Book Banning

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Okay, in class we are reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , we are told it was ban in many schools for it seemes racist or it disturbs others. But should we really ban it. I hav a 100 pages left, and i still do not think that it is rascist at all. Twain's whole point was to show people of the times how foolish they were,and to try to stop slavery. My questions are as follows: If a book is offensive should it be banned? If a book is banned, what are the benefits? What are the negative points of banning books? We had a discussion like this in class, and it went well, so I was wondering EoFfer's opinions on the matter.

[fire_of_avalon]

Books should never, ever, ever, ever, ever under any circumstance be banned from anything. Ever.

[MecaKane]

Books should never, ever, ever, ever, ever under any circumstance be banned from anything. Ever.

What if they're ho-to books on cross burning?

[Rye]

The book shouldn't be banned from being racist or whatever it was. If it had to be banned, it should be because it's a terribly boring book (Tom Sawyer IS terrible and boring.) But that's my opinion. I agree with foa, books should never be banned.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

If they are banned, then they will go underground and it will garrentee that people will read them. Also if they are out in the public, you are able to attack them, instead of putting out of public view, where it would be harder to attack those books.

[fire_of_avalon]

What if they're ho-to books on cross burning?

Who is going to take a book like that seriously? Who's going to BUY a book like that? Who is going to WRITE a book like that? Not many people, I think.

I don't think any form of literature should be outright banned. A How-To book is not literature. The Catcher in the Rye, Peyton Place, The Grapes of Wrath; those are all books that have been banned for questionable content, and that's WRONG. Just because something is offensive or shows something in a light that most see as negative doesn't mean that it doesn't have an important message.

Let's take our friend Huck Finn for instance. Let's say we ban it. Alright, now, it follows we have to ban ALL books that show African Americans in a stereotypical light. Their Eyes were Watching God by Susan Lori Parks, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Tennesee Williams, and Fences by August Wilson just got banned. All of the above books and plays have a purpose, have meritable qualities that all of humanity can learn from.

If you ban one book, what'll stop you from banning them all?

[jrgen]

Mark Twain is an awesome dude who does not deserve to get banned.
Not even in schools.

I believe any person should be allowed to write and publish anything he wants.
Banning of media acomplishes nothing but increased ignorance.
Although that would be a good thing for the state,
I still believe freedom of speech and publishing whatever one wants is in general a good thing.

[Destai]

I dont think a book with racism in it should be banned from the likes of public libaries but if I was a black kid in an elementary school, Well I wouldnt apporve of a book with something racist in it around kids of that age.

[Shoden]

its the same with games if they have one piece of racism in even the tiniest piece its considered offensive same with movies too but with books its wrong i enjoy reading books when movies are made of em so what but the book always pwns the movie.

Racism isnt all that much of a thing nowadays

[rubah]

Sure it is-- you're just not looking in the right spots.

The thing about the internet-- it's colorblind, unless you start hoppin' pictures out to everyone. Which lets us get really naive about stuff, until you start listening to people in classes go on about how they 'really wish they could get that sucker' -_-

I think a more appropriate measure to take with books on cross burning would be to *Burn* them.

Currently I have nothing against book burning.

That's what I plan on doing with my geometry book as soon as this year is over. our class wants to take a field trip to the beach or somewhere and make a great big bonfire.

It seems that today, most books are banned because of sexual content. Take a look at the ALA list. A lot of them are about sexuality and homosexuality in specific. That would seem to be the 20th century rascism for the 21st, if that makes any sense^_^

[muchacho]

i read the book. i could see were some people mite think its racist, but come on, its just a book and nothing more.

[FightClubFan#47]

Freedom of speech yo.

No book ban.

[lordblazer]

Ironicly soccer moms got the book Outsiders banned from highschools and the ironic part of this is that the Author of the book was 16 when she wrote it XD

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Book banning is just stupid censorship, and most of the time people OBVIOUSLY haven't read the book, they just make assumptions and say it should be banned. I highly doubt, for example, that the "Ban Harry Potter" people have actually read it. Most if not all of the banning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are related to people who haven't read it and assume its a racist book, which it most certainly is not, at least not in the sense that people seem to think.

[DMKA]

Silly, silly people. They did the same exact thing with one of the finest novels ever writter: "To Kill A Mocking Bird".

The thing is, I've read both books, and nither of them promote the activity potrayed...they do the exact opposite and try to prove a point, and a good one.

Personally, I don't care for Huck Finn, but I don't think it should be banned either. People just fail to notice the context that dialouge is in anymore, and just the exsistence makes them shout "OMG RACIST!". Just like the banned Family Guy episode. -___-

It's crazy that they were able to get away with All in the Family just 30 years ago.