… of Banned Books Week, the American Library Association’s annual reminder of the importance of books and the points of view inside them — and the relentless efforts by vested interests to shut down the transmission of ideas via books.
Though much of the effort to ban books originates in religion, for the simple reason that religious claims invariably, necessarily, fail when they fall under the scrutiny of reason, it would be misguided to say that the efforts to ban books always originate in religion. The effort to ban John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, for instance, originated with California’s growers. Steinbeck loved telling the story till the day he died that, when the growers decided to hold a public burning of his book, they had to mail order a copy before they could carry it out because there were no copies to be had in California.
Think about that and savor the irony, marvel at the ignorance — and bridle at the presumption of those who would control your mind.
If Donald Trump wins the presidency, thus energizing our neo-brown shirts, the ideals of the liberal democracies will confront challenges not seen in centuries. Right now, this day, is a good time to unapologetically carry a (once-)banned book.
