Top 10 Banned Books of the 20th Century

Originally posted by endisnighe
Do people have the right to not be offended by another? This is the crux of so many things right now. Political Correctness just another form of censorship.

-sighs-

yet another whom thinks political correctness is some sort of government mandate/law.

Listen, we dont use words like(forgive the language for effect, but it needs to be said so people stop complaining about P.C.)
Nigger, Spic, Kike, Chink, Hussy, Broad, Bastard, Retard, Fags, etc...

Why? well, you can say it...theres no law against it...however, you will most certainly piss off alot of people, and more than likely get a well deserved punch to your teeth.
Political correctness is another word for manners, so quit your bitchin that you cant be a crass ape...you can, just dont expect any respect given to you from anyone, and doubtful you even have self respect if your life revolves around the need to publically use non-PC terms.

Its not censorship, its being publically aware. Read what you want..in your home you can say and do what you want, and in public you can say what you want also...PC is just being aware that your not the only person on earth and its a guideline on how to be social. Sort of like if your walking with your wife, it would be rude of me to point her out and call her a ugly fat wench who dresses like a cheap whore...that would be politically incorrect and I would expect for you to punch me..repeatedly..my bad.

So...what are you complaining about


(oh, and Mods, this post was to simply point out the insanity of people that complain about PC...clearly there was no offense intended towards anyone...but sometimes you need a strong example so people will finally understand what a subject is about)

what i find interesting is that many of these books are now, or at least during my time in school were required reading for summer breaks

another thing interesting to me is how throughout human history censorship and control has been abundant

some of the times it was obvious, like in the case of book burning

other times its hidden, like in the case of ats censorship

Personally I am totally against any kind of censorship - I am against political correctness, I am against any form of constraint of language or expression.

While personal attacks and directed vitriol shouldnt be part of discussion threads on sites like ATS - I think the members are able to express their own views on what is acceptable. No-one wants to see what should be private made public.

Moderators tasks should be to ensure threads are arranged in an orderly way, and original posts are to a certain standard - and personal comments are removed where they add nothing of merit to a discussion.

Anyways - those are my thoughts on the matter of censorship.

If the skin is so thin that any wound seems near fatal - then they are emotional hemophiliacs, or worse yet hypochondriacs.

But private discussions should be made privately

Nice list of books And nice topic for discussion.

These books are not banned by "TPTB" actually, as they're still available in public libraries, book stores, and online stores.

They're banned in schools and schools libraries through the actions of "concerned citizens" who manage to miss the point of a book (and the point of fiction, in general) completely.

They mistake fiction books for moral conduct codes and/or instruction manuals, forgetting that art is not meant as a faithful reproduction of society and life.

These are the same people whom have to be told not to dry their cats in the microwave oven or that hot coffee is hot. And it's a shame that our society is moving towards accommodating these people, at the expense of intelligent people.

Here are a few examples of "concerned citizens" and their view on books:

Harry Potter is the enemy of God. By the standards of that woman, Shakespeare should be banned too for use of magic concepts in his plays.



And this is an example from ats, a thread on His Dark Materials:

thread

And here's the appropriate response for such absurdities:

"Where the Wild Things Are" author's message to concerned parents

I haven't read all of these books, but many of the ones I did read were basically crap. I still don't think that they should be banned, but I have to say that I do not feel my education was improved by being compelled to read some of these.

I find censorship and book burning to be unacceptable. If you don't want to read a book, don't read the book. I suppose that it might be OK if parents were able to "protect" their kids from books they felt were harmful. I don't know how that would play out in reality, but I can see where parents might want to have some input. But in general, I don't think amyone should be prevented from reading anything they choose.

Similarly, I don't feel anyone should be censored in their language. I know this happens here, and in many other situations. Certain words are considered "offensive". Well, I am sure I am just as offended at being censored, as someone might be at reading or hearing some word from me. If you don't like the language someone uses, then ignore him. How hard is that?

MY GOD... WHAT HAVE WE DONE!? and ARE DOING!? Our collective consciousness justifies such behavior as censorship or simply put judgment that determines life or death. To live in judgment will ultimately kill you (us) if you (we) cannot forgive or simply Love. Haven't we (you) played this scenario of FEAR out long enough already?

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” – F. Nietzsche

WE (YOU) are beyond martial law, big brother, genocide, censorship, hate, racism... ... yeah right if YOU (WE) DON'T DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS!

Otherwise in the words of Benjamin Franklin: you get the government (REALITY) YOU deserve.

You all are so angry about banning books. Maybe because you are giving examples of books which are not relay banned. You forgot about most forbidden book of XX century. I have no need in unbanning this sh@#t.

Originally posted by odyseusz
You all are so angry about banning books. Maybe because you are giving examples of books which are not relay banned. You forgot about most forbidden book of XX century. I have no need in unbanning this sh@#t.

Nothing should be banned - why would you want to ban Mien Kampf? People can't think for themselves? They can't read this book without suddenly turning into a Nazi?

Maybe the book makes a lot of sense - maybe there really is something to it that is worth knowing? All knowledge is worth knowing, even if it is to help to define our own moral compass about what is right and wrong.

I don't need someone else to tell me what is right from wrong - I can chose for myself.

The Grapes of Wrath is a story that today we can glean much from. If we are to be sliding into further recession/depression then it should supply a good idea of the harshness involved for the most adversely effected in western culture.

Stan Deyo's "The Cosmic Conspiracy" was banned here in Australia in the early 80's. I managed to read my dad's copy he got from an air force friend. What I found interesting about it at the time was the named members of the Club of Rome, including one or two of our Prime Ministers, etc. And, it included the sought out steps for global control, how that would come about and why. So far, all these years later it has been very correct.

Recently I got a copy from my local library to find all the really interesting information I read in the book back in 1981/2 is no longer there!! Curious methinks.

i think all the religious books or books about religion have been banned at some point, somewhere on the planet, as well. i remember being sent a copy of a book called "The God Makers." it was anti-mormon. at the time, a mormon leader had come to my house to discuss the theological meat of mormonism, the hard core stuff, like archaeology, history, anthropology and so on. he wanted me to read a book called "ancient texts in mormonism," and so we exchanged books: i gave him the god makers and he gave me ancient texts in mormonism. he came back to get his book a few weeks later which i gave to him but when i asked him where my book was, the god makers, he said he and the other brethren of the local ward, had burnt it.


yes there are some texts that really anger people, and that was one of them. i think the bible's been burned more than a few times-- burnt, crapped on, urinated on, used in target practice, thrown out to sea, chopped up with an axe, sliced to bits with a sword, stabbed with a knife, scribbled all over, dipped in lead, encased in cement, used as toilet paper, used as a cleaning rag, used as paper for lining shelves and drawers, splashed with paint, tar and feathered, re-written with anti-government parts removed, outright banned entirely and so on. i'd say the same is probably true for just about every religious text you can think of.

[edit on 27-10-2009 by undo]

Originally posted by LiveForever8
The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen. ~Tommy Smothers

When they force students to read any of these books for a grade in school, then these students do not have the right to not listen.

I do not believe that we should ban books. I agree that banning a book gives it a certain amount of power. I think that there are a few things in this world that should be considered absolutely wrong, but most things should be allowed only so that people are able to understand how wrong their actions can be.

I believe that required reading in school should not have anything to do with any political value unless it is a part of an unbiased politics class. Way too often do "English" or "Literature" teachers pick political books for their own agendas. I spent many a class BEING CENSORED by the wonderful teacher who is against censoring.

Censorship is simply a catch 22. If you're allowed to say and do whatever you want, then that means that you're allowed to censor people. This doesn't work. Therefore, we are NEVER allowed to say and do whatever we want. Since this is a fact of life, censorship MUST exist. You can't fight it.

I would like to drop here a massive F-bomb. So censorship is just another form of control over what goes into your subconscious. Your unconscious is shaping your life - it certainly had mine. To overstand my programming I had to read more books a listen to more audios. They programed me even at deeper level. It is fun.

There are no bad or good words.

reply to post by LiveForever8


To answer the questions of your fourth post... NO we are not right to censor books. Books don't read themselves to you. Anyone can choose not to read a book. Even in school, mandatory reading is not really mandatory. If you feel you shouldn't be reading something, you can always find a way out. Religious belief for instance. The teacher/professor will be able to find you a secondary book, or give you a zero. Either way, nobody forces you to read a book. And nobody should force you NOT to read a book.

I greatly enjoyed the irony of some of the titles. "Fahrenheit 451" and "1984" most of all. I actually never knew "To Kill A Mockingbird" was ever censored. I read it in school and remembered it being one of the best books ever written, in my opinion.

I don't necessarily think there are hidden hands at play, just idiot moms, religious leaders, etc. that think their kids or congregations shouldn't be reading such defiled literature. Politicians, too. Watch the recent episode of The Simpsons where Marge tries to ban a "UFC" style fight show. It is the same kind of thing. One person gets a following or one politician gets some support, and they can do a lot of damage like this censorship.

Just my thoughts.

Edited to add a very crucial "don't" to the beginning.

[edit on 27-10-2009 by OrphenFire]

It's horrible that some literature should be censored, yet there is a ton of trash there being published that should be banned for lack of content (or simply just horrible writing.)


I didn't see mentioned the "queen of the banned"
she is one of the most constantly challenged with 5 books on the list.
JUDY BLUME
as a girl, I don't know how I would have gotten through adolescence without her and her books.



[edit on 27-10-2009 by justine093]

reply to post by LiveForever8


Nice reading list , I have read most but not all of them thanks for the reminder I will have to pick a few of them up for my winter hibernation.
S&F

reply to post by LiveForever8


Great post, thanks for putting it up!

Turners Diaries should be listed here as well.

Ha, I had to read most of these books in high school for summer reading....what makes it funnier is that it was a catholic school.

What is it they say about censorship...It's like telling a man he can't have steak because a baby can't chew it...

What about Dr. Wilhelm Reich? Born in Austria in 1897 and arguably Sigmund Freud's star pupil and No.1 assistant.
In 1955, not only was he sent to prison (where he would soon die), quite literally tonnes of his books and papers were burned in public in the States.
Indeed, Reich is still best known for his psycho-analytical writings, although one of his later inventions, 'the Orgone Accumulator' was described by Dr. Theodore Wolfe (a pioneer in psychosomatic medicine) as, "the most important discovery in the history of medicine...Bar none!"

Reich arrived in the US in the 30's and coined the term 'Orgone' for the life energy force that is also known a Chi, Ki, and Prana.

It was this discovery along with his legendary Cloudbuster (should have been called the 'droughtbuster') which motivated the authorities to 'remove' him, although Orgone can be also used to power motors as a free energy source, amongst it's many other potential uses.

I personally consider his arrest and subsequent suppression of his works, the greatest crime that the US of A has ever perpetrated.
Forget the moon hoax and atomic bombs, forget the drug wars and genocides (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Central America, Iraq Afghanistan etc.), the progression of all humanity has suffered enormously thanks to a small few Yankees during the 40's and 50's.

Check him out...

were there any books that actually taught that the world was flat?