Furore and Frenzy

visiting someones blog only to discover one of those “I’m sorry it’s been since I’ve written posts.” I’m sure I’ve been guilty of them in the past but I hate them nevertheless…so rather than divulge the many reasons why I haven’t written I’ll instead change topics….

REALLY there’s nothing I hate worse than ignorant censorship. What constitutes ignorant censorship? Well while everyone’s definition is different in this particular case the censorship is of a book being pulled from library shelves. I won’t give too many details because it’s a real story involving people I know and I’m breaking all of my own personal blogging etiquette rules by writing about it in the first place. But since last week WAS banned book week it seemed fitting that I would learn about one of my childhood favorites being banned in one of our schools for having the word SLUT in it. My first thought of course was how many OTHER words did it have in it that weren’t SLUT, and second how many times in the course of day does a child hear rougher language on the street corner, or on the television set.

I can still vividly remember reading this book at home as a child. I first checked it out of the school library when I was kid, then convinced my mother to buy it for me. It was written by my favorite childhood author of all time and involved the retelling of classic fairy tales in a ‘revolting’ fashion. I can remember giggling to myself when I came across the word slut in the text, but I never told an adult. My mother wouldn’t have taken the book away, but she would have asked more questions than I felt like answering. The word was used exactly once and in the correct context.

When I think about a current generation of students not able to enjoy that book because of A SINGLE WORD I am infuriated. It also begs the question, which words are appropriate and which are not?

By attempting to avoid controversy I believe these people have left themselves WIDE open for many potential problems.