Fearing What We've Never Read

Tonight at midnight, millions of children will begin reading the (supposedly) final book of the Harry Potter series. Not only kids but adults will be reading to find out the fate of literature's most recent and famous wizarding student. However, for those hoping to eventually find the books in their libraries, you might want to hurry, the call to ban these books is gaining momentum. The latest case in the efforts to ban books comes to us from Laura Lopez of West Palm Beach, Florida. She is one of the many who have taken a case to court in an effort to get subversive books banned from schools. What do I mean by subversive? Well, in this case, Lopez defines that as being any book that promotes sin and the ills against God. This includes homosexuality, abortions and aetheism. Interesting that these are subjects in books she wishes to ban. I wonder what she considers 'safe' then? The Bible? At least it will eliminate the need to have a knowledge of the Dewey Decimal system.

Lopez is just one of many people who is making motions in court to have certain books banned. Harry Potter is just one of many on the list to be banned for it's apparent promotion of Paganism. As I've stated before, having read the books, there is nothing in there that seems to suggest to me that Paganism (which is never even mentioned in the books) is being touted as a religion. If kids find it that appealing that they wish to pursue it, I would say that one, they have successfully learned to research something beyond the scope of what they're reading and two, they are probably disenfranchised by what they have been grown up to believe and follow at this point in their lives. Is that the fault of the books? No, it's the fault of the environment that they are in.

Lopez freely admits that she has not really read any of the books that she is looking to ban. She did an internet search for books containing the terms 'abortion', 'aetheism' and the like. Having done so she then found out which ones were in her library and then filed the claim to have them thrown out. Still, since she has never really read the books, she was unable to cite objectionable passages and so the result was that the school board was hesitant to take any action simply based on her criticism of the book rather than the actual content. I think that's a good thing. When you object to something or don't agree with something, it's always better to be specific. I can say that I don't like Harry Potter because the plots are more or less the same and the characters have progressed relatively slowly but that's a comment, not an objection.

Most counties and school boards across the nation agree that there is a need to present material from 'all points of view' in order to promote a better understanding of the various viewpoints out there. In seeking to ban books on subjects outside of the mainstream are we really then any different than the Madrassas out there that simply teach their interpretation of the Koran? I'm not implying that these people seeking to ban books are subversives or extremists but isn't this stifling the very freedom of expression that we are hoping to bring to Iraq? We are setting a higher precedent here if we allow this type of ban to begin and then settle itself. Soon it would follow that anything that goes against or seemingly goes against our personal principles will be called in question and pegged for removal.

I can understand these bans if they have a specific purpose. Perhaps a book specifically calls for an incitement of violence against the government simply because the author believes that neo-Communism is the wave of the future. Okay, so it calls for it, but does that mean that anyone who reads it will suddenly decide to become a neo-Communist? (I don't even know if that's a real political affiliation). If we are looking to ban something, the key first step is to first understand what it is we are looking to ban. When we blindly go about proclaiming that this, that and the other thing should be banned, all we're really banning is our independent thoughts.