Oscar Wilde said, "The books that the world call immoral are the books that show the world its own shame." This statement has been true and continues to be true, today. Even now, in the present, books are being banned in areas of the United States, due to content that is considered "questionable" or "unsuitable," by a few people. This becomes reminiscent of the days of Nazi Germany where the burning of books, that promoted ideas and beliefs that opposed those of the Reich, was commonplace.
One book that has been banned in some areas of the country is Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. This book is a prime example of a book that shows the world its own shame, for it is set in the old South, when slavery was a way of life. The opposition arises to Huck's relationship with the runaway slave, Jim, and the frequent use of the "n" word throughout the book. However, this was a true period in history; do we truly wish to blot out history, even the worst periods? Twain depicted this period of time correctly. Is not historical accuracy something that makes a piece of fiction good? What must be kept in mind is that remembrance can prevent recurrence. Also, a great message of this book is the story of Huck and Jim's friendship that transcended the darkness and ignorance around them.
This is but one of several books, that has appeared on banned lists across the country. They have been banned by a few people, who've raised objection to the content of these books. But should this decisions be left up to a few people? Whether to read a book or not should be an individual choice. As for children's books, the decision should be made by each individual parent; a handful of parents should not decide for other people's children.
In the past several years, there have been campaigns to promote literacy in this country and to encourage our children to read, yet some would pull good books away from those who might read them. This is like pulling food back out of the mouths of the hungry that one is trying to feed.
Ironically, Mark Twain, himself, said, "The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." These words were almost prophetic, considering that he is among those whose books are now being banned. How true his words are! Books inspire the imagination and provoke thought. Banning books is to also ban these things, as well. If every book were to be banned that someone held an objection to, there would be no more books left to read.
Even in this computer age that we live in, there is still no greater pleasure to be had than to curl up in a comfortable chair with a good book. Yet, if some people were to have their way, this would become a dying art. After all, once a book has become banned, then it might just as well have been burnt.
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