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Aylwen Dreamsong · 11-29-2002, 06:47 PM

I don't see why any books should be banned at all. Why would they be published if the publishers knew in some way that they would be controversial?

My Language Arts teacher this year is very disturbed and upset by banning books. Our 8th grade class dedicated this Language Arts year to read controversial/banned novels. We have only read two so far: A Day No Pigs Would Die and The Outsiders but more such as The Giver and Farenheit 541 are soon to follow.

My teacher read us a letter, from a journalist to a priest in Massachusettes. Apparantly the Priest had held several bonfires/bookburnings since the years following the Harry Potter realease. The journalist claimed that books had no right to be banned, and that they could be ignored easily, like a fly to a horse.

I suppose there is valid reason to ban Tolkien books, at least in others' minds. Maybe they feel that the reference to weed is intolerable, or the thought that their children may grow up to believe in magic or perhaps be more open to other things. I personally think it is insane. Parents just don't want their children to grow up with things like that in their heads. Maybe they think children are too impressionable to let them read such things.

Why others and not Tolkien? Are parents more protective in this new day and age? Maybe. Maybe they think Tolkien has some how fallen back into the past. Maybe the fact that it is so popular causes parents and teachers to be leniant in such cases. Harry Potter is new, read by so many children, maybe parents are afraid.

I'm not sure though. Is it so wrong to worry for your child? No, not really, but banning books is like putting parental controls on the internet, or putting a password in your cable TV to keep kids from watching.

Like I said, Insane.

And to think teachers get fired for showing movies and books like these.

What is the world coming to?

Aylwen

11-29-2002, 06:47 PM	#15
Aylwen Dreamsong The Melody of Misery Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Island of Conclusions (You get there by jumping!)... Posts: 1,147	I don't see why any books should be banned at all. Why would they be published if the publishers knew in some way that they would be controversial? My Language Arts teacher this year is very disturbed and upset by banning books. Our 8th grade class dedicated this Language Arts year to read controversial/banned novels. We have only read two so far: A Day No Pigs Would Die and The Outsiders but more such as The Giver and Farenheit 541 are soon to follow. My teacher read us a letter, from a journalist to a priest in Massachusettes. Apparantly the Priest had held several bonfires/bookburnings since the years following the Harry Potter realease. The journalist claimed that books had no right to be banned, and that they could be ignored easily, like a fly to a horse. I suppose there is valid reason to ban Tolkien books, at least in others' minds. Maybe they feel that the reference to weed is intolerable, or the thought that their children may grow up to believe in magic or perhaps be more open to other things. I personally think it is insane. Parents just don't want their children to grow up with things like that in their heads. Maybe they think children are too impressionable to let them read such things. Why others and not Tolkien? Are parents more protective in this new day and age? Maybe. Maybe they think Tolkien has some how fallen back into the past. Maybe the fact that it is so popular causes parents and teachers to be leniant in such cases. Harry Potter is new, read by so many children, maybe parents are afraid. I'm not sure though. Is it so wrong to worry for your child? No, not really, but banning books is like putting parental controls on the internet, or putting a password in your cable TV to keep kids from watching. Like I said, Insane. And to think teachers get fired for showing movies and books like these. What is the world coming to? Aylwen __________________ ...Come down now, they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away - Come down now! But we'll stay.