As varied as “King Lear,” “Call of the Wild,” “Harry Potter,” “My Friend Flicka” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are from each other, the books all have one thing in common.
At some point in their history, they have been banned — some even burned — because there was something in them that someone deemed “objectionable.”
Add to that list: “The Odyssey,” “Paradise Lost,” “Gulliver’s Travels,” “Don Quixote” and “Gone With The Wind.” Frankly, we do give a damn.
We believe the availability of “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Arabian Nights” in a public library is a must. We can’t imagine growing up without reading “Little House on The Prairie,” or Dr. Seus’ “The Lorax.” But somewhere out there are people who have successfully challenged all of these books, keeping them out of public libraries and out of the hands of the children who visit those taxpayer-supported institutions.
The American Library Association and other groups, including us, believe it’s important that you know there are those out there who are challenging books. Today begins the observance of Banned Books Week, a celebration of titles that have been challenged or banned in public and school libraries across the country.
The observance celebrates “the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.”
If you want to know more about those books that others want you to know less about visit The Joplin Public Library. There you will find a a display of frequently challenged books as part of its observation of Banned Books Week.
The books available in your own home are your business. When it comes to telling others what they can and can’t read, we say “Mind your own business.”
Opinion
In Our View: Killing more than the mockingbird
- Opinion
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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Our View: Victims should come first
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