The Marshfield School Board voted last night to
take under advisement a proposal from parents to ban about a dozen books from
area high school libraries. The controversial topic, proposed by Parents for the
Christian Way, was debated in a public comment session for over an hour. The
Parents for Christian Way group presented a petition with 5,000 signatures
supporting the ban of such books as “Catcher in the Rye,” and “The Color
Purple.” Group President Grace Shanker defended the ban. “These books are filled
with filth, depravity, and godlessness,” Shanker stated. In opposition Sarah
Vopart, an English teacher at Centerville State College called these books
“classics” and the attempt to ban them a “disgrace.” “This religious group might
have you believe otherwise,” Vopart said, “but censorship is not the American
way.”
The United States has a long history of attempting to ban books that are
considered morally incompatible to our culture or indecent. Thomas Paine’s “The
Right’s of Man,” a work in defense of the American Revolution was proscribed by
the British Empire and Paine was later tried for treason. Today the American
Library Association (ALA) publishes the Top 100 list of books frequently banned
or challenged. Famous titles in the 2003 list include: “The Chocolate War” (#4),
“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (#5) and “Harry Potter” (#7). The ALA annually
celebrates the Banned Books Week during the last week in September when it
encourages people to enjoy the freedom to choose. The Oct. 2001 edition of
“Education Reporter,” a conservative newspaper published by Eagle Forum, says
Banned Books Week is not about banning books. “It's about vilifying parents who
raise questions about reading materials assigned in schools or available in
school libraries that contain violence, obscenity, or are not age appropriate,”
states the online columnist.