Ignorance abounds

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2002-09-23 05:25pm

A list of challenged/banned books from the 90's

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top100bannedbooks.html

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-09-23 05:27pm

My favorites are when they attack To Kill a Mockingbird for being a racist book. I always feel like asking them if they were reading the same book as the rest of the planet, or if they even read it or just got the summary from their kids and Cliff Notes.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2002-09-23 05:34pm

IT HAD WHERES WALDO ON THE DANG LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shows how this country takes ANYTHING as offensive. I mean, there are Mark Twain classics on that list. I dont want to be kicked off the board for saying what i think about people who think that classics like that and To Kill A Mockingbird are racist. I mean, cmon, its the way that it was when those books were written.

Straha · Post by **Straha** » 2002-09-23 05:34pm

Why is where's waldo on the list?

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2002-09-23 07:21pm

Whoever thinks "To Kill a Mockingbird" is racist has their head seriousily up their ass. That book is so anti racism it should be applauded. (and it has) As to Mark Twain, his books (such as Huckleberry Finn and Puddin'head Wilson) are very anti- slavery. (this form when slavery was still a reality) What are these people's problem?

P.S. To my knowledge, Harper Lee is still alive. Ms. Lee, if by some remote chance you're reading this, I like to thank you for your contributions to this society. May your work live on forever, or at least longer that the assholes who baselessly critize it.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2002-09-23 07:54pm

All the books were challenged by the same rabid fundies. If it doesn't shove Jesus down your throat, it's evil. If the main character isn't a Christian, it's evil. If these book-burning fundies want a book, here's one:

It contains and condones , depicts bigotry and hypocrisy. Yet, it's available in many schools. It's called "the Bible".

As for "Where's Waldo" being challenged, it probably showed one scene in caveman times, which is "Un-Young-Earth Creationist".

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-09-23 07:56pm

The problem today is people are overly sensitive to perceived insults.

Huck Fin gets criticized because the word "nigger" is in there, even though the word is commonly used among blacks themselves.

I dont see how you can feel "To Kill a Mockingbird" is racist. I kinda scratch my head on that one.

RayCav of ASVS · Post by **RayCav of ASVS** » 2002-09-23 07:57pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Whoever thinks "To Kill a Mockingbird" is racist has their head seriousily up their ass. That book is so anti racism it should be applauded. (and it has) As to Mark Twain, his books (such as Huckleberry Finn and Puddin'head Wilson) are very anti- slavery. (this form when slavery was still a reality) What are these people's problem?

P.S. To my knowledge, Harper Lee is still alive. Ms. Lee, if by some remote chance you're reading this, I like to thank you for your contributions to this society. May your work live on forever, or at least longer that the assholes who baselessly critize it.

Ms. Lee, if by chance you're reading this, I want you TO BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF THE FUCKERS WHO BANNED THESE BOOKS IN THE FIRST PLACE

She's rumored to be writing a new book, BTW. It's rumored to be a murder suspense thriller.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-09-23 08:07pm

Some morons just need to be shot..

Shadow WarChief · Post by **Shadow WarChief** » 2002-09-23 08:07pm

Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine

What the fuck? Are they worried that kids would think it's too scary!? When I read them as a kid, I didn't find them scary at all. I read them as fantasy, not as horror.

Fucking idiots

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Gee I wonder why someone would want to ban that?

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

What the hell?

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2002-09-23 09:23pm

Huck Finn got banned in some school boards where I live when I was going through high school. It was officially dropped off the "teach list" in my board, but some teachers taught it anyways, thank god not everyone was insane yet. I've read the book and done reports on it, and I have no clue where the dumbasses get the slavery/racist angle from.

And now I've read that they're banning Harry Potter books from school libraries because they have referances to magic and stuff like that, and are considered "evil" by religious groups. WTF? I can see why you probably don't want porn, Soldier of Fortune or Hitman(a detailed intruction guide on being a pro hitman) in a school library, but things are getting damn ridiculous. Somewhat related to this, Indigo book stores don't carry SoF, or any guns, knives, or weapons magazines, and their selection of martial arts publications is quite limited. Fuck'em that's why Chapters gets my money, they carry all the stuff I like. I can get all the "violent weapons" stuff there that I ever want.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2002-09-23 09:25pm

Wonder when they will ban Beowulf and the JRR Tolkien Books...

Hey, im a religious christian person and I dont think that there is anythign wrong with the Tolkien books. They promote very good ideas and christian values. And it makes me REALLY mad when a bookstore stops carrying Guns and Ammo and Outdoor Life. I mean, they are both great magazines, and Outdoor Life has consistently had very good examples of literature printed in its pages. GRRRRR, Political Correctness makes me incredibly MADDDD!!!!!!!

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2002-09-23 10:14pm

Shadow WarChief wrote: The Witches by Roald Dahl

Gee I wonder why someone would want to ban that?

For the same reason that the christnuts attack Harry Potter: 'paganism, witchcraft and satanism.'

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-09-24 12:26am

I thought Tolkien was a Christian. If so his books probably won't get banned, if it's a bunch of Christians running that thing.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2002-09-24 12:34am

Master of Ossus wrote:My favorites are when they attack To Kill a Mockingbird for being a racist book. I always feel like asking them if they were reading the same book as the rest of the planet, or if they even read it or just got the summary from their kids and Cliff Notes.

Heh, I'm just old enough that they didn't ban that book when I was going through middle school. Granted I thought it was a very dull read, but that's another story.

And on the matter of bannable books: The Odessey by Homer. Now that was great reading!

Azeron · Post by **Azeron** » 2002-09-24 12:35am

I was giving a detention for bringing huckleberryfin as my reading material for free reading in the 5th grade. I didn;t know much about slavery and such at that age, but it really woke me up to the way they treated balck people. I later learned that it was Samuel Clemens diatribe against slavery.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-09-24 12:42am

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

What the fuck! What could there possibly be to ban in that?

Wonder when they will ban Beowulf and the JRR Tolkien Books

Beowulf is too old for them to ban, plus it has a few christian mentions. And don't mention Tolkien in that context. It may give the lurking fundies an idea.

As for Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird, I had to read both of them for class. Both are pretty good books. Probably banned because it portrays Southern Racist fundies as Southern Racist Fundies. Simple as that.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-09-24 12:44am

neoolong wrote:I thought Tolkien was a Christian. If so his books probably won't get banned, if it's a bunch of Christians running that thing.

He was devoutly Christian, as was his friend who wrote the Narnia childrens series.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-09-24 12:51am

In 1999-2000 "419 [books]... “promoting a religious viewpoint.” (up 22 since 1999) " were challenged. I wonder if this included the Bible.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2002-09-24 12:53am

NF_Utvol wrote:Wonder when they will ban Beowulf and the JRR Tolkien Books...

Hey, im a religious christian person and I dont think that there is anythign wrong with the Tolkien books. They promote very good ideas and christian values. And it makes me REALLY mad when a bookstore stops carrying Guns and Ammo and Outdoor Life. I mean, they are both great magazines, and Outdoor Life has consistently had very good examples of literature printed in its pages. GRRRRR, Political Correctness makes me incredibly MADDDD!!!!!!!

I find it truely Ironic and stupid that various fundie groups threaten to Ban C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien. Don't they realize that both writers were very, very good and honest Christians (Not like those who are insecure enough to try banning them) even better, They definatly have never read the actual books.

Also for ironic, Last Temptation of Christ, that actually is in the bible,

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-09-24 12:54am

Other incessently banned books (though, admittedly, with slightly more rational reasons) include: Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse 5.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2002-09-24 01:00am

Any one notcie that several of the stories on that list deal directly with the Triumph of the Human Spirit over Racism, and other forms of Hatred?

Suprised that "The Power of One" didn't make the list

Not suprised that they were against "A Handmaid's Tale" anything that paints their idea of a perfect world in a bad light has to be the work of the devil.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-09-24 02:10am

Yes, and What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters and What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras, must be banned because we don't want our kids to grow up to be responsible well-adjusted young people. Dumbasses.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2002-09-24 02:22am

I was suprised at how many of them I've read, mostly when I was in Grade School or Middle School.

The only one that made sense on that list was The Anarchists Cookbook. It will quickly teach you how to make a Molotov Cocktail and other "fun" things. Not that you couldn't find the stuff on the internet but this book got a little too popular for it's own good in the early 90's.

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2002-09-24 02:36am

JRR Tolkien Good grief *sighs*Dont thoise folks get that the Lord of the Rings was a stab at England and France for not being ready to fight Germany?