4 ms·

> other than not allowing some books in schools So… book bans. You saw book bans and somehow thought they weren’t that?

mcpackieh 3y ago
Eh, I get what he means. When I hear 'book ban' I have mental imagery of trying to smuggle books across the Iron Curtain, risking fines or prison time for buying, possessing or distributing the book. But these book bans don't make any of that illegal, they're fights over the way public libraries are managed. Anything that receives public funding will be subject to such politicking, this seems like the fundamental nature of democracy. But books are special; they're ostensibly entitled to public funding but are simultaneously beyond the purview of the same governments which are funding them. To be clear, I think libraries should carry whichever books are in demand by even a fringe few, regardless of how many other people those books offend. If even just one person in town is interested in a book, the local library should try to get that book (if practical, of course.) But I worry that we're devaluing the term "book ban"; what will we call it when they actually do pass laws making the possession or sale of some books illegal?
throwaway2990 3y ago
No. There hasn’t been book banning at schools. So far all that has been removed is non age appropriate books. I.e not allowing super explicit borderline porno books in schools. Books that are totally fine for an adult but not for a child.
- Macha 3y ago
  How dare those teen romance novels feature LGBT characters? Glad we agree the Bible is not safe for kids though. (or perhaps the bans are a bit more widespread than porn)
  - throwaway2990 3y ago
    I disagree with religious indoctrination just as much as I disagree with having books aimed at very young children saying: > "From six and up, I used to kiss other guys in my neighborhood, make out with them, and perform oral sex on them. I liked it. I used to love oral. And I touched their you-know-whats... Guys used to hit on me - perverts - pedophiles." This I don’t care about if an adult is reading an autobiography or something. But telling a child that this is acceptable? If you think this is acceptable then you’re a sick sick person.

Eh, I get what he means. When I hear 'book ban' I have mental imagery of trying to smuggle books across the Iron Curtain, risking fines or prison time for buying, possessing or distributing the book. But these book bans don't make any of that illegal, they're fights over the way public libraries are managed. Anything that receives public funding will be subject to such politicking, this seems like the fundamental nature of democracy. But books are special; they're ostensibly entitled to public funding but are simultaneously beyond the purview of the same governments which are funding them. To be clear, I think libraries should carry whichever books are in demand by even a fringe few, regardless of how many other people those books offend. If even just one person in town is interested in a book, the local library should try to get that book (if practical, of course.) But I worry that we're devaluing the term "book ban"; what will we call it when they actually do pass laws making the possession or sale of some books illegal?

throwaway2990 3y ago

No. There hasn’t been book banning at schools. So far all that has been removed is non age appropriate books. I.e not allowing super explicit borderline porno books in schools. Books that are totally fine for an adult but not for a child.

Macha 3y ago
How dare those teen romance novels feature LGBT characters? Glad we agree the Bible is not safe for kids though. (or perhaps the bans are a bit more widespread than porn)
- throwaway2990 3y ago
  I disagree with religious indoctrination just as much as I disagree with having books aimed at very young children saying: > "From six and up, I used to kiss other guys in my neighborhood, make out with them, and perform oral sex on them. I liked it. I used to love oral. And I touched their you-know-whats... Guys used to hit on me - perverts - pedophiles." This I don’t care about if an adult is reading an autobiography or something. But telling a child that this is acceptable? If you think this is acceptable then you’re a sick sick person.