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Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Tashmere Send a noteboard - 07/02/2010 11:52:02 PM


1. Are there any books that should ever be censored? If so, why? If so, which ones? Who should decide what books are censored and for whom?

2. Should any books be withheld from libraries in high schools? If so, why? If so, which ones? Who should decide what books are withheld?

3. Name five books (aside from religious works) that you think have had a massive impact on the world, and at least one that is frequently overlooked on lists of that sort.

4. Do you think any of the books you listed in point 3 should be read in schools as mandatory reading? Why or why not?

5. Name five books (aside from religious works) that you think SHOULD be mandatory reading in schools (or at least "on the curriculum" if you don't like the word "mandatory"), and why.

6. Do you think schools are too careful in choosing books due to pressure from those who would censor the curriculum? If so, which sorts of books do you feel are unjustly censored?

7. Do you think schools place too much emphasis on particular themes or ideas when choosing their curriculum? If so, which ones?

8. Are there any authors you would remove from school curricula who are presently well-represented? Why?

9. Are there any authors not represented that you would like to see added generally? Why?

10. Is there ONE book (aside from religious works) that you think EVERYONE should read? If so, what book and why?


1. Censored in general? No. Censorship is a double-edged sword. I wouldn't play with it. I don't think that anyone is responsible enough to handle wielding it. I wouldn't want to be where anyone was trying.

2. In highschool? That may be a little different but more for financial and liability purposes. Some books simply aren't worth buying for the libraries and other books would open the schools to lawsuits if they carried them and students happened to have used them before committing a crime on themselves or society. I don't think that books on how to commit suicide or build bombs with everyday household cleaners would be something schools should have on the shelves.

I will have to come back to this later. I have a headache that is getting worse by the minute.

I liked your questions, Tom. I had good arguements with myself yesterday while thinking about them.
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Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Tom - 05/02/2010 05:15:17 PM 1454 Views
Interesting post nossy - 05/02/2010 06:19:06 PM 970 Views
I agree. One Shakespeare is sufficient. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 06:42:51 AM 356 Views
Oh, fun! You mentioned the 语录 by Chairman Mao... Tom - 06/02/2010 06:35:21 PM 868 Views
Tough Subject, censorship LadyLorraine - 05/02/2010 07:24:39 PM 958 Views
I think I would be worried if a school had more than one copy of Mein Kampf Tom - 06/02/2010 06:30:08 PM 878 Views
I was mostly just using it as an example, since it was what the article talked about LadyLorraine - 06/02/2010 10:20:08 PM 917 Views
tough questions random thoughts - 05/02/2010 08:26:30 PM 934 Views
I never saw the humour in Dilbert... Tom - 06/02/2010 06:28:57 PM 954 Views
I actually ran into this in high school. Apsalar Shadowdancer - 05/02/2010 08:33:10 PM 1102 Views
I found that we covered a lot about American Indian issues in US History. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:23:16 PM 892 Views
we coverd most of those things as well Apsalar Shadowdancer - 06/02/2010 08:08:22 PM 1053 Views
Anyone interested in German history in particular and European history in general should read it. The Shrike - 05/02/2010 08:47:14 PM 1067 Views
I think jane austen and the brontes would be good to leave in LadyLorraine - 06/02/2010 03:44:10 AM 802 Views
They could read Pride & Prejudice & Zombies instead. *NM* The Shrike - 06/02/2010 04:03:34 PM 348 Views
They could. It'd be very educational. LadyLorraine - 06/02/2010 04:37:23 PM 727 Views
I read a great number of books I don't necesarily agree with, so I'm on your side. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:19:21 PM 898 Views
What about... Macharius - 18/02/2010 06:57:56 PM 1158 Views
Hmm. jh - 05/02/2010 09:11:13 PM 939 Views
It's interesting that many of the most influential books are hardly ever read. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:15:19 PM 875 Views
Love the survey. Legolas - 05/02/2010 09:42:29 PM 1054 Views
Interesting. Do you really think that Nineteen Eighty-Four is plausible? Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 10:13:56 AM 898 Views
It doesn't have to be plausible as a whole to be relevant. Legolas - 06/02/2010 08:28:20 PM 896 Views
I agree entirely Camilla - 06/02/2010 10:32:07 PM 986 Views
You raise an interesting point. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:06:20 PM 894 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Camilla - 05/02/2010 11:09:41 PM 1024 Views
Nietzsche as mandatory reading - that's a fun idea. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:00:29 PM 945 Views
Re: Nietzsche as mandatory reading - that's a fun idea. Camilla - 06/02/2010 06:03:59 PM 948 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. aria - 05/02/2010 11:47:08 PM 1019 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Camilla - 06/02/2010 12:11:06 AM 895 Views
I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla... Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 10:30:15 AM 1001 Views
Re: I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla... aria - 06/02/2010 12:25:37 PM 920 Views
I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below). Tom - 06/02/2010 05:54:50 PM 897 Views
Re: I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below). Camilla - 06/02/2010 06:05:48 PM 1005 Views
I don't think high school students need to discuss possibilities for staging. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:36:03 AM 841 Views
I think there is value to discussing staging LadyLorraine - 07/02/2010 01:52:47 AM 848 Views
nice post AgentOrange - 06/02/2010 01:27:23 AM 868 Views
Re: nice post AgentOrange - 06/02/2010 01:29:34 AM 878 Views
A lot of people think von Clausewitz is important. Tom - 06/02/2010 05:51:44 PM 806 Views
More than Sun Tzu? *NM* Legolas - 06/02/2010 08:31:44 PM 328 Views
Sun Zi was relatively unknown in the West until recently. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:30:06 AM 855 Views
Sure, but he could still have influenced world history by influencing Asia... *NM* Legolas - 07/02/2010 01:35:17 AM 361 Views
Doubtful. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:41:01 AM 873 Views
Tom, you did not just write that AgentOrange - 07/02/2010 10:12:40 AM 918 Views
The Mongols are not East Asian. They are Central Asian. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:06:19 PM 892 Views
Neat. Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 06:41:37 AM 1138 Views
Brave New World is an excellent choice. Tom - 06/02/2010 05:15:15 PM 827 Views
In many ways, books are like automobiles or power tools... Larry - 06/02/2010 11:08:01 AM 1036 Views
The interesting thing, to my mind, is that the BBC article talks about "Lebensraum". Tom - 06/02/2010 04:46:34 PM 871 Views
And nary a thing about Alois Hitler, no? Larry - 06/02/2010 05:52:50 PM 1075 Views
I have yet to see a literature teacher in schools teach history through literature. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:33:57 AM 888 Views
But yet I know several history teachers who have done this Larry - 07/02/2010 10:38:49 AM 986 Views
Viewing history through a literary prism is usually an injustice to the study of history. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:16:30 PM 952 Views
No, the opposite: viewing literature through historical lens is what I'm interested in Larry - 07/02/2010 03:31:04 PM 930 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Novo - 06/02/2010 01:44:07 PM 985 Views
I agree that Shakespeare is over-emphasised. Tom - 06/02/2010 04:29:16 PM 756 Views
Before responding to others, I'll post my own responses Tom - 06/02/2010 04:26:53 PM 1013 Views
Re: Before responding to others, I'll post my own responses Camilla - 06/02/2010 10:34:10 PM 835 Views
Hmm. Rebekah - 06/02/2010 11:33:02 PM 901 Views
New Zealand has culture? Tom - 07/02/2010 03:25:28 PM 1059 Views
Which book of his would you recommend ? AgentOrange - 09/02/2010 04:20:15 PM 847 Views
The Whale Rider is lovely. Rebekah - 10/02/2010 02:36:01 PM 770 Views
I will answer yiour survey but may I ask a question first? What did you think of Steinbeck? Tashmere - 07/02/2010 06:20:52 AM 847 Views
I hated Steinbeck, with the exception of Travels with Charley. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:22:11 PM 856 Views
The Grapes of Wrath was required in Sophomore English in HS. And I loved it. The Shrike - 07/02/2010 03:25:55 PM 934 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Tashmere - 07/02/2010 11:52:02 PM 950 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Mossman - 08/02/2010 03:14:24 AM 1120 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. rebelaessedai - 11/02/2010 10:58:23 PM 991 Views
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