My Opinion on Banning Books

It is not often that I talk about my opinions in regards to causes that people believe in, but what happened over the weekend kind of sets me seething.  Let me state first, that I am a firm believer in everybody’s right to stand up for their opinions and rights.  However, when someone tells me that I have no right to read something or have it carried in my local library because of the content of the books, then I get upset.  Then to come to my door and want me to sign a petition to ban some books from the local library, and when I politely refused to sign, and when pushed for the reason why I won’t sign, and I stated that I do not believe in banning books, to call me a non-Christian, immoral person goes beyond anything decent.

I do no believe in banning books.  I may not agree with, or like some books, but I will not go along with keeping them out of the library.  I am capable of making my own decision, my own choice as to whether to read it or not.  It it offends me, I’m not going to pick it up and read just because it’s there. And if it is to keep it out of the hands of children, you as a parent, as an adult, should be aware of what your children read (go with them to the library/bookstore) or watch (know in advance what’s on the television when your child is watching) and make that choice for them and them alone, not for everyone else.  To totally remove them from the shelves so no one else can make read them, denies that choice, that decision to others.  That is just wrong to me.

Teach your children your values and what you believe in so that they can and will eventually make their own smart choices about what to read or not to read. To take that choice away from the rest of us is not, what I think, our society should be about it.  And then to be offended because someone doesn’t believe in your cause, really come on now.

I do not believe in banning books.  No matter what the content.  We all have the right to choose whether we read it or not.  If not, you go on about your business.  If yes, then it is there for you to read.  In a place that offers all knowledge to everyone, the public library.

Personally I think what bothers a lot of people, and this is just my opinion, knowledge.  Knowledge is the keys to the kingdom.  Knowledge is freedom.  Some people do not like others having such freedom.  They’d rather have them unknowledgeable, uneducated, non free thinking  automatons.   But that’s just my opinion.  And everybody has the right to their own opions.