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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 1605 Views
Interesting post nossy - 05/02/2010 06:19:06 PM 1119 Views
I agree. One Shakespeare is sufficient. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 06:42:51 AM 425 Views
Oh, fun! You mentioned the 语录 by Chairman Mao... Tom - 06/02/2010 06:35:21 PM 996 Views
Tough Subject, censorship LadyLorraine - 05/02/2010 07:24:39 PM 1122 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 1016 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 1055 Views
tough questions random thoughts - 05/02/2010 08:26:30 PM 1074 Views
I never saw the humour in Dilbert... Tom - 06/02/2010 06:28:57 PM 1114 Views
I actually ran into this in high school. Apsalar Shadowdancer - 05/02/2010 08:33:10 PM 1266 Views
I found that we covered a lot about American Indian issues in US History. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:23:16 PM 1031 Views
we coverd most of those things as well Apsalar Shadowdancer - 06/02/2010 08:08:22 PM 1250 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 1228 Views
I think jane austen and the brontes would be good to leave in LadyLorraine - 06/02/2010 03:44:10 AM 939 Views
They could read Pride & Prejudice & Zombies instead. *NM* The Shrike - 06/02/2010 04:03:34 PM 427 Views
They could. It'd be very educational. LadyLorraine - 06/02/2010 04:37:23 PM 860 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 1040 Views
What about... Macharius - 18/02/2010 06:57:56 PM 1296 Views
Hmm. jh - 05/02/2010 09:11:13 PM 1079 Views
It's interesting that many of the most influential books are hardly ever read. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:15:19 PM 1019 Views
Love the survey. Legolas - 05/02/2010 09:42:29 PM 1234 Views
Interesting. Do you really think that Nineteen Eighty-Four is plausible? Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 10:13:56 AM 1042 Views
It doesn't have to be plausible as a whole to be relevant. Legolas - 06/02/2010 08:28:20 PM 1034 Views
I agree entirely Camilla - 06/02/2010 10:32:07 PM 1121 Views
You raise an interesting point. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:06:20 PM 1033 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Camilla - 05/02/2010 11:09:41 PM 1208 Views
Nietzsche as mandatory reading - that's a fun idea. Tom - 06/02/2010 06:00:29 PM 1078 Views
Re: Nietzsche as mandatory reading - that's a fun idea. Camilla - 06/02/2010 06:03:59 PM 1092 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. aria - 05/02/2010 11:47:08 PM 1174 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Camilla - 06/02/2010 12:11:06 AM 1046 Views
I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla... Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 10:30:15 AM 1151 Views
Re: I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla... aria - 06/02/2010 12:25:37 PM 1064 Views
I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below). Tom - 06/02/2010 05:54:50 PM 1035 Views
Re: I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below). Camilla - 06/02/2010 06:05:48 PM 1152 Views
I don't think high school students need to discuss possibilities for staging. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:36:03 AM 976 Views
I think there is value to discussing staging LadyLorraine - 07/02/2010 01:52:47 AM 972 Views
nice post AgentOrange - 06/02/2010 01:27:23 AM 1020 Views
Re: nice post AgentOrange - 06/02/2010 01:29:34 AM 1025 Views
A lot of people think von Clausewitz is important. Tom - 06/02/2010 05:51:44 PM 943 Views
More than Sun Tzu? *NM* Legolas - 06/02/2010 08:31:44 PM 398 Views
Sun Zi was relatively unknown in the West until recently. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:30:06 AM 989 Views
Sure, but he could still have influenced world history by influencing Asia... *NM* Legolas - 07/02/2010 01:35:17 AM 426 Views
Doubtful. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:41:01 AM 1033 Views
Tom, you did not just write that AgentOrange - 07/02/2010 10:12:40 AM 1059 Views
The Mongols are not East Asian. They are Central Asian. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:06:19 PM 1070 Views
Neat. Ghavrel - 06/02/2010 06:41:37 AM 1283 Views
Brave New World is an excellent choice. Tom - 06/02/2010 05:15:15 PM 959 Views
In many ways, books are like automobiles or power tools... Larry - 06/02/2010 11:08:01 AM 1192 Views
The interesting thing, to my mind, is that the BBC article talks about "Lebensraum". Tom - 06/02/2010 04:46:34 PM 1003 Views
And nary a thing about Alois Hitler, no? Larry - 06/02/2010 05:52:50 PM 1214 Views
I have yet to see a literature teacher in schools teach history through literature. Tom - 07/02/2010 01:33:57 AM 1053 Views
But yet I know several history teachers who have done this Larry - 07/02/2010 10:38:49 AM 1149 Views
Viewing history through a literary prism is usually an injustice to the study of history. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:16:30 PM 1100 Views
No, the opposite: viewing literature through historical lens is what I'm interested in Larry - 07/02/2010 03:31:04 PM 1073 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Novo - 06/02/2010 01:44:07 PM 1142 Views
I agree that Shakespeare is over-emphasised. Tom - 06/02/2010 04:29:16 PM 905 Views
Before responding to others, I'll post my own responses Tom - 06/02/2010 04:26:53 PM 1167 Views
Re: Before responding to others, I'll post my own responses Camilla - 06/02/2010 10:34:10 PM 991 Views
Hmm. Rebekah - 06/02/2010 11:33:02 PM 1049 Views
New Zealand has culture? Tom - 07/02/2010 03:25:28 PM 1181 Views
Which book of his would you recommend ? AgentOrange - 09/02/2010 04:20:15 PM 985 Views
The Whale Rider is lovely. Rebekah - 10/02/2010 02:36:01 PM 908 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 984 Views
I hated Steinbeck, with the exception of Travels with Charley. Tom - 07/02/2010 03:22:11 PM 998 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 1072 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Tashmere - 07/02/2010 11:52:02 PM 1095 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. Mossman - 08/02/2010 03:14:24 AM 1266 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas. rebelaessedai - 11/02/2010 10:58:23 PM 1113 Views
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