I'll say it: I read banned books. I'm prepared for the repercussions of this confession. I've said my goodbyes. I've given away my books. I've hugged my cat.
Oh, wait. I forgot. Banned books aren't bad. In fact, some of my favorite books are banned books. (Harry Potter anyone?) Not only are they favorites, but they've also taught me many important life lessons. Thirteen Reasons Why was life-changing, and Dr. Seuss's books shaped my childhood. Parents ban books because they worry about keeping their children "pure." Um, newsflash, but we've all heard these words before. Many of us have said these words. We've all heard about sexual stuff and drugs and drinking and smoking and homosexuality. Reading about this stuff doesn't make us want to do it. For example, Go Ask Alice is a story about a girl who gets addicted to drugs and how it affects her life until it ultimately *spoiler* ends. In the book, there is a lot of cussing and she mentions a couple of times that she's had sex and she is obviously doing drugs. (I don't, however, remember if there is any mention of smoking. I believe she thinks it's bad for you, which would be ironic, but I might be confusing it with a different book.) Bad things. Having our children read these things might taint their minds! Or, it could educate them and help them from going down the same self-destructive path as the narrator of the book does. This book, I feel, could be very vital to future generations. Say we make this a summer reading assignment or even just talk about it for a few weeks. Imagine how many lives it might save, giving a true, deep insight as to what happens when you get involved with drugs. (Then again, maybe not. Who knows?) I don't think this book is bad. It doesn't romanticize drugs; it doesn't say "You should do drugs because it's cool!" It's warning against doing drugs. Maybe it's in an unconventional way, I don't know, but I do know is that it's a great book that could help educate the curious younger generations. Why are we still banning books? Why is censorship still a thing? If you're worried that these "evil" books will corrupt your child, then why do they have a Facebook? An Instagram or a Twitter or whatever else is popular these days? I've had eight year-olds on my bus say nastier things than what I read. We can't stop teenagers from experiencing the horrors of the real world, but these books may be able to give them some insight. Some warning. Maybe even a way to not make a mistake. These books don't convince us to do drugs or cuss; we make that decision on our own. Books are wonderful things that no one has the right to take away. So, if I'm reading Harry Potter and the Chambers Secret and you come up to me and say that I can't read it, then you can expect a very long, very passionate rant about the pure amazingness that is that book. No one can tell me what I can or can't read. No one can tell you what you can or can't read. I read banned books because I love to read books with flawed characters and interesting dialogue and a great lesson. Why do you? Leave a Reply. |
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Musical fanatic Lover of books and all things cake-related Archives
April 2018
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