Banning of Ideas And Thought Is Despicable

I recently read an article about the top 10 books banned because of content. I will not mention the books titles as I do not want to add to the stupidity of book banning and in some cases burning. It amazes me that in a free society we have people who feel the need to infringe upon the written ideas of others.

I believe that banning ideas, just because they present a view other than yours, is the first step to tyranny. The banning of independent thought, by any society, leads to societies that want and will impose one point of view over others.

If you can ban books about gender orientation that you do not believe; you can ban books about history you do not want to believe. Once history is banned and altered can the banning of political or religious thought be far behind.

Far fetched you say? Ask the German people about this subject post WWI. Ask the Russian people post 1917. Ask the Cubans post Castro's revolution. Ask the North Koreans, or the Iranians, or the Tibetans or those who lived under the Taliban.

The ideas of the human race, as presented in literature, movies, television and newspapers, whether we share those ideas or not are a cornerstone of a free society.

People crave the chance to read anything they deem important to them. The human mind is a sponge that wants to absorb, dissect and understand ideas on all subjects. Denial of the opportunity to gain knowledge in an open and free manner is a crime against humanity.

Everyday I see first hand, through this blog, that people seek knowledge. I have readers from all over the world and am particularly pleased when people from societies with weak records on freedoms find their way here.

It must be quite confusing to peoples of other societies suffering from blocked free thought to read that there are people here in the United Sates who would ban a book or a movie. Shame on us!

Ideas, whether political or religious, need to be nurtured and allowed to be presented in a free and open manner.

You do not have to agree with all that is printed and it is you right, as a member of a free society, to not agree. It is also your right to have your rebuttal, of thought that you disagree with, published in a free and open manner.

I wonder how the those who call for banning of some ideas would fell if it was there ideas that were being banned. Ponder that kiddies!

Randy