QOTD #00091: FARENHEIT 451
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QOTD #00091: “Are some books so terrible they should be censored or banned?”
Many of us read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 in grade school. The book depicts a world where all books are banned. In many places in the world, there are certain books that are banned, burned, or restricted. Should censorship be allowed in certain cases, or in any case at all?
Amanda C
Southern California
I read some crazy stuff when I was a kid
"Certain types of books should be banned , or at least aged , appropriated , like pornography or certain things that just aren't for kids . Um , but as far as censored or banned Um , that's tough to say , like the school board decides or I don't know who does . But I read some pretty crazy stuff when I was a kid , and I'm okay , I think"
Brittany
Certifiably Cool
Rate it, don't hate it.
"Um, are some books so terrible they should be censored or banned? No, I don't think any - I don't think books should be censored or banned. I think maybe there could be ratings on them so, you know, parents can kind of get an idea of what their kids are about to read, you know, if they're at the bookstore or whatever, like like we do movies... you know - PG, PG-13, R, whatever. Um, and, you know, parents can make those decisions. If it's, like, an issue at school, I guess, the teachers can send home permission slips, you know, and see if the majority says 'No,' then no, they won't go over that book, you know what I mean? But to just fully ban it or censor it, I - No. I just don't believe in banning art."
Andrew F
Foster City, CA
No book is that bad.
"No, I don't think any books are so terrible that they should be censored or banned. It's up to the reader to decide if they want to read it, and if the library provides it, then it should be there."
Wei L
Philadelphia, PA
Just a difference of opinion.
"I don't think any books are so bad that they should be censored or banned because books are just different people's opinions, and I feel like everyone's opinions should be heard and considered. So, I don't think any books should be censored or banned for their different opinions."
Tara C
Stay at home mom
At least say it's for the potty.
"Okay, so let's talk about it. Um, I'm a mom, right? - and I was at Target the other day, and I saw these books about, like, 'Oh, my butt is noisy,' or, I don't know - something about butts, and I guess it's, like, a series for kids. I don't know if it's for, like, potty training or something but, I don't know. I haven't read them, so they might be really great books, but I was just like, 'Hmm, that's kinda weird for kids.' I don't I don't know. Maybe I should read them for myself but, mmm, maybe it should be censored or like, 'Hey, just so you know, it's for potty training,' or something, you know? Kinda interesting."
jeramybm
Voice Actor!
Maybe those manifestos.
"I don't know if there's books that are so terrible they should be censored or banned - possibly some manifestos, but even then, I do believe that we can learn from them, you know, like, 'sins of the past' and everything like that. Um, yeah, some really bad manifestos of what not to do - probably those would be the closest to getting banned or censored. Other than that, I think literature has a place anywhere and within the right context of reading any book. I mean, you can gauge knowledge from it. So, there's my two-cents."
jaygish
Chicago
They made Twilight, didn't they?
"Banned because they're terrible? No. They published the Twilight books, didn't they? Hang on Twilight fans, that's the point. It doesn't have to be good for you to love it - and for it to get, like, a billion-print run."
efinsterwald
Just a man
Great Expectations, terrible classics
"Okay, some books so terrible that they should be censored or banned - Without a doubt, the answer here is a astounding 'yes.' I don't know about you guys, but I went through the American, you know, education system, and in that, um, read many books. Many of them were good, but many were awful. There's one in particular that I remember that was horrible called Great Expectations. I don't know if anybody else has read this book, but it's one of the worst books that I've ever had to read and probably one of the only books for school that I, in fact, couldn't actually get through. I thought that book was horrendous. It was terrible. I think it should be censored, and I think books that have no value to this generation, or kinda that older style and, like, should be censored or banned. Just because something's a classic from a different generation doesn't mean that it should automatically be a classic for my generation. So I definitely think that some books should be censored or banned. Just 'cuz not everything's relevant anymore. Um, and it is not fun to have to read something like that."
Brendan
Ping Pong champion
Ban the trig section!
"Are some books so terrible they should be censored or banned? For this question, I'm going to go with my year-nine math textbook. That should be banned, especially the section on trigonometry - At least that whole section should be censored and just move on, 'cuz no one ever uses that in life. So, I'mma go with that one."
Miss Campbell
Virginia Girl
Let's take a vote.
"Absolutely, some books are so bad they should have been banned, like, certain books that I've read in the past, I don't even know why it made it into print, like, I don't understand. Yeah, certain books, if it's that bad, and I think if everybody agrees that the book is super, super bad, it should be banned and no longer able to be printed in any bookstore. That's how I feel about horrible books."
shiv12
What's cool about me!
Just don't pick it up.
"I don't think any book should be banned or censored. I mean, I think people have a right to say what they want and read what they want and make that decision for themselves. Um, some may not be your, like, genre, or you may not like it, but I mean, you don't have to finish reading it or even pick it up again. So..."
London N
Voice Actor, USA
Three pages for a bush?
"Genuinely, the worst book to ever exist that I was forced to read would be The Scarlet Letter, and here's why it's so terrible - In the book, they spent three pages just describing a bush outside of one of the buildings in the town - three pages describing a bush. Now, that is torture - to force someone to read that and make that required curriculum. I hardly remember what the book's about. I know it's about the woman having to wear the scarlet letter, yeah. But three pages for a bush? Absolutely, this book should be taken out of the school system."
Mikaley L
East Bend, NC
Ditch the ban, just don't buy.
"I actually don't believe that some books are so terrible that they should be censored or banned. I'm a huge book nerd, and I fully believe that if you don't like a book, don't read it. You don't have to buy it, you don't have to read it, you don't have to support it, but others might want to read it and buy it and support it, so we should just leave that for them. And everybody can read what they like on their own time."
Becca I
professional worrier
Well, there are censored books.
"Yes, there definitely are some books that should be banned or censored. Um, there's like a whole list of books that actually are that can't be read in certain schools and stuff. Um, can't think of any off the top of my head because, honestly, I haven't read a book in a while. But yeah."
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