Banning the future

By James White

I was looking at the list of banned books, which disturbed me greatly, but what really grabbed my attention was the list of reasons for why the books were banned. There were several mentions of a book that “conflicted with the values of the community”, claims that a book has a “focus on gangs and gang violence”, books with a “racial bias”, and books that offer “an inflammatory challenge to authoritarian roles.”

All of these are ridiculous claims, not because the books don’t have these themes in them, rest assured that they do, but the claim that these books should be stricken from the curriculum because they have these themes is an idea that is not only wrong, but is also ignorant.

How can I make such an outlandish claim?

Simple.

Let’s examine some of these concerns that were raised by different communities.

The idea that a book should be banned because its content “conflicted with the values of the community” strikes the vast majority of literature from most schools’ curriculum. For example, Beowulf is an epic poem that survives from Old English. There are very few values from that time that still exist.  The theme of “might makes right” that is so clear in this poem would be frowned upon by today’s standards, at least in most American communities. Texas might see things differently. We believe in a more democratic system, one that encourages intelligence and learning. Perhaps this would allow a work from a different culture.

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey showcases a protagonist that uses his wits to survive multiple encounters with dangerous creatures. He is not able to rely on his brawn, as Beowulf is, but must instead create creative solutions to his problems. This seems more in line with current American thinking. Of course, the fact that he paused on his journey home to his wife and son to screw goddesses and witches of ten years (off and on in all fairness), may conflict with some of the family values that many communities say are so important to them. So maybe we’ll have to scratch that one off the list.