Editorial
Banning books
Hard to believe in this day and age that the book "To

Kill a Mockingbird" is banned somewhere in the United States.

Harper Lee's classic about race and justice in the American South has stood the test of time as one of the finest novels of the 20th century, yet in pockets of the country it's been yanked from school reading lists and libraries.

Libraries through out the area are observing Banned Books Week, which has been sponsored by the American Library Association for 25 years.

Some of the titles in the display might surprise you. Besides "Mockingbird," there's "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, the "Harry Potter" books by J.K. Rowling have caused a stir in some corners because the characters practice magic. Others in the display include Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and Judy Blume's "Are You There, God, it's Me Margaret."

Recently, some of the area libraries have suffered personnel turmoil and residents are concerned about the services, the employees and the management of the libraries. Which, no doubt is important, especially when these libraries are supported by tax dollars.

But, what people must not forget is the benefit these libraries have in supporting the education of young students and adults who are learning about history, cultures and fantasies.

Through all of the debates of the management of the library, we must not forget the role these places play in our world.

There's never unanimity about what people might find subversive or offensive in any text. But the answer should never be to deprive someone else of the opportunity to experience a book.

Ideas are formed not solely by reading books but also by the discussions that children and adults have about the issues portrayed in these novels as much as newspapers and magazines.

If you don't like it, don't read it. Everyone else has a right to.