As you may have noticed if you’ve been here a while, I have strong opinions on the subject of “book banning” accusations, as made by liberal interest groups.
Michelle Malkin examines the question of who are the real book banners in this country in our time, in a column today.
*The reference is to “Excelsior,” a poem by Longfellow.
Good article. I’m surprised to read about Borders Books employees trying aggressively to stop “Unfit for Command” being sold. And the people who would complain, the organizer said, are people who only read “Left Behind.” Curious stereotype.
Just in case we have any new readers with us, let me clarify that we don’t approve of banning books in general nor do we approve of using words like “censorship” to describe reader complaints. If Major Palin had yanked books from his home town library, I suppose that would have been real censorship or banning. But most (almost all) of what we talk about during Banned Books week (9/27-10/4) is not censorship. It’s responsible (more or less) complaining.
So let’s run a hypothetical. If a book like “Unfit for Command” or Malkin’s “Unhinged” were nothing but lies, completely irresponsible venom and falsehood about public figures, and it was published, what should happen? Are bookstores obliged to sell it? Are libraries duty bound to stock it? Can magazines or newspaper refuse advertising or accept it without endorsing the book? Can public officials denounce it? Can media outlets ignore it? Could book companies warn the publisher that if it plans to publish garbage like this it will have to sell it somewhere else? What do you think?
What? You mean nobody is obligated to buy my latest masterpiece, “Orange Menace – How the Tibetan Buddhists are going to violently conquer America”? But you’re obligated to help me spread the word. It’s in the constitution!!!
I don’t like the idea of yanking books out of the adult shelves in public libraries, or of book store employees deciding they won’t distribute a book. Anything other than that, though, is perfectly legitimate. We the right not to be interfered with – we don’t have the right to be helped.
That’s about it, Ori. I’ve been working on the following proposition for some time now: If literature is art, then I’m a working artist. If a refusal by the government to fund art is censorship, then the fact that the government isn’t paying me for my work means I’m being censored! We live in a police state!
I’m a victim!
The government owes me money!
I practice censorship every day–in deciding what my sons will read. (Eldest son is almost 6.)
I don’t think the library has to stock a book: my bitty local library can’t buy most of the books I want, even if they had the budget they don’t have the physical space. They do have to be willing to provide it if it’s available.
I’d be awfully irritated if they said “Sorry, but we don’t think you should read this book so we won’t process your ILL request.” If I were under 18 it would be fair for them to double check with my folks before processing the request, or letting me check out any book. My particular library is great with the ILL books, many’s the time my librarian and I have had to drag out a map to figure out just where the town is that my book came from.