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 Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:45 am
I mentioned book burning in my other thread so NOW! BOOK BURNING Is book burning a good idea? Is book burning a bad idea? Why? What books would you burn? Would you burn just books you hate? Or would you want everyone to burn them? Have you actually burned any books for a point, reason, stance or fun?
This leads to ...dun dun dun... censorship! Should books be censored by authority (national governments, local city governments, schools, parents, church, individuals)? Why or why not?
Now, usually I'm against book burnings and banning books. I think I have burned a book or two at some point for fun but can't remember anytime I did specifically. I'm torn between wanting to burn all the crappy books that aren't worth the paper they're printed on and keeping everything ever written like a huge library of writing history. Many books now days just suck and seem to be written to just make more money. To burn them or not to burn them? I can't decide. I just want better quality of writing and stories! If I have to burn a couple of books to get it I might very well do it in protest of the crap clogging best sellers lists.
As for censorship, I do not believe in a nationwide ban of a book or a citywide ban. Government libraries and high school libraries should not ban books (except pornographic stuff. Let people get that online or at the XXX store). Kids in high school should be able to get books easily so they learn and feed that knowledge snake. Now, I'll allow that non-high school libraries can ban books since they're catering to a much younger group. If for some reason one of those kids wants to get an older book they can get their parents to ask the library to have it sent over from another library or take the kiddo to a regular library or the high school library.
I believe it's the PARENTS' choice overall to OK what their kids read, not any government or school, but parents should realize that reading is for learning, broadening horizons, stimulation and entertainment. This means parents need to be understanding and not limit their kids' reading too much. Bad words do not make a book horribly bad for children and just because they're reading the Communist Manifesto doesn't mean they're going to become horrible communists.
And, of course, when kids hit 18 and become adults they should be able to read whatever they want.
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:33 am
As I said in the other thread, I am absolutely opposed to book burning on principle. If you burn a lousy piece of fluff today, someone's burning Shakespeare tomorrow.
That said, I don't think the government needs to enact laws about such a thing. If some jackass wants to buy a thousand copies of his least favorite book and have a bonfire, he can go ahead. Just so long as he doesn't expect me to bring the beer and chips, even if it's also my least favorite book.
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:51 am
The only time some one should burn a book is if they need a fire and it is the only thing to burn.
As far as censorship goes only the young, immature readers should be censored. I just don't like the idea of kids reading stuff they are old enough to process or handle, it might give them a distaste for reading.
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 8:44 am
I am going to have to agree with clovereffect on this one. Books represent too much knowledge (yes, even with the Interwebs) and should not be burned. While novels aren't necessary, I think they are insiteful to the way people thought/felt at the time and are invaluable to any culture.
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Vogue Muffin___x Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:31 am
Oh book burning is an excellent idea, gets rid of the frustration if you just simply burn the book you hate.
I would burn 1984 by George Orwell. No one should have to suffer that. It was recommended to me by a friend, so I didn't even have to read it, and I still hated it. That would go on the fire.
Not that I would ever actually get to the point of throwing it in the fire, but it's a nice mental image. I'm not too much of an arsonist.
And I completely agree with you, it's the parents' choice on what their kids read, not the government, school or local council. Obviously I agree with the pornography thing, that should be gotten off the internet, and I think the parents should really consider letting their kids see that razz
But as for novels. That shouldn't be for the governing bodies to decide.
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:41 pm
If an individual want to burn a book they should be able to. It shouldn't ever go as far as Fahrenheit 451. There shouldn't be government sanctioned book burning or censorship at all, it's wrong. But if I really hated a book enough to want to torch it I should be able to. It's another expression of beliefs.
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:05 pm
You'd burn 1984? D:
I'd pull it from the raging fire and save it!
I'm against the burning of any book. If you own it and don't want/like it either give it to someone who does want it or sell it to a used bookstore. Though I admit that I did burn a book that I loathed back in high school at a bonfire: The Old Man and the Sea. Er, in my defense I was never going to read it again and I'd marked and scribbled all over it to the point that I really doubt anyone else would have wanted it or been able to read it. >.>
As for censorship it should be up to the individual, or to a minor's parents, to decide what they want to read or to not read. I understand not putting sex/violence/language heavy books in say an elementary school library, but from high school on people should be mature enough to handle the books or decide on their own not to read them. Just because a few nutters in the community don't want to read a book because of whatever ridiculous reason they have for wanting to ban it, doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to go down to the public library and read it. Most of the time the reasons people are trying to get things banned are absurd anyways. I mean, banning a book for it's language in a high school? If these people are worried about that they should take a listen to some of the language you hear in the halls of a high school. It's ridiculous that people would try and ban classics from the classroom because of reasons like that.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:15 pm
Ouch. I liked both The Old Man and the Sea, and 1984. I was thinking only of burning as a form of censorship when I first posted, not a statement of personal dislike.
I still think it's pretty freaking stupid, though.
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:50 am
I would burn Fahrenheit 491 just for the irony it would symbolize.
I do agree, book burning should not be done except in the most extreme circumstances.
However, there was a good joke in an anime called Nadesico I enjoy.
'Using Shakespeare's Tempest to boil a teapot is trouble brewing!'
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:15 pm
I'm opposed to both book burning and censorship in general, on principal. These people have put their hearts and souls into these books, and worked for multiple hours and sometimes even years, on them. Even if we don't agree with what they say, we should not, for any reason, burn them.Book burning forces people to only see your view of things, and not be able to make up their own mind. It also encourages ignorance and fear, which in turn breeds intolerance of people who look, act, or think differently from us.
There is a reason that in the book Fahrenheit 452, they use book burning as a tool of controlling the people. Without books, the government can easily control people and morph them into anything that they want people to be. Without books, people become ignorant and uncaring about the rest of the world. Oh, and books that are on any "Banned Book List," are usually the most intelligent, creative, best written and newest ideas. People only ban them because they fear that people will go against them if they read them.
By the way, I also would save 1984! It's a freaking amazing book.
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Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:45 am
I wouldn't want to burn any books thats just wrong. Only because people put in a lot of hard work to create them and ur wasting paper. Also I would rather sell the books I didn't really care for because at least somebody else can enjoy them if they like that stuff.
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:29 pm
We-ell... I'm on the fence on the subject. Certain things I've read in the past I don't think ever should have seen the light of day, and sometimes I do want to take all the copies and burn them to nothingness. But I have never actually burned a book in my life. Its one of those things I want to do when I'm angry. You know, make fire rain from the skies, burn all the copies of Harry Potter and Twilight books, cause the oceans to slosh and eat port cities... I'd never do any of it, but sometimes I wish I could without repercussions. Wishful thinking, and kind of mean, but it helps me get my anger out faster to think of these things. Call it stress relief.
As for censorship, I don't agree with censorship being in the governments hands at all. Someone else said it lies with the parents, and I think it should completely. I was reading Stephen King at 8, but that's because my mother knew I was already mature enough to understand, and if I didn't, she knew I would ask. But other peoples parents these days don't pay that much attention to their children, and often let them run wild. I may have had a lot of freedoms, but I know what my boundaries were, and for the most part I was a good kid. My parents and I are still close, I was just there for dinner tonight.
When you put the responsibility of raising your kids on other people, they will not grow up with the right moral values, and in some cases, end up in and out of jail, like some of my friends have been. It pains me to see it, but it happens. When you don't act as censor for your child, and you let them see or read something that they aren't mature enough to understand, bad things happen. You have to know your child, and know what they can and cannot handle. Filter accordingly.
But I do agree with Glory that there are a lot of bad books coming out lately, and its just getting worse as time goes. Its to the point where writers like myself, who write because it's who we are to tell stories like that, have a very hard time getting recognition and getting published by major publishing companies. On the plus time, it does give us more time to make changes to our stories, revise them, go over them, and make sure there are no mistakes. But it's still a major downer.
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:48 pm
I think that people should be allowed to do what they want with their books, but the government,school,etc has no right to regulate books in such a manner. Now some moderation is acceptable, elementary kids shouldn't be reading stuff like Nora Roberts. But its the parents who should decide what their kids read or don't read. Besides you give the ruling powers an inch and they take a mile.
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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:18 pm
Even thought books do hold a special place in my heart, who am I to proclaim what is right and what is wrong? Personally, I would never actually burn a book--nor any other kind of literary script.
But, if I were forced to, I'd burn Micah by Laurell K Hamilton. Such a waste.
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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:57 pm
I'm am opposed to burning anything, let alone books, hehe. Anyway, I don't see why you would burn every horrible book. Books are subjective to opinion, and everyone has one. I think it's a waste to burn something someone put love, care, and hardwork into. It's like burning a baby. Lordy, mental pictures I did not need! Hah, anyway you catch my drift. And to add to that, no, government should not have the authority to censor what people write about. They can't protect everyone. If someone gets offended by a book, I believe it is their own fault. Now, don't get me wrong if you read something and you don't know what you're getting yourself into, Hey, yelled and cuss all you want. But what I am saying is that if you pick up a book called, for example, "What the World is for the Whites," Then I thik you're an absolute idiot for not atleast guessing what it was about!
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