Read This While You Can

Tomorrow is the beginning of Banned Books Week. Just to clarify, it's not a week dedicated to the celebration of narrow mindedness and book banning. I point that out so that there is no confusion. I am always worried that I will come down on the wrong side of an issue when I decide to back it. I recently went to a fund raiser for cancer. It took me a few minutes to realize that we were against cancer, not for it. I'm kidding, but some people are easily stumped.

Banned Books Week is (and I'm paraphrasing from the ALA) dedicated to celebrating the freedom to choose and express opinions that may be deemed unacceptable by others and the right for people to have access to those ideas if they want to read them. You would think this would be a no-brainer, but sadly, it's not. Every year, hundreds of books are challenged in libraries, and school districts across the country. Groups of holier than thou, frightened, buttinskies, raise a ruckus about some tome they think shouldn't be read by anyone. If they yell loud enough to scare the library or school board, the book is banned. I know I've written about things like this before, but I think it bares repeating.

The slogan that the American Library Association has for Banned Books Week is Free People Read Freely. Where do some people get off thinking that they can dictate what ideas are being presented in books. One of the leading arguments from these intellectual terrorists is that the books are not age appropriate. According to who? I know that the schools around here, and I'm guessing across the country put a lot of thought into their reading lists. No school is going to have third graders reading the same books as a high school student. The real problem is that the book burners (and let's be honest, that's what their next step backwards would be) are afraid of ideas.

One of the most challenged books of 2006 was a children's picture book called And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. It is based on a true story of two male penguins who care for an egg together and then raise the baby penguin. What horror! The book was challenged, with the culture police claiming it promoted homosexuality, was anti-family and was not age appropriate. All that from a children's story? I guess these "do gooders" never actually learned anything about penguins. The males are the ones that hatch the eggs, but why let facts get in the way of a good hate crime? Do you really think that a kindergarten kid is hearing a story about penguins (again, based on a true story) and taking home some anti-family message or promoting a gay agenda during snack time? Doesn't it seem odd that most of the challenges have something to do with sexuality? I think that these groups are using their children's well being to shield their own prejudices, fears and short comings.

You'd be surprised how many of your favorite authors have been on the challenged or banned list. You can find a list at the ALA website. I know this seems preachy, but if a few loudmouths are allowed to decide what ideas and stories you and I and our kids can read, it'll be a sad day. Take a little time this week and read a book. Be happy that you can read whatever you want and celebrate that with your kids. If an idea scares or challenges you or your kids, talk about it. Communication clarifies misunderstandings. Banning ideas only promotes ignorance. I'll be celebrating my freedom of ideas for four hours on WGN Overnight late Saturday night. I hope you choose to listen. Hey, I'm giving things away. Bribery? You bet! Have a great weekend.
Later...Brian