A Writer's Journey through the Maze of Life

Saturday, June 9, 2012

BOOK BANNING NEXT?

In lieu of the recent move by New York's Governor banning super-sized  soda drinks, I have to wonder what next? Will books eventually see their demise? No joke. When I think of how our personal freedoms are being taken away little by little and we lean more and more toward socialism, what's to say that the day won't come when books will be banned? And if there is any print material it will be dictated to us what can be printed and what can be read. I can see it now. Publishers blacklisting anyone who infringes on the rules. Government policings. Burnings in the town square.

Stupid. Preposterous, you say. But look at the news. An American wants to fly the American flag and their homeowners association sues and says "no-no-no, or we'll evict you". What about the child who brings a Bible to school? What about how you must maintain your property? Or what about eminent domain? Just because it hasn't hit your neighborhood doesn't mean it can't and won't happen. I can see where book banning could fit in. It reminds me the movie Fahrenheit 451. Are you familiar with it?

uy Montag is a fireman who burns books in a futuristic American city. In Montag’s world, firemen start fires rather than putting them out. The people in this society do not read books, enjoy nature, spend time by themselves, think independently, or have meaningful conversations. Instead, they drive very fast, watch excessive amounts of television on wall-size sets, and listen to the radio on “Seashell Radio” sets attached to their ears. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/451/summary.html)

Hmm, maybe Bradbury was prophetic.

2 comments:

D'Ann said...

I think anything's possible. I think books as we know them now are already on the way out...Kindles, Nooks, they are the wave of the future.

estate said...

Let's not fool ourselves. Every piece of "news" we receive from the media is selected, contrived, and positioned to influence us. When I hear someone spout their opinion about a national or world event, I know when they are parroting someone else's agenda. That is lazy thinking on our part. We must see past the rhetoric that is bombarding us.