Banning Harry Potter

[ldsrebel]

why ban the best books ever????

[Dror]

I have read a few of those but not all. I'm sure many people have not read any of those and have a great education Dror.

Sorry, maybe I should clarify. I meant if books like those are banned, how do people get a decent education? Didn't mean to imply that those specific books must be read by every 'educated' person.

However, given how frequently Democracy in America is quoted in American history textbooks, it looks a little suspicious to ban the source material. It makes one wonder if they're trying to distort the author's original message, or at least present to students only whatever supports the party line and sweep the rest under the carpet.

Granted that given the vast numbers of books out there and the limited amount of classroom time, teachers cannot be expected to present every 'great book' to their students, the idea that school districts issue lists of books like those mentioned that they are forbidden to present or to have in the library just seems bizarre to me. I thought the whole idea of education (in a democratic society) was to teach students to think for themselves and make their own judgments as to what they accept as truth or untruth so they won't have to be spoonfed the rest of their lives. The more reading options they have, the better.

(This is all within reasonable limits, of course--we wouldn't want high schools putting the Anarchist's Cookbook or pornography on their library shelves! But Harry Potter certainly doesn't fall into this category!)

Dror

[Dr T]

Understood.

[orrinjelo]

Anarchist's Cookbook? Sounds like an interesting read!

I hate looking for the "line" between what should be censored and what shouldn't. I don't know where to place it.

[Dr T]

Finally, brothers and sisters, 1 whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. Phil 4:8

[Gabelma]

I think when you talk about the darkness and the humour in the books its important to remember JK Rowlling, CS Lewis and Tolkein are British and not American - a lot of our culture is involved in those books. I happen to like the way the books are going because it is based so clearly on issues from the Second World War - something that is becoming more distant in the minds of people in my country anyway. Coming from a city that was still clearing up the devastation caused in the 1980s - I remember walking past a pile of rubble with my Great Aunt who was able to tell me about the family that died when the bomb fell, I like the fact she is introducing the very dark issues that European children of my Aunties generation experienced first hand not just in a book. The movies are a different issue

CS Lewis made Bachuss the God of Wine a good guy in I think it was Prince Caspian and introduced some very deep issues in the Chronicles of Narnia.

The idea is a child will pick up what they are ready to pick up I guess - I grew up with Pantomime where the lead boy was played by a girl, the old woman was played by a man and it was full of dirty jokes - as a child I didn't follow the dirty joke but laughed at the people falling over and the obvious silliness

I have to say for me its fairytale witchcraft which is far removed from real life

Charley

[Guest Emma Hale Smith]

name='Brother Dorsey' date='May 31 2007, 07:19 AM' post='132445']If the liberals and the ACLU really believe that stopping my children from asking God to bless their food at lunch in school is a violation of the separation of church and state then they can send me all their evil money which states "in God we trust"

The ACLU has never claimed your child does not have the right to ask God to bless his/her food at lunch in school.

What the ACLU is opposed to is the government, or the example you provided, the school, leading the children in state-sponsored prayers. That is a completely different thing.

Your child has the constitutional right to pray in public all he/she wants to (of course, the school would want to have some control if it was disruptive in classrooms). The ACLU has never denied that right, nor fought against it.

Emma

[FrankJL]

it looks a little suspicious to ban the source material. It makes one wonder if they're trying to distort the author's original message, or at least present to students only whatever supports the party line and sweep the rest under the carpet.

As an education major, I'll tell you, you have no idea how right you are about this..

[Outshined]

The whole idea of banning books is creepy. I can still remember a few libraries that banned "Huck Finn" when I was younger...

[Dror]

it looks a little suspicious to ban the source material. It makes one wonder if they're trying to distort the author's original message, or at least present to students only whatever supports the party line and sweep the rest under the carpet.

As an education major, I'll tell you, you have no idea how right you are about this..

While on the one hand, everybody doesn't necessarily have the time to read all the source materials (or the knowledge to understand them), but on the other, they should definitely be available for people to read. Speaking as a librarian, both freedom of speech and freedom of access to information are VERY close to my heart, and both would seem fundamental to the healthy functioning of a democracy. In fact, one of the things they teach in library school is to try to develop a balanced collection, with differing points of view, and let the readers make up their own mind both about what to read and what to make of it.

As far as Harry Potter goes, I wouldn't classify it as 'great literature,' but it does make for a fun read.

Dror

[Outshined]

Speaking as a librarian, both freedom of speech and freedom of access to information are VERY close to my heart, and both would seem fundamental to the healthy functioning of a democracy. In fact, one of the things they teach in library school is to try to develop a balanced collection, with differing points of view, and let the readers make up their own mind both about what to read and what to make of it.

Mmmmm...librarian. That always seemed like a cool job to me; so much information right at your fingertips (drool). B)

[Dror]

Mmmmm...librarian. That always seemed like a cool job to me; so much information right at your fingertips (drool). B)

Heh! Normally I don't subscribe to the 'bigger is better' philosophy, but when it comes to libraries, I love big ones! The more books (& CDs, etc.) the merrier!

Dror

[Dror]

I should amend what I was saying about big libraries!

Size, of course, isn't everything, even with libraries. You could have a huge library full of crappy books! But, given a quality collection, a big quality collection is a real joy.

Dror