Book banning is an issue that really gets my blood boiling. And now the idea of book banning has reached a new height of ridiculousness. An an associate professor from Missouri State University feels that Laurie Halse Anderson's award winning book, SPEAK, should be banned from the school because he considers the two rape scenes to be "soft porn!" Can you believe the absurdity of it? Who in their right mind would think that rape is pornographic? Anderson's book has helped numerous teenage girls deal with the issue of rape. And no matter how much we may not want to believe it, it is an issue!! And for too long it was a dirty secret that young women were scared to tell.
My opinion on books is this: If you disagree with or are offended by the content: DON'T read it! If you don't want your child to read it: DON'T let them! What is offensive to you might not be offensive to someone else! And who gives you the right to decide what is appropriate reading for someone else or their child? There are a ton of things in this world that offend me, like the Jersey Shore. Now, I am in no way comparing a great book like SPEAK to The Jersey Shore, but I am trying to make a point. That show offends me, but campaigning to have it taken off the air and trying to make sure that other people don't watch it because it offends ME is ridiculous. I simply choose not to watch it!
If you are as sickened by this as I am and want to do something to help, please browse over to Laurie Halse Anderson's Blog at http://madwomanintheforest.com/ or click on the link under the blogs that I follow. The full story is there.
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