Censorship is a slippery slope. We all have different beliefs, moral compasses, and fears. And fear is where censorship lives and thrives. Books and other materials are being challenges every day in the United States. Most of these challenges are unreported because it starts as innocently as a concerned parent whispering to the librarian that a certain book should not be available.
From the ALA:
Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons — individuals, groups, or government officials — find objectionable or dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, “Don’t let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it!” Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove information they judge inappropriate or dangerous from public access, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone.
Read, People! Read!!
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