Banned Books assignment by Gregory Robinson

10032130 — 2024-03-10 20:57:34 UTC

10032130 — 2024-03-10 20:57:44 UTC

A short description

10032130 — 2024-03-10 22:57:36 UTC

Gender Queer became controversial for a multitude of reasons, with the most prominent being the sexual content on display and the LGBT themes. Parents, Politicians, and LGBT activists effectively went to war over this book, and the end result was the book being banned from several different schools and libraries. This created fires that conservative media outlets attempted to stoke against LGBT groups, turning attempts by concerned parents to remove a book into a struggle against the "woke liberals." It was an ugly struggle, and regrettably, it continues to this day.

and the arguments?

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:08:53 UTC

Arguments for and against this book are quite similar to those brought up for and against LGBT literature and ideas as a whole. Parents and conservative groups argue for banning it on the ground of the themes and language being displayed and how they can "corrupt their innocent children." This ban can also extend to all LGBT and non-binary books as a whole, regardless of if they display inappropriate content. As a result, those who seek to keep the book unbanned are on the defensive, and they spend more time warding off arguments from the other side instead of making their own.

why do these arguments happen?

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:16:17 UTC

While those in favor of banning this book will try to sell you this nice, long sob story of how a book with LGBT themes will corrupt their children and turn them into lazy porn addicts, the truth of the matter is that those people are offended by LGBT themes, and are too self-righteous to admit it. It's something you see all the time with conservative media, with some firebrand spitting out attack after attack at something they don't like without providing any semblance of a reason or justification for doing so. The fact that they ignore protections granted by the 1st amendment does not help matters, and their arguments are ultimately toothless.

Personal thoughts?

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:21:10 UTC

Ultimately, while I can understand how some of the parents feel with wanting to ban the book, the fiery reactions and attempts at a full blanket ban by the conservatives have left them in the wrong. You cannot use a single book to justify banning an entire genre, even if it is something you deeply disagree with. It is not something that anyone likes to admit, but it is the truth of the matter. A deeply uncomfortable truth, but a truth regardless.

What's the argument.

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:29:25 UTC

The Bluest Eye is a strange book, but that does help to explain why it is so controversial. Set in the early 1940's and exploring themes like racial inequality, the attempts to ban the book have not come from the racial themes, but from the topics of child molestation and incest (gross) that are present in the book. It is not very hard to see why people want this book banned, especially with those last two topics. Parents are the main force behind the attempts at banning, and interestingly enough, the media has been neutral on the book. No conservative firebrands here.

Why ban it?

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:35:55 UTC

The reasons brought up in the earlier section in favor of banning the book apply here as well, but those in defense are worth noting as well. Surprisingly, both those in favor of and against banning are parents, along with students. Arguments have been made that banning the book would render a deeper look and study of society beyond what we know impossible, and while some of those topics can be repulsive, they are still worth learning about, especially those with an interest in human behavior and emotions. It's an interesting argument, and one that has prevented the book from being banned from schools several times.

what's the reasoning?

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:44:58 UTC

It's just like with Gender Queer. Socially conservative people can make all the arguments they want about "protecting the children" but it does not disguise the fact that they do not like a book, and want it banned. It's ultimately a petty argument that, while a bit more understandable given the topics shown in the book, falls apart under a closer look, and students and parents alike have been able to stop attempts to ban the book. It is not something everyone is comfortable with reading, but it should be available to read for any aspiring student.

personal conclusions

10032130 — 2024-03-10 23:50:40 UTC

Just like with my thoughts regarding Gender Queer, the people trying to ban it are in the wrong. Regardless of what they go on and on about, their reasons are ultimately petty, and their arguments fall flat on their faces when thought it put into analyzing and deconstructing them. Regrettably, this is quite common with conservative thoughts on LGBT literature and themes as a whole. No thoughts, no purpose, just anger on their minds and fire in their bellies. I find it more depressing than anything, but alas, such is literature.