Beliefs or Barriers?
S.M. Bjarnson
As writer, bloggers, authors, readers, all of the above, we have restrictions on our minds we may not even realize. Our belief system put into place at a very young age brought up to believe and orientate one certain function or way. I have read many books, books that lie, cheat, steal, kill, swear, sweat, you know real life story books. It seems highly unnecessary to grant the submission of banning a book when the great writers of today were moved if not inspired by these works of literature.
Rowell was, according to her blog, absolutely devastated by this treatment. She wrote “When these people call Eleanor & Park an obscene story, I feel like they’re saying that rising above your situation isn’t possible. That if you grow up in an ugly situation, your story isn’t even fit for good people’s ears. That ugly things cancel out everything beautiful.”
Not necessarily a negative aspect, but also may not be a positive one. You limit yourself to read things because you are advised not too! Just so you know this may get a little philosophical so beware! I recently saw a picture of books that have now since been banned from libraries and school media centers, why, because they have to far out ideas. I mean we grew up with these books people! Winnie the pooh-My all time favorite as a kid. Was taken away from young readers minds because talking animals offend God. By the way I have found a perfect explain of the list of banned books! Here on this website! http://www.pajiba.com/station_agents/30-banned-and-challenged-kids-books-that-will-make-you-feel-terrible-about-humanity.php#.U3EeJPldUZw
Also on this undermined list of books, there is the historical, if not educational autobiography by none other than Anne Franks. Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Girl: This year (THIS YEAR) in New Hampshire, the Holocaust classic was challenged in Michigan for the following reasons: “It’s pretty graphic, and it’s pretty pornographic for seventh-grade boys and girls to be reading. It’s inappropriate for a teacher to be giving this material out to the kids when its really the parents’ job to give the students this information.” Though the book wasn’t banned in Michigan, it was briefly banned in Virginia in, wait for it, 2010.
I just would like to ask one question about this and I will move right along to other charades of enterprise; are we idiots? Let's talk about this Anne Frank was a key role in one of the biggest monumental times, for her diary we are engulfed in the Holocaust. If it were not for her being there and writing those journal entries we would have veered off into someone else words, maybe not the right words. I am saying is that she was alive and her book was published for a reason, to teach us if not educate us.
The Giving Tree: Because the tree is overly compliant and, yes, giving and the boy is demanding and selfish this book has been called sexist.
Tell me are we that bored with reality we have to ruin the childhood of young adults everywhere to prove some mythical point of beliefs brand new. You can not please everyone, but I wonder, if these people ever get tired of themselves, these individuals that fight everyone on every little detail.
What is a world we are not able to read freely? What is a planet without books? Our imaginations dried and starving for literature. What makes others think they can choose and pick the ideas we want to believe in or expose ourselves too?
His Dark Materials: Much like Harry Potter, the objection here is a religious one. Though I strongly disagree with the complaint, it is, in this instance, far more justified. Phillip Pullman’s beautiful trilogy does, yes yes, involve some kids on a mission to kill God (aka The Authority). So I can see how that might make some parents look askance. Though Pullman is vocally, frankly anti-organized religion, I don’t think he’s anti-faith. He’s said: “[I]n my view, belief in God seems to be a very good excuse, on the part of those who claim to believe, for doing many wicked things that they wouldn’t feel justified in doing without such a belief.”
Tell me are we fools?
Harriet The Spy: This book was challenged in the 1980s in Ohio for teaching “children to lie, spy, back-talk and curse.”
Are they our beliefs
or are they barriers?
All quotes on books banning are from this blog: http://www.pajiba.com/station_agents/30-banned-and-challenged-kids-books-that-will-make-you-feel-terrible-about-humanity.php#.U3EeJPldUZw
Ya hit the nail on it's head!
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