Censor or sensible?

By: American Decency Staff

Before God called me to this ministry, I taught in the public schools for 18 years.  As a 4^th grade teacher I loved to instill a love for reading in my students.  I used a number of unique incentives to encourage my students to read, read, read!  It was so rewarding to see a child get lost in a story; to have kids who began the year begrudgingly having to read to not be able to put a book down.  Truly, there is power in words.    However, as with any form of power, it can inspire or it can corrupt. As a teacher I also saw the influence of the American Library Association with their mantra:  “Freedom to read, freedom to view.â€ÂÂ  In essence, no one, including children, should be denied any material they wished to read or view and, the ALA believes, it is the public library’s role to provide that material. That philosophy of “freedom to read, freedom to viewâ€Â worked its way into public school libraries and classrooms, as well.  School libraries choosing to include books on their shelves with content most parents would not want their children exposed to; teachers requiring the reading of books with objectionable themes and language.   And I also saw the fruitlessness when parents expressed concern.  For, it seems, the public school system, (and local public libraries), think they know what’s best when it comes to educating your children – after all they are the experts.  Try to offer a reasonable objection to any book a library makes available to your child and invariably you will find yourself labeled a “censor.â€Â Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a censor as “: a person who supervises conduct and morals as, “a : an official who examines materials (as publications or films) for objectionable matter, b : an official (as in time of war) who reads communications (as letters) and deletes material considered sensitive or harmful.â€Â The American Library Association defines censorship as “a change in the access status of material, based on the content of the work and made by a governing authority or its representatives.â€Â One distinguishing characteristic of censorship that I find in both definitions is that it is carried out by an “officialâ€Â or “governing authority.â€Â  On those grounds, I find it odd that concerned citizens – parents, grandparents, etc – are often demonized and accused of censorship. Below is an example of the National Coalition Against Censorship chastising a website that assists parents in choosing appropriate reading material for their children.  The website makes parents aware of potential content that they, the parents, may not want their children exposed to.  One might compare it to (while far from a perfect system) the current ratings system for television and movies, alerting parents to concerning content.  However, the NCAC seems to think that nothing, no matter how extreme, should be off limits to our children.  Consider this portion of the National Coalition Against Censorship’s letter to this website which rates books based on their perceived appropriateness by way of a 1-5 rating in several categories: “Under ‘What to watch out for,’ the reviews rate books for violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs, & smoking. By focusing on these categories, the ratings imply that young people need to be “protectedâ€Â from such material, and they encourage parents and students alike to avoid literature containing this kind of content, regardless of its merit. By quantifying content using a few emoticons that focus on only a small part of the content of the book, the ratings take material out of context and deny the message, intent, and value of the book as a whole. Instead of encouraging people to view books through such a negative and value-laden lens, we urge a focus on the positive things books bring into the lives of young people. Reading enriches, educates, and entertains readers, and challenging literature can play an important role in a child’s learning and development. People select books based on their own values, needs, and interests. Parents can make better and more informed decisions if they have information about the age appeal of a book, its literary merit, topical interest, thought-provoking potential, and entertainment value. Kids read not only to learn, but also to have fun. …While your mission statement denounces censorship, we believe that your selection tools can easily be used by censors. This is a predictable consequence of the focus on sex, language, violence, etc., removed from their narrative and literary context, rather than on the mind-expanding and life-altering potential of challenging literature.â€Â (Emphasis added) Notice the implications that kids should not be hampered from reading books with violence, sex, language, etc.; that a “value-laden lensâ€Â is bad, and that kids should be able to enjoy themselves reading about all the things that the majority of parents think are terribly harmful for their kids, and learn something from them too! Also, take notice of how the NCAC is trying to stop this website from publishing their own opinions about these books.  What would they call that?  Censorship? I call it hypocrisy.  When you break it down, the NCAC – and really anyone who tries to silence someone they perceive as a “censorâ€Â – is saying that it is wrong to publish things that say it’s wrong to publish things.  I believe that’s called a self-contradiction. The American Library Association has a similar “censorâ€Â-censoring campaign which they call the Banned Books Week.  In their own words: “Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.â€Â Sometimes libraries can be even more hypocritical.  In our own local library, a pastor submitted a published book he had written about sin to be added to a program which featured the writings of local authors.  He was denied the opportunity to have his book included because its substance was too radical. We in the pro-decency business along with plenty of good parents and grandparents around the country get accused of censorship a lot.  But, as you can see, there are fundamental flaws with that classification.  The definition of “censorâ€Â requires that a government agent do it.  We do not have the authority and are not trying to stop these books from being published, only to keep them out of the sight of our innocents.  Also, as soon as one party accuses another of censorship and tries to get them to stop, they are doing exactly what they accuse the other folks of doing.  Name calling is a classic tactic for those who know they have a losing argument.  Don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for it and don’t let it stop you from speaking out.  Recently I was contacted by a woman concerned about material made available in the youth section of her local library.  How encouraging to see a person willing to speak out and stand up against the system.  We need more people like her who, instead of looking the other way, take a stand on behalf of our children.  The ALA works hard to intimidate people from expressing concern, however, don’t let an earthly institution discourage you from speaking Truth.  You never know how God may use your step of faith. ======================================================= A classic resource available as short supply lasts: “The Holiness of Godâ€Â by R.C. Sproul.  To order your free copy, email bjohnson@americandecency.org Many of you took advantage of our offer regarding the book “The Pursuit of Holinessâ€Â by Jerry Bridges. This is what Jerry Bridges has to say about this book offer: “Every Christian who is serious about his or her growth needs to read ‘The Holiness of God.’ I profited greatly from this book.â€Â ======================================================= American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 https://americandecency.org/ http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson ———————— Donate online: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---