Ban Ignorance, Not Books

It's time once again for Banned Books Week, starting tomorrow, September 26, through October 3. The annual event began in 1982 after a surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries, with more than a thousand books involved since then. The primary complaints are usually from religious groups, but many campaigns stem from perceived negative portrayals of one group of people or other, i.e., racial, gender, religious or political.

When I hear about banned books, I'm always reminded of a quotation attributed to Stephen Hopkins, delegate from Rhode Island to the Continental Congress that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and whether it's fact or apocryphal, it still makes a lot of sense, "I've never seen, heard nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about." 

Of course, the ultimate cautionary tale about banning books is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (both the novel and film based on it), where critical thought through reading is outlawed, and books aren't just banned, they're burned. Far-fetched, you say? As recently as July of this year, books in Wisconsin got folks so riled up, several library board members lost their jobs, one man said the city's library director should be tarred and feathered, and yes, there was a call for book burning. And that's just in the "Land of the Free" and Bill of Rights. It gets worse if you go outside these borders to other parts of the world. As Galley Cat pointed out recently, book banning is every American's problem. If you don't think it could happen near you, check out the map which lists the various book challenges.

There is a list of some events on the Banned Book Week web site link above you can check out. The easiest way for you to help is to visit one of these or your local library or bookstore. Or you can try one of the other "Things You Can Do" listed on the site.