Read Banned Books, It’s Good for You

I love that for this year’s banned book week I am in Florida. 

I’m proud to say that I love and read banned books. The below picture shows SOME of the banned books I own and have read. As a person who studied literature and history in college, I don’t believe that any book should be banned. The bad guys in history ban books. 

Many books are banned because people don’t like what the book stands for.  It has become clear to me that those who ban or call to ban books haven’t read the actual books they are talking about. How can you confidently call for the removal of a book that you have not read at all? And here is a secret: if you read things you don’t agree with, you are not going to die. I have read many books by political “leaders” that I don’t agree with and I am still standing. Currently I am reading J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy”. Am I reading it because I agree with Vance’s views? Absolutely not. But I want to really know what his views are on certain things so I am going right to the source. I still have a pulse so reading things I don’t agree with hasn’t killed me yet.

And don’t say that banning books protects kids. If you really want to protect kids you would ban assault weapons and call for gun reform. So spare me that argument. If you want to ban something start with assault weapons. 

We need books that talk about tough and ugly topics. Sure they are not fun to read or acknowledge but we can’t be ignorant. I want to try and not be ignorant. It’s a privilege to be able to learn about things and not experience them. 

But there is hope. People care. Even in Florida, a state with a reputation of banning books, there are people taking a stand. I saw a bookstore in the Orlando area that promoted reading banned books. People are standing up. 

So banning books is so 1984. I encourage you to not only read more banned books but to read a book with a view point you don’t agree with. I promise you it won’t kill you.