Priceless: “Funny how nobody ever seems to suggest banning the ‘Bible’.”

Thou shalt not read this book! The world according to people who DON’T think

The other day, while reading a local college newspaper, I came across a story about how one parent here in North Carolina caused a book to be pulled off the shelf at one of the local high schools. The book? The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

According to the report I read, the parent of a student filled out a detailed complaint about the sexual content of the book and the overall content of this work, and raised the ire of the local school board. The book was subsequently pulled from the shelves for a bit. This book has been on the required reading list in schools for many years, was on the best-seller list for many weeks when it first appeared on the literary scene, and has won awards. It’s one of those books everyone should read, in my view. Apparently, some other folks also thought it is an excellent and thought-provoking book as well, which is why it was placed on school reading lists in the first place.

Thinking used to be encouraged in some circles. Not so much anymore, obviously.

There always seem to be some people out there who want to determine what the rest of us should be exposed to, what we should see, what we should read, what and how we should think.

These kinds of people presume they also know what’s best for our kids as well.

Rather than speaking for themselves, the intent appears to be to speak for everyone else, and to force their own narrow views onto others.