Books That Should Be Banned In Schools

[Niflmir]

And there is the slippery slope. Who picks what is inappropriate, under what criteria, and how do you exempt that from being abused or usurped by those who would tamper with the distribution of information for political gain or empowerment over the public?

In Canada the government picks what to remove from charter protection.

The criteria for the validity of this removal is the Oakes test. It requires a rational connection between legislation and pressing social need, a demonstrably minimal impairment of the corresponding rights, and the third one I always forget... proportionality between objective and results.

There are various levels where accountability on the Oakes test is supposed to kick in. New legislation is supposed to pass charter review by the government in power. Then the courts generally begin to interpret it and put it through rigorous contextual tests. The validity of these safeguards can only by assured if the courts are independent of the government and not merely an extension of it.

For a good overview of the process, read through R. vs. Zundel, which was in relation to Zundel's publishing of "Did six million really die?" in Canada. Read also the cited cases to get a good overview for the workings of the courts on these issues, especially Irwin Toy, I also reccommend Dolphin Delivery.

 

[Unforgiven]

Perhaps it is a very important time to pay attention to that legislation and monitor the subtle manipulation around it, if any, as a litmus test of the seated party's proximity to fascism.

 

[warrior_won]

Here is a list of banned books from different countries for different reasons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_books

This one caught my eye:

Karlsson-on-the-Roof by Astrid Lindgren

And why was this book banned in North America?

Banned for subversive views on babysitters!

I tell ya, babysitters either have a very powerful union, or they scraped their pennies together to hire one very influential lobbyist. Although, I must admit, I had no idea that there was such dissent regarding babysitters in America. Must be a grassroots kind of thing, huh?

 

[Vereya]

Karlsson is banned in North America???? 8O
The poor North American kids... I am shocked....
I remember reading that book when I was a kid. It was really fascinating. And I remember trying to reconstruct Karlsson's roof-house under the kitchen table afterwards. :smile: I was about six years old at that time. And even now I take that book sometimes, when in a bad mood, and just look it through. (Without the kitchen table part recently, though). It is a great book, very funny and very kind. Any kid would enjoy it.

 

[L Gilbert]

Kids can read these days?

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

Banning curriculum books or library books?

Wait until the social engineers start banning Huck Finn up here. Soon, everything will be nice and sterilized for your protection.

There are two versions of Huckleberry Finn. One is sanitized with all references to the "n" word removed. I can live with it. Kids may not realize that HF was written in a different time. Once they grow up they can discover the true classic story.

 

[Vereya]

I don't like that idea, somehow. If we start re-writing classical books, suiting them to modern rules and principles, why read classical books at all? We can read modern books, that reflect the modern world, political correctness and all that. My point of view that classical books are to be read as they are. Their greatness (beside the literary value) lies in the way the author approached some issues that were crucial for his or her time. The author's approach and author's message singled the book out from many similar other books that were written in the same time. If we change a book to suit our modern conditions and standards, its uniqueness will ultimately be lost. Without getting the spirit of the time it was written, it will often be very hard, if not impossible, to see its value. And many books present a very accurate and fascinating description of ways and habits and traditions, practiced at certain times. Changing that will be madness.

 

[Niflmir]

This one caught my eye:

Karlsson-on-the-Roof by Astrid Lindgren

And why was this book banned in North America?

Banned for subversive views on babysitters!

I tell ya, babysitters either have a very powerful union, or they scraped their pennies together to hire one very influential lobbyist. Although, I must admit, I had no idea that there was such dissent regarding babysitters in America. Must be a grassroots kind of thing, huh?

I am able to buy that book from both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. As always, be careful with wikipedia. That same article also claims that "Did six million really die?" is banned in Canada, when in fact I read the supreme court decision and have linked it here before and they found the legislation unconstitutional.

 

[Unforgiven]

Books V Content.

In North America, like other places, books aren't all that they used to be. I suspect that in the last ten years, reading has changed from books to online content in the amount that's being read. (Not sure if I said that right) I mean that more people read online than they do in books.

While in elementary school it's not difficult to control what kids get their hands on and their minds around, once they get into high school, it's a whole different ball game. So doesn't it become a matter of providing the guidance to help kids steer their way through the more difficult concepts and ideas as they grow old enough to start to understand them?

Question: If someone is going to get some information, does it matter who they get that information from, and is it important to have a responsible person who understands that information on hand to help with any questions that may arise?

 

[karrie]

Question: If someone is going to get some information, does it matter who they get that information from, and is it important to have a responsible person who understands that information on hand to help with any questions that may arise?

I'd say that changes from kid to kid Unf.

 

[Unforgiven]

I'd say that changes from kid to kid Unf.

Explain please.

 

[karrie]

Some kids are born wonderfully critical thinkers. It won't matter where they get their info from, who it's from, what it says.... they'll be able to assimilate and decide for themselves if it's worthwhile information or not, and how it applies to their life, etc. I'd say that for kids like that it's not 'important' to have someone around to answer questions for them. It's still probably a good bonus.

Whereas some kids are freaking morons and take anything written in a book to be the entire truth.

So, your questions of whether or not it's important to have someone around who knows the material and can discuss questions, varies from person to person. If you were to ask though, if it's important for an institution to have someone around to answer kids' questions, I'd say heck yeah, because the kids who don't think critically, in my experience, vastly outnumber those who do. Thus my issue with allowing any and every book in a school library.

 

[warrior_won]

Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real? And in the present tense?

 

[gopher]

I'd ban all the books by Dostoevsky, each and every one of them. Very harmful reading, in my opinion. Especially for teenagers ..

Please explain how in your view these books cause harm to children.

Czech scholar Tomas Masaryk (one of the 20th century's greatest scholars) viewed his work as wholesome and profound. Masaryk was reputed to be one of Europe's greatest pro democracy thinkers and he would have strongly disagreed with you.

From my perspective (as limited as it is) I viewed his work as enlightened and reformist. True, some of his work could be interpreted as reactionary but I honestly do not feel his work should be entirely viewed that way.

I am mindful that there has been discussion over the fact that Dostoyevsky's works have been significantly mistranslated and perhaps I am not aware of the motifs you are referring to. Perhaps you can give good examples which illustrate just what you mean.

 

[Vereya]

Please explain how in your view these books cause harm to children.

I'll try to explain. Dostoevsky presents a very dark side of life in his novels. He focuses too much on the sombre part of life. If, for instance, we compare Dostoevsky to Dickens, who wrote his novels at about the same historical period, we will see a very striking difference. Dickens does reveal the darker things, too, but the general mood of his novels is bright and optimistic.
And Dostoevsky is not only pessimistic, he depicts a lot of things that are, in fact, wrong, and presents them as a norm of life. Alcoholism, wasted lives, the ugliest and most thoughtless dissipation, vodka-induced passions, vodka-induced repentance, hatred and hysteria and forced thoughtless spirituality - this is life as described by Dostoevsky, and he offers no other alternative. No hope, no chance of improvement, nothing healthy or sane. And let's consider Dostoevsky's women. What would you call Nastasya Fillippovna, the heroine from "The Idiot", if you chanced to meet her in real life? I bet that the first desciprion that will come up to your mind would be something like - hysterical fool and a brainless stuck-up ****. That's about what she was.
And Dostoevsky's passions are the passions of confused and lost people, who do not know their good from their bad. He depicts people with a guilt complex. Whatever they do, be it good or be it bad, be it right or be it wrong, they constantly find a reason to feel guilty, to feel that they are doing the wrong thing. And the worst is that there is no right thing for them. Even when they do have a choice, they can only choose between two "wrong" things they will later feel guilty about. Spineless people, who can't make a choice for themselves, and then take a firm stand and say - I did this and this, because I believe it to be right, and because I want to achieve this and this for myself, and if someone's not happy about it, they can go and shed tears in a dark corner.
And this "cocktail" of hard circumstances, lack of thinking, hysteria and unnecessary drama is presented to children as a work of genius, and the characters - as complex and noble ones, to be looked up to and copied. :angryfire:
That is why I would've banned Dostoevsky from school curriculum altogether.

 

[Niflmir]

I read a book in a University literature course known as "The Collector." I don't think children should read books where the main character is a perverted abductor, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book nonetheless.

 

[Vereya]

I do believe that parents should supervise what their children read. What is known as "classical literature" doesn't always contain good and useful ideas and examples. When I was a kid, I read just about anything I could lay my hands on, and I don't think it was a good thing, in the long run.

 

[airdave]

Censorship is a necessary evil that no-one will ever tolerate!
As soon as censorship affects you, it becomes an issue.

Protecting people from lies, mistruths and misleading information is why censorship is necessary
but "who polices the police"? is the problem we quickly run into when allowing censorship.

Pornography should obviously not be allowed in schools, but when is nudity or sexual education considered to be pornography?
Personal views and moralities make it extremely difficult to censor fairly.

Isn't war and terrorism more damaging than sex?
But should we hide from History and reality?

Religious material (ie the Bible) should only be allowed in schools if it is classed as fiction.

Other than that, NOTHING should be censored. We live in a free society, where we have the right to think freely and act independantly (as long as it doesn't hurt or impede others)....and that includes "free speech", the right to read and believe anything we want, and the right to choice.

And although we, as parents, should be responsible for our children, we can not be with them 24 hours a day and have to trust in our schools, our teachers, and society in general to help with that upbringing.

 

[mia cruz]

Yes, it should be given more on concern. It shouldn't be banned at all, but should be given "restriction" especially to elementary and high school curriculum.

 

[Nuggler]

"See Spot Run" nearly ruined my life.

:roll:

should ban it.

damn straight.