Censorship of the Week

[KingVoyeur]

Ok, this pissed me off.

Suburban LA County Pulls Manga Text From Libraries (http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/8510.html)

While we're at it, let's pull all those books that we used to ban, like Mark Twain, Catcher in the Rye, etc.

I can't believe the chairman didn't just tell the mother to take a more vested interest in raising her son rather than blaming everyone else. Ok, so the library probably shouldn't have checked out a book from the Adult section (What exactly is that anyway? Is it just like the general fiction section? Or more graphic stuff?) to a 16 year old, but it's also the parent's responsibility to know what their kids are reading. If they don't like it, don't let them read it. I wonder if the chairman even read the book before banning it.

The mom was pissed off because there was sex and violence discussed in the book. Ok, #1, it was discussed in a scholarly manner and not just gratuitous boobies and blood. #2, I don't know about the libraries there, but my local library has a big section of fiction divided into genres, including Romance. I've flipped through a few of those books when I used to work in a bookstore, and the depictions of sex are just as graphic, and those are still allowed. #3, she should be happy her kid's going to the damn library in the first place! Libraries are supposed to be able to offer a wide-range of materials and viewpoints.

If people want to be upset by something someone wrote or said, fine. But going on the warpath to completely block any opposing viewpoint is small-minded, idiotic, and goes against everything America and the First Amendment were created for. Free speech was created to protect the speech you don't like, not everything you already agree with.

Ok, that's my rant. Feel free to chime in.

:angry :angry :angry :angry :angry

[kah]

Banned Books, Censorship, and Dirty Words (http://www.mountainsplains.org/censorship.html)

My old high school is noted for attempts to censor a few of those books, but failing. I remember reading some of those books in grade school and middle school for school. I hated To Kill A Mockingbird, but I had to read it three times in three grades, because the themes are so necessary to know and understand. The people who want books banned because of racism, or slavery, or because they are degrading to African Americans are (my opinion) the same ones who want to pretend it wasn't that bad, that slaves were happy and well-treated, and racism is an overrated issue. Like history text book authors. Kind of like the people who think the Holocaust is a myth. Pretend it didn't happen and it becomes a story, fiction, or so "they" hope.

The Giver I believe we read in 5th or 6th grade. My favorite on this site is Horses- the complaint being that it promotes Evolution. One guess as to who wants books with evolution, gay-positive themes, and profanity banned.

Ditto everything KV said.

[MulderLestatBlk]

I hate these people who look at Japanese Manga and go: it must be for kids. HELL NO!

I saw a woman who was about to buy her 8 year old Masion Ikkoku DVD...I asked her if she was really going to buy that for her daughter and if she knew anything about it. She thought, cause of the baby duckies on the cover, that it was a kids show. I just about fell down. I picked up another Masion Ikkoku DVD and read the very adult plot from the back. It just so happened this one didn't have any real plot details on the back...it was very vague.

Then I had to explain to her that the American Sailor Moon is COMPLETELY different from the Japanese version.

I told her to stick with Miyazaki...^_^ She ended up with My Neighbour Totoro...She said she was going to do some better research on Japanese Anime. XD She seemed to be interested in anime in general, but completely daft about it at the same time.

[Son of Gilbert]

By be they just pulled it for the sake of good taste

[KingVoyeur]

"Taste" is completely subjective and an excuse people use to censor works they don't like.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

As far as censorship goes, this isn't really an example of it. The library isn't censoring the book, they're just not having it on the shelf. I'm sure one can find that book at any major bookstore. Remember, a public library is a sponsored environment, sponsored by tax dollars. That means it is a public trust and owes its constituency the respect to pay attention to whatever that constituency wishes. I would imagine there was enough complaining that the library officials had no choice. If enough people had complained about them PULLING the book, I'm sure it would be put back.

[kah]

As far as censorship goes, this isn't really an example of it. The library isn't censoring the book, they're just not having it on the shelf. I'm sure one can find that book at any major bookstore. Remember, a public library is a sponsored environment, sponsored by tax dollars. That means it is a public trust and owes its constituency the respect to pay attention to whatever that constituency wishes. I would imagine there was enough complaining that the library officials had no choice. If enough people had complained about them PULLING the book, I'm sure it would be put back.

Am I allowed to agree with KV and you?

[KingVoyeur]

According to the story, "Bill Postmus, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of suburban San Bernadino County, California, has ordered the county's libraries to remove the scholarly text Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics from circulation." It wasn't the library who chose to pull it, it was the Chairman of the county supervisor's board after 1 phone call from a disgruntled mother. I'd call that censorship.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

According to the story, "Bill Postmus, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of suburban San Bernadino County, California, has ordered the county's libraries to remove the scholarly text Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics from circulation." It wasn't the library who chose to pull it, it was the Chairman of the county supervisor's board after 1 phone call from a disgruntled mother. I'd call that censorship.

Again, censorship is not the operative word here. The real issue is that if the people of San Bernardino county want that book on the shelves in their library, all they have to do is let their library officials know this. I'm tired of people whining about "censorship" this, and "look what the government did now" that. If you don't like it, do something about it. The people of that county have it within their power to have what they want on their library shelves. If they don't care enough to demand that book be put back, then why should you?

BTW, I live in So. Cal, and San Bernardino county is kind of looked at from L.A. county as a form of "Ozarks," if you catch my drift.

[MPG]

#2, I don't know about the libraries there, but my local library has a big section of fiction divided into genres, including Romance. I've flipped through a few of those books when I used to work in a bookstore, and the depictions of sex are just as graphic, and those are still allowed.
You're of course forgetting one of the books with the most graphic and shocking descriptions of sex and violence: The Bible (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ez%2023:20&version=31)

Try to get that one pulled from your local library.

[Scotia]

Banned Books, Censorship, and Dirty Words (http://www.mountainsplains.org/censorship.html)

My old high school is noted for attempts to censor a few of those books, but failing. I remember reading some of those books in grade school and middle school for school. I hated To Kill A Mockingbird, but I had to read it three times in three grades, because the themes are so necessary to know and understand. The people who want books banned because of racism, or slavery, or because they are degrading to African Americans are (my opinion) the same ones who want to pretend it wasn't that bad, that slaves were happy and well-treated, and racism is an overrated issue. Like history text book authors. Kind of like the people who think the Holocaust is a myth. Pretend it didn't happen and it becomes a story, fiction, or so "they" hope.

The Giver I believe we read in 5th or 6th grade. My favorite on this site is Horses- the complaint being that it promotes Evolution. One guess as to who wants books with evolution, gay-positive themes, and profanity banned.

Ditto everything KV said.
Wait now, didn't you call for the removal of certain video games in an earlier thread? It sounds fastidious, but you're advocating some conflicting ideas here. There is a mountain of literature out there that far out weighs the levels of violence and mayhem you'll find in most first person shooters. MPG offered the best example. There are tons more. The agreement, I guess, is that books are viewed as a more academic and therefore acceptable medium. When in fact the descriptive violence is just as gratuitous and obscene.

[kah]

Wait now, didn't you call for the removal of certain video games in an earlier thread? It sounds fastidious, but you're advocating some conflicting ideas here. There is a mountain of literature out there that far out weighs the levels of violence and mayhem you'll find in most first person shooters. MPG offered the best example. There are tons more. The agreement, I guess, is that books are viewed as a more academic and therefore acceptable medium. When in fact the descriptive violence is just as gratuitous and obscene.

I never called for the removal of the games. What I did call for is the enforcement of age restrictions on those types of games. Oh, and for parents to actually parent their children. If parents actually knew what their kids were reading/watching/playing, they couldn't complain about the availability of "mature" books in their libraries. Or they wouldn't have to worry about it, since they would be discussing the content and explaining its significance. I can almost always find some redeeming quality in books that contain violence, or sex, or the painful truth about our history. Tell me what, if anything is worthwhile about any of the Grand Theft Auto games, besides improved hand-eye coordination skills? I've watched my friends play this game. They manuever the character to steal cars, randomly kill people, have sex with prostitutes, and sell drugs, all while avoiding or killing the police. And that's not just the capabilities of the character. Those are the missions required to complete the game. I agree not all first person shooter games are like this. There is, however, a reason games are rated Mature or Adults Only. If stores would actually enforce the age requirements, then it would be left to the parents to set the standards. As far as libraries go... they are not only for children, so I don't think the books should be removed. If they wanted to label certain books adults only, and only loan them to adults, I have no problem with that. It would only take a couple of words on their computer program to notify the librarian once they scan the barcode that a book had an M or AO rating.