It’s Freedom to Read Week from February 22-28, 2009.
So often, books are censored or removed from bookshelves in libraries and schools because their content is deemed unsuitable for children or audiences in general. I remember reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” in school as a part of my curriculum; it’s now banned. Another childhood favourite, Huckleberry Finn, is considered racist, yet (to many scholars’ opinion) it was written against that.
We sometimes take for granted the freedoms we have available to us, whether it be net neutrality, free speech or the books that sit on our shelves. This week, I encourage you to be subversive; go to your nearest library and read a “challenged book,” if you can find one. Make Mark Twain proud:
I am always reading immoral books on the sly, and then selfishly trying to prevent other people from having the same wicked good time.
– Mark Twain (regarding banning of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the Denver Library)
I’m a webslinger located in Lethbridge, AB. I love all things nerdy, like cartoons and videogames, and am also a bit of a foodie. When I travel, I always keep my eyes out for hot springs and great places to adventure with my wife, Melissa.