American Psycho

Reading Literature can be one of the most rewarding things to do. It can transport you to another world or time, it can place new ideas in your head, or it can change the way you feel about certain issues. Yet, in America, the land of the free, a place where you’re meant to be able to believe and say what you like, they are trying to stop children from reading some of the greatest works of Literature, oh and Twilight. As shown here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11417672 some parents believe that the Literature some children read is unsuitable, and shouldn’t be on offer at Schools.

Yes, some of these books (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2010/sep/24/censorship-libraries top 10) may contain material which some may find offensive, be it sexual content or racist language. But, the key thing these parents are missing is that the books aren’t scriptures, they aren’t telling your children to go out and have sex, or to go out and join the local Tea Party or the KKK. In fact, many of the books contain Anti-racist sentiments, “To Kill A Mocking Bird” and “Catcher in the Rye” spring to mind. Even Twilight, which has “sexually explicit material”, has the message of waiting until you are really in love, and that you are 100% sure you want to have sex with someone; admitally this message of waiting is to do with deciding between a Werewolf or a sparkly Vampire, but the point is still there. Okay yes, one of the books deserves to be on the list, not because it contains explicit material not suitable for children, but because it is written totally in text speak, which come on, is just bloody annoying. Often the books contain material which some may see as offensive in order to give off an important message to children, giving them the idea of true values, and letting the children decide on issues.

Let us not forget that this is the age of the internet, where anyone can go and find explicit material, regardless of how old they are. If they’re banning Literature because it contains material “some” may find offensive, then surely they should be banning the internet, and not allowing their children online? Also, I wonder how many of these parents “just looking out for their children”, read and take values from the Bible. The same Bible which some find to be anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-pretty much anything someone wants it to be. If someone is banning a book about two male penguins because they decide to look after an orphaned baby, then surely the Bible, in which the city of Sodom was destroyed, should be banned as well. Oh, it doesn’t work like that does it?

God Bless America, Land of the Free.