Banned Books Week - question

[sad1199]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Beth" <jillily3g at y...> 
wrote:
> Last year(?) TLC posted a link to a Bennington, VT paper that had 
an
> editorial about Banned Books Week (thank you, Heidi!) and I wrote 
to
> the editor the letter I'll post below. I looked into the ALA's 
website
> because I had a concern about a book being used in my daughter's 
class
> and wanted to talk to the teacher about it, ironically, during 
Banned
> Books Week. I know I've asked this question before, I'm just 
curious
> about those of you who are parents and/or are involved with 
children:
> Do you think children should have unlimited access to all 
literature?
> Why or why not?
> 
> Beth
> p.s. I did let my daughter read the book in question, I just 
wanted to
> know how discussion would be handled. And I still think it's 
important
> for parents to know as often as possible what their children are
> reading and to try to read it, too, to be ready to discuss it in 
the
> context of their own moral beliefs.
> 
> Dear Editor,
> 
> Please understand that I do /not/ advocate banning books. I simply
> wish to point out that the statistics quoted: "There have already 
been
> 6,364 challenges posed to the American Library Association, and 
that
> was only between the years of 1990 and 2000," do not take into 
account
> the reasons behind a challenge. In researching the ALA's website 
last
> year, I found that the ALA lumps a parent requesting a book be 
moved
> from the children's to the adult section of a library in the same
> category as those wanting to burn Harry Potter. In response to the
> question from the media, "What if a child wants to check out 
Playboy
> magazine?" librarians were told to answer that very few children 
would
> want to check out material that was inappropriate for them. I think
> that response is naive, at best.  Just as a movie theater owner 
would
> not allow a six year old to buy his own ticket to a Restricted 
movie,
> some literature best put "on the top shelf" until children are more
> mature. I think the ALA does readers a disservice by thinking they 
can
> not understand the difference.

sad1199 here: 

    The problems I have with book banning are:

1.) It goes against my constitutional rights.

2.) It takes away MY RESPONSIBILITY as a parent! I just don't get 
the parents who want books banned so their children won't read them. 
If you don't want your children to read something it is your 
responsibility as a parent to tell them why they are not allowed to 
read it. Now, I know parents are going to say but, they'll just read 
it somewhere else. Again, it is the parents responsibility to parent 
their children. If these parents are doing their job sufficiently 
then they should have no worries that their children would read the 
books elsewhere. My children have very rigid rules and I have 
witnessed them (unknown to them) decide not to break those rules 
when a friend suggests something they are not allowed to do. 

    I do edit my children's reading lists BUT!!!! There is not one 
book on the banned books list from 1990 - 2000 that I would not 
allow my children to read! Of course, my six year old would not 
read 'The Outsiders' but only because he wouldn't be able to 
comprehend the words or the story line. So, I as a parent buy him 
books that he can read and understand and enjoy. There is a very 
funny series called Captain Underpants that my two boys love. I was 
actually surprised that it was not on the list because its quite 
disgusting and gross but that does not mean it should be banned. 

   I already own quite a few books on the recent top 100 list and I 
have this idea to buy every book on it. Just for personal spite, you 
know...

"When an old man dies a library burns to the ground."   sad1199