September 22-28 is Banned Books Week and Saturday, September 28 is “Let Freedom Read” Day.
America has a long history of book bans, including many classics such as “The Grapes Of Wrath”, “Catcher in the Rye”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Slaughterhouse-Five”, “The Color Purple”, and the Harry Potter series
Where obscenity and profanity were once the primary targets of censorships, book banning is now more focused on political and social issues. Recent trends in censorship is directed against books addressing racism and LGBTQ+ content.
According to Pen America, an organization that champions free expression and speech, “From July 2023 to December 2023, PEN America recorded 4,349 instances of book bans across 23 states and 52 public school districts. These newest numbers represent a significant increase compared to previous tracking: more bans have been reported in the first semester of this school year than all of the previous school year, in which 3,362 books were banned. Collectively, the fall’s bans impact millions of students”.
Massachusetts residents are fortunate to live in a state that values free speech and respects the rights of our fellow citizens.
Unfortunately, for many Americans censorship is alive and well. Book bans and censorship is contrary to freedom. Bans work to limit exposure to different thoughts and perspectives, promotes fear of backlash, and can create an environment that suppresses discussing challenging and sensitive issues.
The American Library Association defines a challenge as “an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to
read”.
Mind Your Own Damn Business!
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