Banned Books Week

It has come to my attention that this week is Banned Book Week, an event that stands up for the first amendment in our constitution. Lately a few key choice books have been targeted to be put up for ban. Just to list a few Laurie Anderson's Speak,Alice Walker's The Color Purple,and Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer There are several more books, that are up for ban however,these were the titles that caught my eye the most. Especially Speak which tells the story of a young girl, who has to cope with being raped. Associate collage professor of management at Missouri State University Wesley Scroggins wishes to ban the book,based on what he believes to be 'soft pornography.' My response is excuse my foul language here, but what the hell? Rape has nothing to do with feeling desire, its a sexual act against someone's will. How anyone can call it pornography is beyond me, to be incredibly blunt here. Pornography is something you watch to get your jollies off, and rape is not.

No one likes to hear about the sensitive subject, at the same time these girls never asked to be defiled in such a way. The fact of it is its not pretty, its not just but this is reality, and unfortunately it does happen. The world in return shouldn't turn its head to pretend it doesn't exist because the sad fact it does. If anything books that deal with the subject matter are there for a reason. To help rape victims and to bring attention to the public, that this isn't something that they should be ignore. Its not easy writing about such a topic, especially if the writer knows from experience what its like. Honestly what they must be reliving, as they spin the tale that they are writing, I couldn't begin to imagine what its like for them. Nevertheless these woman have survived as they do with each passing day. To relate porn and this book in the same sentence is like a slap in the face, for all those who have read this book and found hope. Speak is a book, like many it makes people face the part of reality that they'd rather not.

In some ways I understand a parent's decision not to allow their child to read a certain book. Why not simply tell them that they cannot read the certain book, instead of taking away from the other students who want to be informed? On the other hand I don't see why a parent, wouldn't want their children to know about the harsh ways of reality. That life isn't a bowel of ice cream with sprinkles on top, they can still be a kid and know what's out there. Anderson has my full support as do the other authors,who have had their books put up for ban for unjust reasons. Books are a freedom of expression, take that away and you might as well be breaking the first amendment that our forefathers fought for. No I have not read Speak, now I find myself compelled to do so. I will not allow the ignorant ways of a man, who puts rape with being something to get off on. To put a damper on what I read, reality is what it is and the people deserve a chance to read for themselves. Putting a ban on a book, just because you don't wish to accept something, doesn't mean that what the story is about will disappear from the world.

In this way the world is naive thinking that, if you just ban something then it wont be true. On a closing note I'd just like to say, stand up and speak out for books that have been wrongly banned! Blog, write letters, tweet, anything to get the message across! I'll be speaking up and I hope those who read this blog will be too.