Discussion #2: Factors for Banning

[Alisa Cooper]

Identify and explain factors that motivate people and organizations to challenge and/or ban books. Do you agree or disagree with these factors? Explain your position. Or explain and exemplify uses of censorship by a dominant culture to suppress minority voices.

These are two separate discussion topics. You can choose to discuss one or both, but keep them separate (i.e. don't post responses to both topics in the same post.)

[Carole]

Your question is interesting and also sad in many ways. To dominate means you push hard, and more forceful personalities may riducule, some one or their ideas. The stronger, richer, and most popular survive and if the vote is taken by a majority ruling, these stronger, richer and more popular people tend to market themselves and their ideas to obtain the majority of votes in whatever they are promoting. It is extremely amazing to me, in my opinion, how easily people can be persuaded. Most people do not think through from beginning to end, the result of a decision and only look at the immediate results they "think" they will obtain. We have many marketing geniuses in our current world.

By removing a book through censorship we are allowing "someone" other than ourselves to make a choice for you and me. If you don't want to read a book don't pick it up, but there are many people and many lifestyles in this world and everyone has a right to their life experience in whatever choice they make. We as a human race learn by our choices. I also do not want to be forced to read or view something I simply don't want to experience, am offended by, or that is extremely distrubing to me, but again, it is my choice and what disturbs me is known to me, not the rich, powerful and popular!

[Julie]

"It is extremely amazing to me, in my opinion, how easily people can be persuaded. Most people do not think through from beginning to end, the result of a decision and only look at the immediate results they "think" they will obtain. We have many marketing geniuses in our current world." So true Carole! I think a brilliant portrait of an example was framed and hung on our television screens this passed election. We were given many promises by both parties (in my opinion, the same party under a different names), but rarely any specifics! Our lives, opinions, and voices are being swept under the rug, and the "rich and popular" are holding the broom. I would like to believe in these proclaimed "changes", but so far as I've heard, it seems like different changes need to be made if we want our nation to be a truly free one. The marketing geniuses have America by the tail, I hope we have the courage to bite their evil fingers off before we are completely enslaved.

[laura]

Carole brought up a good point in which "Most people do not think through from beggining to end". And alot of people do just so, keeping a timid, quiet perspective on their own views. But, It seems to me that alot has changed over the years resently, where people are speaking out in what they want and desire. Such as same sex marriages, not just getting married but to be able to share a house them their partner or about tax's/ insurence. And to see things like this happen is a great feeling, knowing of america today is about your freedom unlike many other countries.

[Jake Lough]

I think religion is the number one suppressor of readings and practices that go against there teachings. The countries who banned and censored the most in recent years would be Afghanistan. It wasn’t long ago and probable still present that girls weren’t aloud to learn our think for themselves. This should out rage this class the most considering this class is full of women and even instructed by a woman. I’m not picking on Muslims. Every religion I can think of has had there moments of censorship and a not so clean history.

[Hana Izuka]

I agree with you, religion is a factor when it comes to banning books or such other things. Most religions are strict and teach certain principles. If something goes against your religion, naturally, you tend to not learn it or shun away from it. But on the other hand, I am a Christian, and I have never stopped myself from learning things that the church might call 'evil'. So although religion is a big part of banning, I don't think it is as important.

[Jacquie Kemper]

Jake, I completely agree with you. What an astute observation of suppression by religion.
I strongly believe every religion has had their “day” of malevolent behavior. Look at the Christian Crusades!

I read a fantastic article about a group of Muslim women who are trying to teach other Muslim women that what they are being told and what their religion was supposed to be, supposed to represent, are not at all the same. These women are risking banishment by their families, imprisonment or worse, all to help other women empower themselves against a misogynistic culture. I find that inspiring, knowing there are still people standing up for hateful unjusts.

[Kathy Montoya]

Fear is a big factor that motivates banning. Whether we fear ourselves or words, we have been banning since the beginning of time. If you don't like something or someone, you tend to stay away or prohibit yourself from being around it. When prohibiting on a grander scale, you work to prevent others from being around it too. By banning words, we fear feeling what is written or we might fear what others would do with this information. Your fear of words starts at home with your mom and dad and probably grandparents. If you had the pleasure of living with the world open to you, know that you have been blessed. I certainly don't believe in fear but I understand we are all wired differently and some would probably need that fear to feel balance in their world. I also find fear to be a sad factor in deciding to ban books.

[Ruth]

Well I think that same of the factors that motivate people to ban books are ideas that might be seem as a threat among groups. For example churches or governments and perphaps even schools. "Dagerous ideas" such as goverment reform, women rights, communism, advance science, inmorality, progressive ideas and ideas that challenge religions and past way of thinking are same of the themes that groups fear that most among many others. Fear is the mean factor of banning books, fear that people will learn the truth or perphaps brake away from their previous beliefs. Most would agree that people that ban books or are pro-banning books have a slippery slop theory that if people read a "bad book" this will happend. For example if people stop beliving in the teachings of their churches because of a book they read , people would stop going to church, the church wouldn't have any money and people would go and sin. I also find that groups that are pro-banning books have a black and white set of thinking, "either your with us or against us", "we are right you are wrong".

[Julie]

Ruth, I agree with your statement about "dangerous ideas". The things you listed for it seem to be things that would threaten those currently in power and control of our society. Progressive and new political ideas would put many of our current politicians funded by the major corporations out of their jobs. Advances in science such as carbon dating and DNA testing threaten religions that believe the world is but a few thousand years old. Without people contributing their money to the multi-billion/million/thousand tax-free dollar mega churches, they would eventually collapse. I also agree with your statement on the black and white mindset. Taking uncompromising standpoints on things narrow what you believe, therefore what you are allowed to accept. This works to the advantage of those doing the censoring since they are usually those with more power, and people in power are more likely to get people to take their side.

Some video examples I found interesting...

Political censoring of some things that happened during 9/11:
http://deaddeanfilms.com/elephantintheroom.html

Cover-up of a major threat to human and global health:
http://wideeyecinema.com/?p=105

DNA testing and the Book of Mormon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svfxSscxh8o&feature=related

[Carole]

Hi Julie,
Interesting videos and I agree with you and Ruth. It is interesting what people can be led to believe as I am sure many believe their grandmother would not lie to them so they believe. It is an ancestory generational belief passed down to the younger generations. Now with DNA and the proof, the Morman Religion appears with proof, to be an untruth. Beliefs passed down from many religions, and you have pegged it, the fear put into us as young children is used for control and monetary contributions for their cause. I am glad so many television evangelists have been discovered as untruths and gold diggers as well. I do hope people see the truth to this and are not led to the koolaid. The untruth is believed by so many as they cannot accept the change of the truth and I fear the leaders somehow will justify the untruth to a "new" belief.

[Ruth]

I watched the 9/11 video and the facts are there, I heard things like that months after 9/11 from a person that had posted online the real facts to 9/11 and the "investigation" and was running for his life after that, we never heard from him again. The main factor for censorship is covering up the real truth, that might effect governments and organizations.

[Latiesha]

yeah, its very scary. a friend of mine showed me a video called "ZIETGEIST" and many other conspiracy videos. he told me that a few of the people who made these movies were either missing or have mysteriously turned up dead. these people have obvioulsy hit a nerve with some of the worng people with the things that they've said. strong arming and scaring people into silence is quite fascist if you ask me. and this is supposed to be a country where we can voice our opinions and thoughts openly. pfffft. apparently as long as you say nice things and dont air powerful groups' dirty laundry.