30 September 2013

It's Banned Books Week (late)

Thanks to the Zinn Education Project for the image.
It's Banned Books Week!

The last week of September is set aside to celebrate the proud and diverse traditions of American censorship; to honor the shining example of ignorance and anti-intellectualism winning over education, engaged thought, and thinking for oneself; and to remember those brave heroes on the front lines of history who thought better of reading a book and decided rather to burn it.

At the end of the day--or even at the end of days--burning a book is ultimately a display of selfless generosity toward one's beautiful mind that is also richly inclusive of future generations, just by ensuring no one will ever see the words written therein. For, yes, friends, it is always better to cultivate a calmed simplicity in the public discourse by eliminating the difficult or complicated bits with force and fire and law, which gets rid of troublesome notions along with any possible conversation, scholarship, or account of them, productive or not.

In the name of purity and undisturbed homogeneity, consistency and peace of mind, we must excise the blemish of the diseased thought, quarantine and destroy its infection, and protect our children and our children's children from the dangers of difference and thinking. Happy Banned Books Week, everyone! :)



Behold! Six ideas to celebrate in your school: http://bit.ly/1gXOfzG

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