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Health & Fitness

What … That book's been banned?

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good book. Can you? Apparently there are people out there who don’t – or at least don’t want others to read books they think aren’t good. 

Sounds to me like a case of confusing the messenger good literature with the message.  

Books are meant to tell a story and by virtue of that shed light on our humanity – where it is strong and where it is weak.

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And, because I like to decide for myself what to read, I support Banned Books Week. This national book community celebration began on Sunday, September 22 and lasts until Saturday, September 28.   

The community which includes writers, publishers, bookstores and libraries began hosting events during the 1982 launch. Since then more than 11,000 book titles have been challenged in an effort to censor them.

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A few of those most challenged on the current list are among my favorite books. They include:

  • The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini - Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit.
  • The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls - Offensive language, sexually explicit.
  • Beloved, by Toni Morrison -  Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence.

Just imagine that some of our classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and contemporary novels such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins are being questioned as to whether or not they are appropriate reading.

Really?

This writer/reader encourages you to pick up a banned book and make your own choice about whether or not it’s worth reading. After all, that’s the point of having freedom, right?

To learn more visit www.bannedbooksweek.org






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