. 😉
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books are legacies. Those are 1st generation learning tools why would people want to ban them?? sigh!!
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Ignorance. Only reason.
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i agree
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I don’t know of any incidents near me, but I could just be out of the loop, as I normally am. I don’t see the point of banning books. Even if I didn’t like a certain book, it would be pointless to try and ban it. Banning books only makes them more appealing to those whose access to it is restricted. Besides, we learn by taking in the world around us, and one of the best ways to do that is to read voraciously, in ALL kinds of genres and on ALL manner of topics. Otherwise we’d all be ignorant fools.
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I think those trying to influence their local libraries are the ignorant fools.
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Books should never be banned. There are books I wouldn’t allow my children to read. And I bet there are books that I encourage my children to read that others wouldn’t let theirs read. Nobody forces you to check out books .
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Exactly.
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I don’t agree with banning books. Books are written for so many reasons. The people that want to ban these books are the ones that should truly read it. If they don’t want to accept a book, then don’t buy it simple as that. Just leave it on the shelf. But this is an issue that goes deeper than just a book. Just my quick small opinion.
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Well I don’t think anyone should be forced to read something they don’t agree with. They should just avoid it. Like they would anything else.
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