Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Yes, that's very much my view, too, which is why I think it's unwise to make a blanket statement that "banning books is always bad". I think myself that to prohibit the publication of books which openly advocate "hate crimes" is entirely justifyable.
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On the contrary, banning such books does not ban the concept of hatred for ludicrous reasons. Permitting such books to be published opens the door for counter arguments, encourages the open discussion of such silly ideas as "because they are different they must be...". Shining a light in these dark corners of the human condition is far more useful and powerful than futile attempts at suppressing them. These dark concepts live in the shadows, handed down from generation to generation, person to person in isolation, exposure to the light of reason and frank discussion destroys them.
And where do you stop? Current Western thinking has many blind spots, areas where it is taboo to write or discuss, these taboo areas change with the tide of societal thinking, religions, and media frenzy. The first thing that any one under suspicion faces now is the accusation of "terrorism" or, even more foggily, "supporting terrorism". America has given up precious freedoms to counter "terrorism" but the term is poorly defined legally and open to abuse. Should we ban all books about Muslim Fundamentalism? Should Islamic states ban all books on Christian Fundamentalism? Where will that lead?
You are trying to draw a line in shifting sands with the sands moving under you and you are more likely to error on the side of evil than on the side of good. You have read many fiction books from the '20 and '30 and seen the overt sexism and racism in them. Does banning these books change our society now? Would banning them back then changed that society then?
