BANNING AND BURNING

 

BANNING AND BURNING

 It is so much easier to ban and burn books than it is to ban assault rifles.

As a writer, a student of philosophy, history and the humanities I am not only concerned about the erosion of democratic values all around the world, but also how our democratic minds are submitted to an unhealthy kind of censorship by banning books that are in the opinion of some educators, lawmakers and politicians, considered inappropriate.

First I want to take you back to 1812 and the first publications of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the fairy tales they wrote to great acclaim: Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast, just to name a few examples of their prodigious output that stand out.  Some are now deemed unsuitable and too graphic, while others continue to be made into movies and musicals.  Our sensitivities often resemble the weather; changeable and hard to predict.

Of course you realize that Little Red Riding Hood couldn’t have been swallowed up in bits and pieces by the Big Bad Wolf, otherwise she couldn’t have been retrieved by the hunter in one piece!  The tale of Jonah and the Walrus is cut from a similar cloth.  We have always been imaginative in our fables and fairy tales and just about anything goes.  Some of the brothers Grimm tales are now considered ‘Dark’ and unsuitable for impressionable young minds.  Take a hard look at what has been coming out of Hollywood and even Disney these past couple of years and it makes you wonder if they didn’t get that particular memo as to what is suitable and appropriate.  The blood and gore drips from the screens.  It does come with some disclaimers and guidelines and they’re about as sincere and effective as any adult site asking for age verification that doesn’t require verifiable proof of age provided by an adult.  It is all voluntary.  A pang of conscience entering the mind of a minor for a few seconds before clicking—yes, I’m of age!  How many parents would seriously consider taking the devices away or constantly monitoring its uses?

So, why do we censor, who do we censor and who does the censoring?  Who are the gatekeepers of today’s morality squad and do their sensibilities actually qualify them for the job?  Who gets to decide what is appropriate to read and what is not?  In my humble opinion as a writer a book should only be considered inappropriate if the work in question inspires or promotes hate or demonizes people for being different.  One of the perks of living in a true democracy is the simple fact that an individual gets to decide.

Reading is not only about absorbing information, whether what you read is fiction or nonfiction, but how to interpret what we’re exposed to and that it may lead to a better understanding of a subject or topic and inspires critical thinking and original thought.  Pulling books from shelves and banning them, how does that promote a better understanding?  We broaden our intellectual horizons by considering all aspects and information of a particular subject or topic and not by being selective as to what we should or should not read, leading to pre-established opinions rather than reaching a conclusion based on considering all relevant information.  Even if some of that information treads on sensitive toes.

There is such a thing as age-appropriate and I will illustrate this with a simple example.  Take Das Kapital written by Karl Marx and Mein Kampf written by Adolf Hitler.  One an economic tract and the other an ideology expressed by one of history’s most loathsome villains.  Definitely not material for impressionable young minds and usually intended for serious scholars studying our past and the impact these two books had.  If available and signed out or purchased, should it come replete with a written request as to suitability, reason and purpose?  A background check?  Are certain books deemed to be as deadly as assault weapons and should therefore be subjected to a similar scrutiny?  A soundness of mind attested to by a certified psychologist?  Put on an official government watch list, red flagged as a potential risk?

Is turning ourselves into public mind keepers even healthy?  In many of my articles I challenge attitudes and human actions and activities.  Should I be banned?

Purchase my novel on KDP Amazon.ca before it gets banned too!

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