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Banned Books Week: 25 titles you won't believe got banned

The thread is walking a tightrope but there is no danger of falling off I don't think. We seem to be a sensible lot here.
Apart from The Merchant of Venice (which would definately be banned on account of Anti-Semitism by some people today) I don't remember our required reading which is a shame. I do remember a very good Religious Studies teacher who ended up marrying one of his students a couple of years after she left school. He did some pretty memorable lessons though.
 
Reply...

Moses03 said:
Some of the school boards here in Texas were going to allow texts on evolution and creationism side by side but not sure how that played out. Since neither one can be readily proven, it would seem to be a fair compromise.

I can't recall ever reading anything bible based in public school back in the 1970s. I got that in Church and Sunday school growing up.
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Moses03,

I just want everyone to know that I am certainly not adverse to religion. Both my parents are ordained ministers, and I literally grew up in the church. However, I do believe religion has its place, and the education system may not be the best place for it to be imposed on all children, though a parent is certainly entitled to have their children schooled in that fashion if they see fit.

With regards to Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and all other faiths...many people, myself included, have a basic need in their psyche to believe that existence on this planet serves some sort of continuum, and that life doesn't consist just of birth-to-death. To this end, religion serves the purpose of filling this void. If having some kind of faith provides you with meaning for your life and some kind of a moral compass and principles to guide you, that's all that can be asked.

I have nothing more to say on the subject, I shall close my mouth.
 
Rami said:
Moses03,

I just want everyone to know that I am certainly not adverse to religion. Both my parents are ordained ministers, and I literally grew up in the church. However, I do believe religion has its place, and the education system may not be the best place for it to be imposed on all children, though a parent is certainly entitled to have their children schooled in that fashion if they see fit.

With regards to Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and all other faiths...many people, myself included, have a basic need in their psyche to believe that existence on this planet serves some sort of continuum, and that life doesn't consist just of birth-to-death. To this end, religion serves the purpose of filling this void. If having some kind of faith provides you with meaning for your life and some kind of a moral compass and principles to guide you, that's all that can be asked.

I have nothing more to say on the subject, I shall close my mouth.
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I like your view on this. Very nicely put.:salute:
 
No need to lock it up ... just port it on down to Ickies Corner or whatever its called ... topics like this are permissible there.

;)
 
Anne Frank's diary banned? Because it was a downer? Life can be downer, shall we ban that too? Little Red Riding Hood, My Friend, Flicka, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn all banned? Give me a break! This is classic literature and I don't think it should be banned. And yes, now that the banning has begun, when do we have huge bonfires where we can all go and toss in any books that don't meet with someone's set of standards? I seem to recall such events happening in the past and they generally were not associated with kindness and love, but with totalitarianism and violence.
 
are not all books educational?
there are more sides to life and different views
what is wrong with reading a book that you have a different view on
shouldnt that be good reading
sometimes it opens ones mind
that i do believe is important
just ease off religion and politics a little and we could have a great debate
H
 
Books bring new and different ideas to people and educate them. Some stuff in books, I don't agree with, but even that case, it's made me think about it which some people really need to do if they're banning books.

If we ban one, then we should ban them all. Not that I advocate banning books in the first place. There's too much to learn in them.
 
I'm a little dissapointed in the lack of context within the list. It's easy to say "this book was banned! How awful!" without context.

Schools will restrict some materials due to concerns over material being age appropriate. I guess that could be termed "banning" by some....others would call it good sense.

Personally, as a representative from the bible thumping South (which is difficult to thump given that it's one of the most banned books in the world, along with the Koran), I was given an early appreciation for literature -- being handed by my public school To Kill a Mockingbird, The Red Badge of Courage, Catch-22, Of Mice and Men, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath, Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, Midsummer's Night Dream (and yes, even an interpretation of the Koran) just to name a few, before I finished junior high school. Silly hillbillies that we were, we knew how to read. However, Catch-22 in the 5th grade would have been a bit too much, and so there was no copy in my elementary school library....it was *gasp* BANNED! I had to wait until 7th grade before I could check it out.



What did all this literature teach me?




That Holden Caufield is quite probably the stooopidest, most self centered, whiny, idiotic character in any book I've ever read (Sorry Chief!! Don't hurt me!!).:jump:
 
This is so true. Especially after looking at the list; "To choose a good book, look in an inquisitor’s prohibited list." ~John Aikin


Don<!--PL-->
 
TeaSea said:
I'm a little dissapointed in the lack of context within the list. It's easy to say "this book was banned! How awful!" without context.

Schools will restrict some materials due to concerns over material being age appropriate. I guess that could be termed "banning" by some....others would call it good sense.

Personally, as a representative from the bible thumping South (which is difficult to thump given that it's one of the most banned books in the world, along with the Koran), I was given an early appreciation for literature -- being handed by my public school To Kill a Mockingbird, The Red Badge of Courage, Catch-22, Of Mice and Men, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath, Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, Midsummer's Night Dream (and yes, even an interpretation of the Koran) just to name a few, before I finished junior high school. Silly hillbillies that we were, we knew how to read. However, Catch-22 in the 5th grade would have been a bit too much, and so there was no copy in my elementary school library....it was *gasp* BANNED! I had to wait until 7th grade before I could check it out.
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Yes quite right. It used to be called common sense but the little pleb behind his desk with the big red BANNED stamp doesn't always take context into consideration. Those books were banned outright though and the reasons are pathetic. It comes from people who refuse to examine other ideas or concepts for fear it will undermine their own ideology. It's not a religious or political issue it's an idiot issue. Idiots who know nothing of the world beyond their street corner other than what they see on tv and want to keep it that way. Those muppets come from all walks of life and beliefs. Equal opportunities ignorance.
 
Two of the books on the list (The Great Gatsby and Kite Runner) were required reading when I was in High School. My favorite book, which is also probably a good candidate for banning, A Confederacy of Dunces, was on an optional summer reading list. I got interested in Vonnegut when I saw "Footloose", and Slaughterhouse Five was banned in the town.
 
What really knocks me out is a book, when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
The Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield in Chapter 3
 
Navy Chief said:
What really knocks me out is a book, when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
The Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield in Chapter 3
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I never really enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye. I have absolutely no empathy with the protagonist and found him to be incredibly annoying.
 
Chris H said:
I never really enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye. I have absolutely no empathy with the protagonist and found him to be incredibly annoying.
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I am not alone!!!

Chief, your quote of Holden is somewhat ironic given that J.D. Salinger was a recluse and hated talking to anyone....It is a good quote though...

I'd like to circle back on this context point and add the use of terminology....exactly what makes these books banned? Not be approved assigned reading material for school???

They are pretty much available anywhere, so how are they "Banned"?

Much hyperbole, little substance, or as the Bard would say, "Much Ado about Nothing" (we also read that down here in the bible belt).
 
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