Sunday, September 21, 2008

Next Week is Banned Book Week

From The Nation:
As we commemorate Banned Books Week September 27-October 4, we are reminded of the many attempts to restrict our right to read. Over 400 challenges filed at schools and libraries were reported last year alone, most probably constituting a fraction of incidents nationwide. The culprits, whether public officials, private interests or "decency" groups, employ a variety of techniques to control free expression. Our best defense against these censors is the vigilance and activism of people concerned with protecting free expression. Those on the front lines of these battles have learned to arm themselves with sound policies and procedures that ensure a fair and transparent review process.

4 comments:

  1. As we approach the election, I am compelled to think about political free speech. Is it ok for anyone not directly employed by a campaign to flood the media with blatent lies and distortions? Sounds fine to me. The point of free speech is that society trusts its citizens to decide for themselves.

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  2. In some states, such as Ohio,it is actually illegal for those on the ballot to knowingly make false claims .

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  3. Speaking of, there is an event this Saturday where banned book authors (like Judy Blume) will be reading excerpts from their work. 12-4pm, 401 Michigan Ave. Free

    http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/oifprograms/bbwreadout/bbwreadout2008.cfm

    Sorry I can't figure out how to hyperlink-you'll have to cut and paste

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  4. To see a demonstration on how to use HTML tags in your posts, check this comment here: turns out this was a deadly one

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