Saturday, June 13, 2009
Post 4 I'm embarrassed for these people!
OMG! Really sums this article up. This article by Alison Flood http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/12/christian-group-sues-burn-gay-teen-novel discusses a Christian group that is sueing the city library because the "sexually explicit" teen book "Baby Be-Bop" by Francesca Lia Block. The claim states the Christians were emotional tramatized by this book and has asked the judge to grant them permission the publicly BURN the book along with 120, 000 dollars for emotional damages, of course. Can you believe this? They said the book makes fun of Christians and being exposed can damage you and "put one's life in possible jeopardy, adults and children alike." They actually said this. You would think this book is SATAN'S Bible or something. The city is willing to fight it, of course, but how troubling. There really is an entire group of people challanging this book saying their lives are at stake if it remians avaliable. This really embarrasses me as a Christian. There is nothing Christ like about thier behaivor and they are really making a mockery of all Christians. They are making Christians look ignorant and full of hate. I completely disagree with thier actions an believe in intellectual freedom for everyone. I think this case really challanges our freedom. Why do they want to burn it? What will that do? Burning one book will not rid the nation of this book. What are they thinking? I think it is a bit theatrical and just way too much. I would bann these people from the library, what a joke. They are really getting people to read the book though, so I guess that is positive.
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The article mentions that all of the plaintiffs were elderly. I wonder what aimed them in the direction of a YA novel? It makes me think that maybe they were made aware of the book by a third party who facilitated the challenge. I also wonder what the youth of the community would say about the book? I am in another course that really goes hand in hand with this seminar and one of the things that came up was for us, as librarians, to consider the potential users as well as the current users in selecting materials for the shelves. Even though these kids might not have a voice in this, shouldn't it be our responsibility to address their reading needs as well?
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is rather horrifying. The day I began my blog for this class I put up a quote which sums up my views on book burning: Heinrich Heine once wrote that "Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen." This translates to "That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they ultimately burn people."
ReplyDeletePeople can be very close-minded sometimes, and it scares me because they often don't even realize it. Did you see Anna's blog post this week with the YouTube clips? I recommend the top one, in particular -- a library professor making a very similar point to Heine's on book burning/banning. We don't want what happened in Nazi Germany to happen in our own libraries here, do we?
Sadly, this library is the West Bend library in Wisconsin that just fought two parents to keep almost 82 books on their shelves. I read this article on ALA and they also want the mayor replaced as well. I am really not sure why the mayor has anything to do with collection development. Do they not realize that if a book is removed because it is anti-Christian that the Bible could be removed for being anti-Satanic? I hope they know what they are doing (giving Christians a bad name) and not acting out of ignorance. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You do not have to read the book. It's like the first fight with West-Ben has drawn attention, so now everyone needs to find something to pick on this poor library. If I was the judge that was presented with this case, I would laugh and send them home.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteBefore I sent them home I would make them pay the library's legal fees for forcing them to defend such a frivolous lawsuit.
That they actually want to burn the book really indicates this protest is just meant to gain attention. I looked up the book Baby Be-Bop in Amazon, and there are 14 reviews for it, and almost all positive. This comment kind of sums up how people feel: "I love Baby Be Bop because it beautifully confronts a subject that most people are afraid to touch." Users indicated that is was a beautiful story that even made them cry. The subject matter might be homosexuality, but readers don't seem to find it obscene.
ReplyDeleteI feel so supported to be in a community of like-minded library school students! This situation reminds me that the greater world is not always in consideration of the rights of everyone, nor in agreement with my immediate peers. It is a good self-check to get beyond my own circle of thought!
ReplyDeleteI feel so, so much for our young gay patrons. I feel good that we have the opportunity as librarians to stand up for their rights to read publicly, but pained that their sexuality has to be protested so strongly. I also get hopeful that we are reaching a tipping point as a culture on not only GLBTQ literature, but the bigger picture of intellectual freedom and how confronting our most challenging realities by facing them will only make us stronger.
When I see groups going backwards to tactics used in the past, I have to wonder about their own mental welfare. How hard would it be to live in this world if your frame of mind led you to want to ban these books? We live in strange times, my friends.
I think in the UK the loser automatically has to pay the legal fees...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I read this and thought hmm... "what a new tactic! Try to hide your ignorance and true hatred of others by trying to portray yourself as the victim!" This is a totally crazy story, and if I were the judge I would give them a firm tongue lashing for wasting everyone's time and for trying to use the legal system to further their own ignorant agendas.
I think you hit the nail right on the head Emily when you noted that the theatrics of this group would only make people want to read the book even more.
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to want the book removed, it's another to burn it. The article mentions Fahrenheit 451 - I think that novel is a must read for every librarian and English teacher on Earth. That's how strongly I feel about it. Considering when Bradbury wrote it, he was remarkably right on.
Wow. I knew people could act ridiculous, but sometimes I wonder do they even think? How a book could possibly cause the "damage" they stated is ridiculous. No one told them to read the book. That was a choice they made. There is a reason that book jackets have summaries on them. Just when I think that progress is being made I hear about people like this. At least, there is a silver lining in this dark cloud. People who would never have heard of the book will now seek it out in order to find out what all the fuss is about and it will be read even more!
ReplyDeleteMy biggest pet pieve is religious groups!! Stay in your church! I respect your right to believe what ever you want but you can't push your beliefs on others. And you are all correct in saying that the book is receiving publicity. And as they say, any publicity is good publicity.
ReplyDeleteOk, I actually just read this book. It is so not a big deal. The "nigger" reference was used in a thought. He was thinking of something his father had said and his dad said the word. I think the issue is really due to homosexuality content. The book is really quite appopraite.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand what burning a book would do-you hate it so much so you have to watch it burn? How about you just don't read it. How is their life at stake?
ReplyDeleteI love reading why books are banned from libraries because after reading the books I have to think of the spot where people would see the negativity. I read
The Earth, my Butt, and other Big, Round Things which was banned in a few school libraries and one of the reasons was and if a common argument is it is anti-family. I sat trying to figure out how it was this.
Thank you, now I'm interested in reading this book. How did they come up with that amount too?