Celebrate the freedom of reading! Read a banned book!

[Bloodybitch13]

Some people are jerks having books banned. Do y'know that the BIBLE is a banned book? So are classics Like Huck Finn and Wurthering Heights! I thought adults wanted their kids to read classics! And they don't even read the whole book thry just take scenes out of contex.

I read that a mom tore out the pages of a Judy Blume book because she didn't want her 15(16?) year-old son reading about wet dreams.

And another thing,Harry Potter is NOT evil alright? These books get kids wanting to read.Isn't that a GOOD thing?

I can't believe they'd ban the Holy Bible though that's really too much!

Okay end of rant.

[James Logan]

Well, Bloodybitch, I definitely agree. Luckily, I live in France, country of the freedom of speech, and almost nothing has been banned here for ages. I can read pretty much all I want, like I want, and where I want.

[Tom Samborski]

Church groups think Harry Potter is evil ? That is pure bullshit. It is a BOOK, not a Marlyn Manson CD. We have a right to a freedom of speech. It goes to show that screwing the system can be good sometimes.

[A.J. Hakari]

I used to be really into R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series, and I remember one woman (and possibly others) tried to get the entire series banned from libraries...because it was too scary. Now I can understand if four-year-olds are reading these and having nightmares about zombies and haunted Halloween masks, but cripes, lighten up, lady! Thankfully, she lost her case, and "Goosebumps" was left alone. That was a happy night for me. :)

[Psychocandy]

The problem is that there are too many people in the world whose opinions of what constitutes proper reading material have been warped by a culture that would rather blame books, movies and video games for everything that is wrong in society than tackle the real problems of poverty, drugs, guns, lazy-assed parenting etc...

It's easier to bring about the banning of a book or a movie or a video game and give yourself a big clap on the back for having done your part on behalf of society than to actually do something worthwhile. The degree to which some parts of society seem to subconsciously protect themselves from the real causes of societies ills by creating scapegoats really angers me. And the media just fuel the whole fire with their misguided contributions to the whole argument. Of course the majority of people are quite happy to take everything the media throws at them at face value. It's easier to do that than it is to produce something approaching a personal opinion on the subject.

Fuck...i've gone into sermon mode. I'm gonna shut the fuck up. I could go on about this shit at terribly boring length. It's just one of the many things that makes me want to punch a wall until my knuckes are bloody. The world is full of closeminded fools who would happily ban about 90% of what constitutes entertainment these days and do so with a big old shit-eating grin. Idiots the lot of 'em.

[James Logan]

Actually, I learned something today that might alter what I said earlier. The new French government is apparently wanting to ban some books because they include stories about "sex with young characters". It's making a lot of noise here, because this is the country of freedom of speech and expression...

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by James Logan
Actually, I learned something today that might alter what I said earlier. The new French government is apparently wanting to ban some books because they include stories about "sex with young characters". It's making a lot of noise here, because this is the country of freedom of speech and expression...

Was the movie Baise Moi not banned in France? I heard it was.

[James Logan]

Originally posted by Psychocandy
Was the movie Baise Moi not banned in France? I heard it was.

I wasn't banned but rated X. But you got a point: movies do get banned or get high ratings more often than books in France, it's true.

[SeperateSelf]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a banned book? What exactly is it banned from? And what the fuck is supposedly wrong with Huck Finn or Harry Potter? I don't watch the news much (no cable/satellite/antenna), so is this a big issue or somewhere right now? Again sorry for my ignorance, but this is a very sensitive subject with me and I'd like to know more about what you guys are talking about.

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by Tom Samborski
Church groups think Harry Potter is evil ? That is pure bullshit. It is a BOOK, not a Marlyn Manson CD. We have a right to a freedom of speech. It goes to show that screwing the system can be good sometimes.

So, are you saying that a Marilyn Manson CD is evil, or should be banned? I don't like his music, at all, but still don't think it is inherently evil or should be banned. The only material that needs to be banned are things dealing with child pornography. Children cannot protect themselves.

[Scarface98.9]

Supposedly, Huck Finn was banned since it contains some racist comments, and The Bible is banned because of the seperation of church and state. But there's still some idiotic examples

[aixela]

*shudders*

I can't believe that the US has banning of books especially since freedom of expression is protected by the Constituion
When I was in school before book banning became so popular again-we read a lot of the books that are now banned
Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Canterbury Tales, Wuthering Heights and so forth
Now it feels like we are living in Ray Bradbury's book- Farenheit 451 (spelling may be off)
With the US's literacy rates so low wouldn't it make more sense to encourage reading any books instead of limiting what is available to read
I am going to be the person who decides what books my child can or cannot read-not a school, not a group not our government- that is my responsibility as a parent especially to my own child
Quit legislating my and my children's morality and these people who have nothing better to do than to comb through every book looking for reasons to ban them, I have just one thing to say
Get a damn life and stay out of mine
*sorry about jumping on my soap box-I am now climbing down*

[bowieee]

It is my firm belief that there are waaay to many small minded people out their. Banning books is a superficial way of dealing with touchy situations. Anyways most of the books they ban have nothing wrong with them in the first place. Huck fin has to be one of the best anti racism books ever written.
I remember once when i worked at an elementary school a while back a mom pushed a 60 year old teacher down while screaming at her for giving her son a Harry potter book mark. She then proceded to drive through a group of kids almost hitting them and me at about 40 miles an hour. It was at that moment that I realized how many fucking superficial idiots are out there.

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by bowieee
I remember once when i worked at an elementary school a while back a mom pushed a 60 year old teacher down while screaming at her for giving her son a Harry potter book mark. She then proceded to drive through a group of kids almost hitting them and me at about 40 miles an hour. It was at that moment that I realized how many fucking superficial idiots are out there.

This is what i'm talking about. You get these....fucking IDIOTS. They go to church and they read their bible and they think this automatically gives them the fucking keys to the kingdom. Wrong!!! Being a good and generous and kind and thoughtful and understanding person will earn you far more brownie points from the higher being (if such an entity actually exists) than blind faith alone ever will. I've never set foot inside a chapel or church except when the occassion demands it (funeral/wedding/christening). Bearing this in mind I can honestly say without boasting that i'm a better person than many of the churchgoing folks i've come into contacts with. Taking the bible too seriously seems to breed the kind of closemindedness that leads to misunderstanding fools who believe that they are acting on behalf of the betterment of out society by banning books/movies/music. I simply can't believe that there are still schools out there who refuse to teach evolution as fact instead of theory. As for the idiots crying out for Harry Potter to be banned. Anything...fucking anything...that can prompt a kid to become a reader these days is a fucking godsend. Reading as a form of entertainment is on the wane. Books just ain't as popular a source of entertainment as they used to be. Anyway...i've gone into rant mode again. This is a subject that is close to my heart and it truly angers me to see people trying to force their values onto those around them. I'm off to read a book.

[Jason Voorhees]

Originally posted by Grebdron
So, are you saying that a Marilyn Manson CD is evil, or should be banned? I don't like his music, at all, but still don't think it is inherently evil or should be banned. The only material that needs to be banned are things dealing with child pornography. Children cannot protect themselves.

I think he meant (obviously I'm theorizing here) that he could maybe understand the church's position on Marilyn Manson, but come on, a fucking innocuous children's book? That's stupid even for them (not a generalization about churchgoers, rather a shot at those idiotic fanatics that give religion a bad name).

Oh and Psychocandy: I agree. The fanatical zealots anger me deeply, They are so bloody fucking idiotic and close-minded... What can I say that hasn't already been said? I imagine the majority of these zealots use the bible as an excuse to justfiy their own hatred, bigotry, and stupidity; It's fucking nauseating...

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by Jason Voorhees
I think he meant (obviously I'm theorizing here) that he could maybe understand the church's position on Marilyn Manson, but come on, a fucking innocuous children's book? That's stupid even for them (not a generalization about churchgoers, rather a shot at those idiotic fanatics that give religion a bad name).


I understand that, and thanks for trying to clear it up. But my point actually is that both of them are innocuous. If you support the viability of a children's book, you [b]must[/] support the viability, or at least legality, of Marilyn Manson to do what he does. Now, I strongly dislike MM's music, so I don't listen. People need to take that same tack with anything they find offensive. If you don't want your kid reading Harry Potter, pony up the cash to send him/her to some religious private school that agrees with your sense of "values." If you can't afford that, too fucking bad. If you can't afford to raise your lids the way you see fit, stop having fucking kids. But, Marilyn Manson has just as much right as J.K. Rowling to produce his "art."

[Psychocandy]

This is interesting. Can I ask. How many schmoes would support an artist who produces controversial work merely because said artist claims that their work is art. Example.

http://www.renewal.org.au/artcrime/images/serrano.jpg

The above is a work by the artist Andres Serrano. It's called "Piss Christ" and basically it's a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine. I understand how such an image could prove offensive to some people but that very offensiveness is not in my opinion a reason to censor said piece of art.

Oh...and btw. Here's a link to a news item about this very piece of art. It's quite amusing.

http://www.renewal.org.au/artcrime/pages/serrano.html

Can you believe these people?

[SeperateSelf]

"I do not like racism, Putting them out in an art gallery like that creates racism and violence.The KKK could take over Australia." One of the perpetrators is reported as saying after describing how he "let loose a flying kick against a picture of the KU KLUX KLAN."

Watch out Australia!!! The KKK picture is taking over motherfuckers!!!

LOL. :rolleyes:

Seriously though, this is friggin' rediculus. On the one hand I see where the haters are coming from because the only reason this 'art' was created was to get christians pissed off. But on the other hand, they don't have the right to destroy other peoples property because they don't agree with it.

As the Marquis de Sade said in Quills: "Is your God so weak that he can't handle a little competition?" It was something to that effect. Anyway, I'm going to start saying this to all the fundies I meet who talk about how wrong everyone else is.

Oh yeah, could someone tell me who is banning these books, and what are they being banned from (schools, librarys, etc...)?

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by Psychocandy
http://www.renewal.org.au/artcrime/images/serrano.jpg



Actually, that's pretty haunting and surreal. I think I like it, at least visually.

[Jason Voorhees]

Originally posted by Grebdron
I understand that, and thanks for trying to clear it up. But my point actually is that both of them are innocuous. If you support the viability of a children's book, you [b]must[/] support the viability, or at least legality, of Marilyn Manson to do what he does. Now, I strongly dislike MM's music, so I don't listen. People need to take that same tack with anything they find offensive. If you don't want your kid reading Harry Potter, pony up the cash to send him/her to some religious private school that agrees with your sense of "values." If you can't afford that, too fucking bad. If you can't afford to raise your lids the way you see fit, stop having fucking kids. But, Marilyn Manson has just as much right as J.K. Rowling to produce his "art."

Your welcome, And I agree wholeheartedly. The church has no right to censor any ''art'', I find their attempts both hypocritical and wrong.

Oh, and the image of Christ in the sea of urine is striking, and does possess some visual power. On those grounds I would consider it good artwork.

[Psychocandy]

Grebron...

Me too. I remember first seeing it in a documentary screened on Channel 4 in the UK. The documentary was about controversial works of art. This particular piece of art just struck me as being particularly beautiful (strange considering what it actually is). I guess that's art for ya. Them pesky artists are always fuckin' with ya.

[Bloodybitch13]

I'm talking about books being banned from libraries and being taken off store shelves.

Do'ya know some fanatics actually BURNED Harry Potter books?

BURNED them!

I think they also burned CDs and cassetes they found ofensive. I mean they burned them!

During the British Rennasaunce(sp?) The church had control of all knowledge only people who worked for the church were alowed to know how to read. They edited they Bible to support THEIR veiw. Then the printing press was invented and knowledge started to leak out. People learned that there were other views out there that the church hadn't told them about.Rennasance means "rebirth" at least that was my teachers definition.

We can NOT go back there! WE have to fight for our Freedom! Many people have died to give us the freedom to speek freely and express ourselves!
Those fanatics don't seem to comprehend it's that very freedom which lets them complain!

Whew,I am out of breath.End of speech.