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What do you think about books being banned? Should it happen? What would be a reason to ban a book?

 

Lynn Ketelsen
Books should NEVER be banned. It is OK to have all subject matters covered in print. You can always point out the flaws or down sides of any book. We can learn tolerance and emphathy from seeing different points of views. If you find something offensive, put the book down and move onto something else.

Linda M. Johnson
I can think of no reason a book should be banned. I think a controversial book would become a platform to launch a discusssion --- an opportunity to hear another side. I took the opportunity to read the Harry Potter books WITH my son rather than ban the books. I had heard more about the controversy than the books at first. We are both very glad we read them.

Patricia Barton
I think books that encourage people to do something illegal should be banned. Books that teach people how to kill themselves, molest children, or make bombs should be banned.

Mary Angela Young
I don't think books should be banned. It is our right to read what we want. And write what we want. We, as adults, should have a choice, and not have someone make the choice for us.

Peggy 
I think it is wrong. It is a violation of the Constitutional right to freedom of speech. If you find something offensive, then don't read it. If a subject is sensitive and parents agree that their children should read a paticular book until they're older, then that is okay; but, banning something --- period --- because a few people don't like it? No, that is wrong. This isn't Germany. The written word is something we should value, and banning or burning books to keep others from reading it isn't right.

Erin
Books should never be banned. Are there books children shouldn't read? Yes. But those books shouldn't be banned. Parents are responsible for what their children read and should not pass that responsibility to the schools and public libraries. I should be able to make my own decision about what books I want to read. I don’t think adults should tell other adults what they should read. If they don’t want to read a book, that’s fine, but it should be available for other people who may want to read it.

Sonia Zaffiris
It should never happen in a free society. If you don't want to read a banned book, don't!

A. Larson
No, I do not believe books should ever be banned. If a bookseller doesn't want to sell a book, that's their choice. But banning books, no.

Freda
There should be no reason to ban a book unless it is a manual to teach how to build something or how to do something to harm people.

Jean Paquin
There is no reason to ban a book. Whether to read or not to read is a choice that should be left up to the individual. I prefer to read a number of reviews and then decide if I want to read the particular book. I can always say no if it something that I personally find offensive or is just something I'm not interested in.

Arianna Hawkins
I think that some books should be in different parts of the bookstore, depending on whether they are age-appropriate for all people. Also, if people don't want to read a book, they should just leave it alone and not demand that no one else read it. Even books like MEIN KAMPF should not be banned, because if we ever want to defeat certain kinds of enemies, we have to know who they are and how they work. 

Books should not be banned, and people who disapprove of certain literature can refrain from reading it.

Pat H.
The only reasons to ban a book are if it aided terrorists or gave specific instructions --- "a how to" on making bombs, shooting down an aircraft etc, OR if books are completely made up of profanity with no plot purpose.

Denise
I cannot imagine "banning" a book from public access. I do think, however, that it is the responsibility of parents to determine (to a degree) the suitability of materials that their children read or are exposed to. There are times that a book has themes or content that is way too mature for a paricular child.

Rosalie A. Ciardullo
I don't think any book should be banned for any reason since we enjoy freedom of the press in America.

Intelligent adults should be able to select whichever books interest them and hopefully it would be for the "right" reasons.

Marc Rogers
I don't think ANY books should be banned. I am okay with age restrictions on purchasing of certain books, but any adult should be able to buy any books published.

Ronna Lord
Though there are books that I would NEVER choose to read, I DO NOT think that I should keep others from making their own choices. I am AGAINST banning books, I am for making my own choices!!

Susan Furr
I totally disagree with banning books. Freedom of speech is one thing that makes our country great. Also, we have the freedom to not buy a particular book. Let the American people decide. Isn't that what a democratic nation is all about?

Toy Thomas
I have a real problelm with banning books. I feel a free society needs the free exchange of ideas, even if we disagree with those ideas. However, I have a problem with books and other materials that exploit children, i.e. child pornography or with books that would advise someone on how to commit an illegal act such as murder.

Rose DiFante
NO! NEVER never never is there a reason for it! To ban a book is to say you are not allowed your opinion. You have no say. You cannot be who you are. Who has the right to judge who can speak and who cannot? Who gave anyone that right? NO one has that right over another.

Barb Barela
I personally see no reason to ban books. My belief is that a person has the right to read any book he or she desires. I may not agree with others choices, but it is up to the individual to choose what he/she wants to read. I am more concerned about literacy than banning books.

Noreen Brown
There are certain type books that should be banned from children's sections of libraries.
Those with adult themes shouldn't be accessible to children.

Irene T Yeates
I do not believe any book should be banned. There is absolutely no reason that could possibly warrant the banning of a book. If a person chooses not to read a book, fine. However, every person has the right to make this choice. We all should re-read FAHRENHEIT 451...

Karen Barash
The only reason I can think of to ban a book is in terms of children, that is if the book is pornographic or encourages them to hate.

Kathy 
There is never a good reason for banning a book. I strongly disagree with having my reading choices dictated by a vocal minority. Also, as a consumer, I can certainly "self-regulate" what I think is appropriate.

Cathy Doyle
No, I don't believe in banning books. Not that I haven't come across some (so bad, so nasty, etc) and the thought hasn't crossed my mind, but it comes down to choice --- to read or not to read. The strange thing is, most of the books I've read about that people want to ban (The Harry Potter series, for example) I can see no reason for banning.

Claire Wilkins
No book should ever be banned, be it political, religious, anti-government, obscene, degrading propaganda. Readers need to be able to read all and decide on their values, whether or not they agree. Just because you don't agree is no reason others should not have access. When that right is taken from us we become catatonic zombies.

Ellen
If it is slander.

Monica Jordan
I don't think a book should ever be banned. People should have the right to read and write what they want.

Toni Savchuck
I cannot imagine any situation where a book should be banned. If we allow someone to tell us what we can or cannot read, we give up the most fundamental of all rights. Once this is done, we will be subject to giving up other rights as well. Remember what happened in Germany.

Janis Tschirahrt
I think that it is an egregious violation of our rights.

Michele Lauer-Bader
Banning books is an infringement of someone's rights. What gives one person or group the right to decide what others might choose to read?

Brenda Tucker
A book should never be banned. Only those with small minds want to restrict the viewing of a certain book. Let each person decide if he wants to read it or not.

Linda Williams
I don't believe in book banning anytime, anywhere. As an American citizen, I believe it is my right to read what I want whenever I want. Banning books is something the Nazis did, not America. It is also none of anybody's business what I read --- no giving the government a list of the books I read!! It is a personal right that everyone is entitled to. A book could be banned for a certain age group because of language, violence, etc. but adults should have a chance to read anything they want!

Diana Fahy
Dear Bookreporter,
There are many books printed today that I do not want nor need to read, but to ban a book is nonsense. The book is covered by the 1st Amendment of free speech, and we all have a choice whether to read it or not. It should never be allowed to happen. The only reason a book might be banned is if it advocated bomb making, murder for justification, or anything that can be denounce the human race in general. My thoughts are that even these writers are free to express their thoughts, whether I like them or not. It is our duty to instill proper ethics in our children and trust them to make the right choice. Reading does not make people bad, they would have chosen this path anyway.

Robin Schmidinger
No reason EVER to ban a book!!!

Jan
There is NO reason for banning a book --- that's why we have freedom of the press.

Lisa RIchland
I think that no book should be banned. Either the marketplace will deal with objectionable books, or not. But books contain ideas, and an idea is a precious thing. Who said "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"? that's how I feel. I also feel that squelching an idea or an incendiary statement does nothing to counteract that idea. We need to get things in the open where they can be discussed and refuted or explained. Free speech serves us well.

Sharon
There is NEVER a good reason to ban a book! Just don't read anything that offends.

Matt Dakin
As long as the contents are legal (child porn being one example of illegal content), no book should be banned for adults. I also feel that teens should have free access to ideas.

Jeanne Sheats
I have no tolerance for any kind of censorship. It's one group trying to control another. This is the land of freedoms supposedly, and freedom of speech is our greatest one!

Jo Ann
We should all be able to read anything that we want to. If a person does not like a book, they have the choice of not buying it. I have the choice of buying it if I so desire. No one should be able to dictate to us what we can or cannot read.

Jo Ann
We should all be able to read any book that we want to. If a person does not like a book, they have the choice of not buying it. I have the choice of buying it if I so desire. No one should be able to dictate to us what we can or cannot read.

Nyla Thompson
I think there would have to be a very good reason for a book to be banned --- such as someone writing a book (biography) about someone and filling it with lies just to sell it. We have the freedon of speech, and to write, but not to spread lies about someone.

Diana Thomas
I don't feel that books should be banned. If you don't care for the contents in a book, don't read it. People shouldn't force their views on other people.

John Smit
Compare it to a witchhunt. Yes, books should be banned if you want to go back to the Middle Ages. And no, there should be no reasons to ban books.

Ryan M. Morton
I think books should not be banned since the book was written using the unique creativity of the author who wrote it. If people want to ban a book for its usage of sex or other things, just look at the Bible. There's sex and other "bad" things in it and it's the Word of God.

Lynda East
Books should not be banned or censored. There are segments of society that need protection from, or may not be ready for, certain books. Hence, books should categorized. If a person has the intelligence and desire to read, that person can decide about individual books for themselves.

Linda
I think it's abhorrent. If someone thinks a book shouldn't be read then don't read it. No matter how hateful the writing, it's a person's choice to read or not to read and that choice shouldn't be taken away.

Jonathan Shaffer
Books should only be banned to protect immediate public safety (e.g., diections on how to make a weapon of mass destruction, etc).

Bob Coghill
It is not appropriate to ban books from a public library or a community or from publication.

It is appropriate to "ban" books from specific venues. Many adult books would not be appropiate in a children's library. A church or political library could omit books not in keeping with their message. I can forbid biographies of film stars from my house, providing my wife agrees.

Lindy Smith
I don't believe in banning, but I see no reason not to limit a book to those who are adults.

Judy Ross
I think it is outrageous that a book be banned, especially by a governmental agency, including schools. The only situation where "banning" is necessary and appropriate is when a parent decides what his or her minor child should read. End of discussion.

Teresa
I don't like the idea of banning books. As an adult reader, I decide what is appropriate for me to read, buy or borrow and I don't want anyone else deciding for me. As a parent of a middle and high schooler, I feel I should decide what is appropriate for them to bring into my house, not someone else. I do feel the novels the school chooses for their curriculum should reflect a broad range of experiences, but not be so politically correct we try to incorporate even the smallest minorities to the determent of the whole.

Linda Estrin
NO

Ann Heath
There is no reason to ever ban a book. Parents have the responsilbity to oversee their child's reading material (my parents never told me I could not read a book.) This caused alot of the scandal and excitment to be absent, I assure you.
An adult should be able to censor their own reading material, and if the book offends, put it down.

TereseRose
Books should never be banned.

Monica
Books should never be banned for any reason. Just because some people don't like or understand certain topics or subjects, it doesn't give anyone the right to ban books.

Frank Giitter
No one should be able to keep a book from being read by someone who wants to read it. As a matter of policy, libraries or schools might choose to not include a book in their limited stock, and publishers might decide not to print a book they consider to be uncommercial, but a published work should be accessible to interested readers. Parents should supervise what their children read, explaining why some books might not be age appropriate. Otherwise, no one should be able to impose their judgement on the free choices of other persons.

Mary Bargteil
Only books that condone the banning of books should be banned. Actually, it is ridiculous to ban any book as it only boosts its popularity. Give the public good books and what is best will rise to the top.

Ember Inuit
Of course, not EVERYTHING must be allowed to be published and distributed. Though I must say that most misleading books may carry cautions or should mention clearly which ''facts'' are actually assumed so that readers are not betrayed. 

But on the extreme end of spectrum, I would say that books with titles (or content) like,''How to have sex with children', or 'How to eat human flesh'' should be banned right away.

Shalomi
No, I don't think books should be banned.

Robin Barton
If we follow our Constitution, books should never be banned for any reason.

Jan Neves
No books should be banned. It is one of our basic freedoms. We have the right to pick what we want to read or not read.

Suzanne
There's no reason to ban a book outside libel, child porn or copyright laws.

Julia
Books should never be banned for any reason. If the subject matter of a book is objectionable, then don't read it. If we ban books, then we become no better than the countries that do not allow their citizens the same freedoms we have. I am conservative, and there are books I choose not to read, but I don't want that right to choose taken from me. Where would the line be drawn?

Nancy 
I don't believe books should be banned, with the exception of child pornography. To me, the worst type of books (after child pornography) would be those that tell how to make atomic weapons, bombs, drugs. I don't believe these are banned.

Kat Solheim
It is never acceptable to ban a book. Period.

Rita 
There is no reason to ban a book. Some books may be too explicit or disturbing for young children, but generally, they will not even choose such a book. If they do, parents should discuss the book with their children at the level of their maturity. Any adult should be able to read whatever he or she chooses.

Peggy Carlin
Absolutely not! There is no reason to ban a book. Here in TX --- just as in other parts of the country --- there has been a drive to ban the Harry Potter series, and recently a school district in the DFW area succumbed to parental pressure and removed SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS from senior high school libraries and reading lists. Sad! I have always thought that those nervous about their beliefs and values who lack confidence in their ideas fear the free expression of ideas and are, those behind efforts to have books removed from libraries, schools and reading lists. If someone only reads or listens to the things that he or she agrees with, the result is lack of knowledge, understanding and tolerance.

Anita Porterfield
There is never an excuse for banning a book. Our first amendment rights protect writers and readers. Ban one book --- start a movement. Pretty soon, the government will be dictating what we can or cannot read, or IF we have the right to read at all. Read Margaret Atwood's THE HANDMAID'S TALE. Is this the kind of society that we want?

Susan Helene Gottfried
It's hard to say. Banning a book often gives it greater media exposure, which gets people to buy and read it. In turn, that can open up a dialogue that can advance the thinking of the people involved, which is always good. On the flip side, by banning a book and making it impossible to read, you are denying people the chance to open their minds. It's a double-edged sword.

Dawn
I think it is awful and books should never be banned. It violates the right to free speech.

Ann Bowen
I think it is evidence of small minds and small hearts. The 1st Amendment gives us the right to free speech, and I believe that gives us the right to read anything we wish. Banning something or forbidding it makes the fruit that much more delicious. I don't need someone to tell me what I can and cannot do.

Anne Knaack
Books should never be banned in our free country. If one does not approve of certain books, he is free to refrain from reading them. Also, a responsible parent ought to be able to keep young children from reading something he/she considers inappropriate for them.

Linda Cassidy
I don't think books should EVER be banned. We have the right to read what we want just as we have the right to speak what we want. We are fighting for that right in several countries right now. I think it is a shame that we still have narrow-minded people in our society today when really all they need to do is not read a certain book; not ban it by inflecting their ideas and opinions on others.

Paul D. Eccles
I believe that banning a book is unconstitutional, and that those who do it are trampling on the Constitution. If we have the right to print what we want with our "freedom of the press," then we cannot ban books. Once that freedom is taken away, what right do we have? How long before the constitution is rewritten, and the we revolt?

Michele Lauer-Bader
No, I do not think it is ever ok to ban books. We all have different tastes, different ideas, different beliefs.

Larena Wirum
I don't think anyone has the right to tell me what to read or not read. A parent has the right to decide what a child can read, but as an adult, I have the right to choose. There is no good reason to ban a book.

Darlene
There is absolutely no reason to ban a book. We are entitled to individual freedom to select what we read or choose not to read.

Ginnie Levine
There is absolutely no reason to ban a book. Those who are offended by the material in a book can just not read it!

Angelina Magelnick
Absolutly not --- no book should ever be banned!

It should be left up to the individual as to wheather or not he or she wants to read that particular book. Think about the Henry Miller books (TROPIC OF CANCER, TROPIC OF CAPRICORN, etc.) that were banned for so many years. Why? These were great works that almost disappeared.

Susan
No, books should never be banned. I will and have taken the responsibility for policing what my children and I read, but I do not want anyone else to do it for me. I won't tell you or yours what they may or may not read, and I expect you to do the same for me and mine. As a thinking person, I am able to make my own decisions and do not want others to make it for me.
In my eyes there is no reason ever to ban a book. Don't like it, don't read it.

Michael Rosen
I don't feel there is ever a legitimate reason to ban a book. When I was a young man, A teacher told me that if I was reading about, say, rocket science, I should read all the different opinions and theories about the subject to get a broader perspective --- even if I did not agree with all of them. I have found this to be true. That is my opinion... Thanks.

B Sloan-Hendershott
I don't like the idea at all. On the other hand, I don't see how books that describe how to make bombs and books that describe molesting children can see print. It is a conundrum.

S. Weber
Although I may find a book repugnant or offensive, I do not think any written word should be banned. Our forefathers fought to give us freedoms in this country, and we should uphold them, no matter what. That being said, I do think subject matter, or prose that is harmful to children should be filtered well by parents and schools to the extent of keeping those materials out of their reach.

It is our duty as parents and educators to provide quality reading and literature to our children, and overseeing what they read.

Kara Nickerson
I don't think there will ever be a good reason to ban a book. If you don't like it, you don't read it, and that's all there is to it. Even if the subject matter is unsettling, that is no reason to ban a book.

Dianne Gordonn
People have their opinions, and often, their opinions become 'expectations,' and they expect others to feel the same way. That's when I think books become banned. It should not happen, but then again, that's MY opinion. :)

Ed Mallinson
Never ever. The moment a book is allowed to be banned, you have turned over your right to judge, evaluate, think. Who calls the banning? Are they truely more righteous than you? Are there things you really shouldn't know? Or consider? At worst, a bad book reflects poorly on the author. A banned book does not allow you to know that those particular thought processes are out there. Please to reread 1984. It isn't in the past.

R. W. Honey
How can banning a book ever work now that we have the Internet! I don't think it is right to ban books because where would it stop?

Dorothy Gordon
No, banning books is NOT OK. Even MEIN KAMF, a despicable piece of writing as there ever was, should remain in print. Free speech is a cornerstone of our society.

Jan Chambers Feldheim
Book banning probably would work for the repressive Bush administration, but it is never ok to ban books. Freedom of speech is one of our fundamental rights. We lose that, then we lose our heart as a country!

Donna Jacobs
I think everyone should know what the book is about. No book should be banned. This is the USA and we have freedom to read what we want to read. It may not always be for the best, but that;s the way it is.

Joe Fiechtl
I don't think there is a reason to ban a book. Even a reason such as banning a book like "How to Make a Bomb in 10 Easy Steps" could be twisted in the wrong hands to ban "The World's Best Paper Airplanes." Morality, civility, and prudence are taught, not enforced.

Anthony Romano
This is a free country --- readers should decide whether or not they want to read a book.

Michelle Miller
No

Noreen
No reason! We have freedom of speech. You don't have to read something if it offends you!

Priscilla Willame
I think it is absurd that books can be banned in a country where freedom of speech is constitutional right. If you don't like the topic or the content, don't read it!

It is interesting to note that many of the books on the list were required reading when I was in school. I don't think I am scarred in any way by the experience.

Marg 
Banning books? No. Limiting some access for some people (young people, for example) until a level of growth, maturity, etc. is achieved decreases the chances of adversely negative responses for readers (acting out, instilling fears, etc.)

Jo B.
I am strongly against the banning of books. Adults are capable of deciding for themselves whether or not they or their children should read a particular book. Someone's dislike of a book should not be the basis for everyone not being allowed to read it.

Shelley
I am absolutely opposed to censorship of any kind, including the banning of books. I work in a public library, where access to information is essential. Book banning is a slippery slope to the loss of freedom of speech and expression, and other essential rights to which we are entitled. As author Bill Bryson so eloquently puts it in his book NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND:
"I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death you're right to be a complete asshole."

Brian Budzynski
I can think of no viable reason to ban a book. To ban any book --- and hopefully not to say with too much pretension --- is to refuse the intangible something that ifferentiates us from one another and which defines life.

Petra
Books should never be banned. The entire concept of banning books is that some information should not be disseminated based on a person's opinion about the information itself. This is a problem, primarily because different people think that different ideas are offensive. Effectively, personal choice and parental guidance are the only proper limits to books/movies/etc. Since this fails spectacularly, there is a tendency toward regulation which is less than pleasant, but at least preferable to censorship.

Liz Jadus
There are no circumstances under which a book should be banned, even if the author expresses opinions that are abhorrent to everyone on earth. Freedom of speech, in the truest sense, is one of the most important rights offered in the Constitution.

Lyla
There is only one reason why a book should be banned, that is child pornography. There are many authors that I do not enjoy and do not agree with, but everyone has a right to their beliefs and opinions. I guess we could return to the days of Nazi Germany or even earlier times when books were banned because ideas and thinking were discouraged. Is that what people want?

Maryhelen Posey
I assume this is not about restricting access to some books for children, but about wholesale banning. No, it must never happen.

No matter the cause of the proposed ban, it limits freedom of thought, and any ban can be extended to things that are political (or cover things that become political!) And bingo! you've got a dictatorship.

Canadian Reader
In general, I am opposed to the banning of books. After all, who appoints himself/herself the judge for the rest? On the other hand, one wonders about the value of materials that are utterly degrading and disrespectful to humans and other life forms. In reality, however, I'm afraid that if confronted with violent pornographic materials or materials showing human or animal torture, I'd want to see some censorship. What social or personal value do such materials serve? It seems to me that perhaps cautions, above all else, should exist for librarians/book sellers and book buyers.