Letter from Elaine Cunningham. Topic: Banned books

[Larry_OHF]

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Dear fellow readers, The Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), will celebrate the 20th annual Banned Book Week from September 22 to 29. I encourage all of you to protest censorship by purchasing and reading a banned book. Banned authors include Mark Twain, Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, and Maurice Sendak -- a children's author best know for Where the Wild Things Are. Often books are singled out for reasons based on preconceptions rather than knowledge. The Devil's Arithmatic by Jane Yolen, for example -- a powerful and sensitive historical novel dealing with the holocost -- has found its way onto banned book lists simply because of its title. Books such as Too Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn offer a rebuke to racism, yet some folks would have us shun them because the depicted racists use "racist language." (Gee. Go figure.) According to ABFFE president Chris Finan, the 10 most challenged books of 2000 were: (1) the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (2) The Chocolate War (3) the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (4) Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan (5) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (6) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (7) Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers (8) the Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwarts (9) The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney (10) The Giver by Lois Lowry The world is full of enjoyable, worthwhile books. All of us, regardless of our tastes and interests and sensibilities, live in a world that offers more than we could possibly fit into a lifetime of reading. That range, that diversity, accomodates us all. Censorship diminishes us all. Please join me in quietly protesting those who insist that their right to choose implies a right to dictact the choices of others. To learn more about the ABFFE, see the article link below. http://article.publishersweekly.com/...2.6.1750746770 Best regards, Elaine Cunningham ]www.elainecunningham.com

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Father of the wicked but cute child known as MaryBeth

Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
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Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

[This message has been edited by Larry_OHF (edited 09-09-2001).]

[Fljotsdale]

Hm. What does 'the 10 most challenged books of 2000' actually mean, Larry? I have not heard that any of them have been banned. In fact it is laughable to suggest it, with most of 'em!
Also, the books advertised on the site do not seem to be of the same type at all, and they only seem to be keen on you buying them, which appears rather suspect to me - more like a money-making project than a protest site.
Can you elucidate, please?

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[Larry_OHF]

<font color="white">Those books previously mentioned have been jerked from the School shelves, and taken outta libraries for the most part, or not allowed to be had in places.
If you want more information on it, Elaine is very good at answering all of her e-mails.</font>

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Father of the wicked but cute child known as MaryBeth

Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
---------------------
Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

[Fljotsdale]

OK! Thanks Larry! Sheesh - some of 'em, maybe aren't 'suitable' in schools, but Rpwling? Angelou? ...

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[Larry_OHF]

<font color="white">I know...I have read some of them, but I saw no reason to ban them...that is a little extreme, to me.</font>

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Father of the wicked but cute child known as MaryBeth

Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
---------------------
Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Flojtsdale, here in America there is a large body of idiots of an unspecified (by me, fill in the blanks) religion who take great offense to anything they disagree with, tying up the courts,school boards, and anyone else stupid enough to listen to them. They are nazi's under a different name, and I despise them. However there is still a large percentage of people here with actual sense so there is hope.......

[Larry_OHF]

oh yeah..that is why you questioned my first post...you do not have the banning crap in England.
My fault.
as LoA said, we have many people who whine about certain books that they would not want their children reading, so they take that right away from all of us. They have not the right to take away my liberty to read wha I choose to read, but it has happened.

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Father of the wicked but cute child known as MaryBeth

Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
---------------------
Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: oh yeah..that is why you questioned my first post...you do not have the banning crap in England. My fault. as LoA said, we have many people who whine about certain books that they would not want their children reading, so they take that right away from all of us. They have not the right to take away my liberty to read wha I choose to read, but it has happened.

Well, Britain HAS been known to ban stuff - but not much and not for ages - the governent bodies even have trouble tying to stop publication of sensitive security-related books, never mind works of fiction!



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[dominions]

I've only read a few of the above (Harry Potter series & Of Mice and Men), so I don't know what the others are like. What I DO know is that there isn't a thing I could find in the above mentioned books that warrants banning!
Who appointed these Vigilantes Of The Written Word?!

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Hey! Like RPGs? See the DungeonCraft - RPG Game Maker on the Ironworks Gaming Forum

[This message has been edited by dominions (edited 09-10-2001).]

[adam warlock]

LOVED the book 'Where the Wild Things Are' when I was young... hmmmm... didn't affect me...