The Little Engine That Could

[whatchadoin]

What is the point in book banning?

Study: 'Language Police' harming children

and

Gender Bias, Banned Words, Helen of Troy

Now I know that these two articles come from sources most people on neowin don't like, but this following list is from the American Library Association The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990?2000

You notice that R.L. Stine and Judy Blume are on this list. What is the point of people trying to ban those books?? The Scary Stories Series used to be the most popular book to check out from the local library when I was a kid. And banning Where's Waldo??!! All you do is try to find Waldo in a crowd of people!!! What's so wrong about that??!! Are these parents just bored or something?

Do any of you see a point in trying to get these books banned?

[nicedreams]

I don't understand any of this crap that schools or the government is always trying to do to make how children grow up better.

You turn on the TV and between 2:00pm - 2:00am you can watch all these new shows how people are going out in groups to screw one girl or vis-a-versa. I don't even like my son to watch TV anymore, because all I see on TV now is ###### and people trying to get some ass from someone else and they make it into a game show.

The schools and government need to be strick on what goes on everywhere and not just in the schools. You can still go out and get a gun and kill someone you don't like. Why don't they put a stop to that.

Oh yeah....that's right....the government is making money off of all of this, so they don't really care. They aren't making money from the schools so that's the only thing that can be attacked.

Instead of them banning books and trying to ZOMBIE kids in schools, with false history they should pump more money in to the schools instead of taking it away.

I can't beleive how they make Columbus looks like some kind of God saying he found America when accually he was a jerk and killed people and children for not finding gold for him and stuff like that and how he would murder the family of the native indians that lived here and made them slaves. They didn't teach that in school did they. Thank God I had some great teachers that made school worth something.

[Fotix]

Ban? No. People doing this remind me of PETA and other fringists that drive me absolutely insane.

[FaRSightxc2]

On the poll, I have said 'no': All books shouldn't necessarily be available to everyone. Some are just way to graphic and/or desturbing for [some] people (particularly younger, impressionable children.)

Having said that, the majority books should be available to mid teens and adults - they are mature enough and rational enough to filter out things which are not true/are proppaganda for a particular cause/are desturbing and not reality. But do you really want your younger childrens minds being warped by senceless violence, sex and political scandel? (not that most children would be able to understand a lot of this, but you see my point.)

However, the books you reffer to should be made available - the cencorship of most of them is pointless. However, I do retain that not all books should be available to everyone for the aforementioned reasons.

Edited May 11, 2003 by farsightxc2

[fdiaz2day]

Null Vote :blink:

[aem4162]

I am against censorship of any kind. All books should be made available to everyone. It is UP TO THE PARENTS to decide what the kids read.

[mAcOdIn Veteran]

Just want to say I don't think it's the schools or government trying to do this stuff, it's all led by parents. Really, ignorant, dumb, parents. Same thing happened in my highschool. Some parent got ticked of because we read the crucibal, went on about how it promotes witchcraft(don't see how, all the supposed withces die), and puts Christianity in a bad light(I could see that, but it's based on factual events, so whatta they want to rewrite history?). Anyways most parents didn't mind their kids reading so they never said anything only the ones with issues ever speak up, so the book ended up getting pulled.

[aem4162]

The parents for some reason (no time, ignorance, don't care, etc) let others make their decisions for them and don't get involved in what goes on in their children's schools and everyone ends up paying for it.

[nicedreams]

The way I feel mainly is that we should not shelter our children. I've seen so many people out there that have been sheltered and then when they move out of their parents house, they break down and give up on life because they don't know how to handle the real world without a shield(parents).

I just feel that we/our children should find things out for themselves. Books are a way to explore, but I do see the point of not allowing books that are to graphic. I just don't agree how it's just plain and straight up on TV. You don't even have to explore when it's just right up in your face.

I'm saying all of this from experience. I first saw Porky's at the age of 5 from no type of censorship and my parents where asleep and we had HBO. Since then, I've messed around with girls and explored sexuality starting in 2nd grade with some other girls at school. From all of this in my past, I don't want my son to see all of this at a young age. I feel that their is a proper age, but my son is 4 and we just flip through the TV at 5:00pm and see 5 girls and 1 guy getting it on in a hot tub and this is on regular TV and not even cable. He's already asking me questions about breast and things and he is only 4. This is what bothers me and I think they need to put a stop to it. They should really make the parents be able to let their kids see what is going on when the time is right. They should make it easy for parents and not hard. I don't have a TV that can block TV stations and all this is all on FOX10 channels and easy to get to. What's next, being 5 and able to buy a playboy?

[persianpsycho]

one word to summarize all of that: Ignorance... what a silly world we live in

[nhut]

There is a place for censorship... but it's strange how it seems to be so rediculously strict in some areas (Harry Potter is evil, The Little Engine that Could?!) and yet a lot of tv looks like it could be shown on playboy. Strange...

[Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel]

There is a place for censorship indeed. It's called Nazi Germany. If you can't exhibit control over your own children, don't blame it on the TV. Having a TV is a CHOICE. If you have children and want a television it's YOUR responsibility to monitor what they watch, not the television network's. Maybe if people stopped trying to push the responsibility of raising their children on to everyone else in society, we wouldn't have so many problems. A book is not going to make a child racist or sexist, and if it does that child may well be terminally stupid. The way his/her parents act WILL. Unless, of course, the parent is letting the school raise their child. I think it's ridiculous how we are even taking these people seriously. Oversensitive people make me want to vomit down their throats. We strive to shield our children from anything REAL in the world and we wonder why they can't understand that when they go to school and shoot their friends in the face they are gone forever. These people need a dose of reality. Yes, our history is FULL of grave injustices. Our founding fathers were slave-owners, sexist, and violent. Hiding that fact only serves to warp children's minds and make them unable to deal with reality.

[aem4162]

Zero said it perfectly. (Y)

[kombolcha]

There is a place for censorship indeed. It's called Nazi Germany. If you can't exhibit control over your own children, don't blame it on the TV. Having a TV is a CHOICE. If you have children and want a television it's YOUR responsibility to monitor what they watch, not the television network's. Maybe if people stopped trying to push the responsibility of raising their children on to everyone else in society, we wouldn't have so many problems. A book is not going to make a child racist or sexist, and if it does that child may well be terminally stupid. The way his/her parents act WILL. Unless, of course, the parent is letting the school raise their child. I think it's ridiculous how we are even taking these people seriously. Oversensitive people make me want to vomit down their throats. We strive to shield our children from anything REAL in the world and we wonder why they can't understand that when they go to school and shoot their friends in the face they are gone forever. These people need a dose of reality. Yes, our history is FULL of grave injustices. Our founding fathers were slave-owners, sexist, and violent. Hiding that fact only serves to warp children's minds and make them unable to deal with reality.

:fro: :yes:

[Jerichohol]

Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel (Y)

Excellent points there. I am also against censorship. The government/states/schools shouldn't be banning works or any piece of literature. Its just wrong

OT(kinda) What does everyone think of the fact that the government is planning to monitor libraries as per the Patriot act?

[Steven P. Administrators]

Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel made some excellant points but you forget one thing, People make up society and should have an active role in how the society should stay healthy. Its all well and good to blame the parents for lack of control over what kids see/hear/do but frequently and increasingly the only protection (real protection) is in your own home. Outside the home where Parents can't play a deciding role (all the time) you have things like School agenda, the media, advertising and a ton of other stuff that affects kids.

Society has as much to answer for as the Parents, simply pinning blame on Parents for Sex before the 9pm watershed on TV or the sex in street advertising (Bill boards) is just wrong.

In the past society did play a role in childrens upbringing, the days where your front door was unlocked and the kids were welcome at the neighbours, or most of the street. Now its quite normal to lock your door and NOT converse with your neighbours, let alone let them be alone with your kids.

[aem4162]

OT(kinda) What does everyone think of the fact that the government is planning to monitor libraries as per the Patriot act?

It sucks gross icky squishy things. It's another try by the Bush regime to remove our rights and civil liberties. John Ashcroft is a nasty word that I'm too much of a lady to say.

[glockfan]

I think the problem is that schools are now expected to raise people kids. I am a teacher in HIGH SCHOOL!!! and you would be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) in the number of parents that call in and try and make excuses for their 16,17,18 year old kids. Here is a great example: In Indiana you must have atleast 40 credits and pass this exam (GQE) to pass high school and get your diploma. If you don't pass your GQE in your sophmore year, you can take it 2 times in each your JR and SR year. each time you don't pass it, you must be offered remediation after school or during the summer. If you still don't pass you can be given a "Certificate of Attendance" or at the discretion of the principal (with some criteria to follow) a diploma. We had this one kid come in with his parents bitching because he was not going to get his diploma (they are sent a letter). His parents screamed that we would not help him. Our Principal asked to the kid in front of his parents " You were never offered remediation?" Kid: No Sir" Principal opened up book and pulled out the originals of SIX different times the kid was offered remediation and signed off on saying he didin't want it. Parents response" It should be free" Principal response" umm it is, read what your Kid signed" Parent Response "No Kid wants to learn after school or in the summer." "Principal response" Thanks for coming. GoodBye." So it was the school's fault that he wa an idiot. BTW, it was found out that the parents were staying out all night and not supervising the kid.... PATHETIC><

[aem4162]

It's the same thing with the parents of the girls involved in the hazing in Chicago - they're being suspended or expelled and the parents are fighting it because it's punishing their little angels. I would have been in SO MUCH TROUBLE if I'd done that and my mom would have sided with the school. But then I wouldn't have done that stuff, either.