Guest: We're on the same page that book banning is bad. We just don't agree on definition.

I would love to offer a perspective on an issue starting to get out of control ― the practice of describing nearly anything and everything as "Book Banning."

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I am an avid reader and have been since childhood. I've read many of the classics, including some that are currently causing controversy like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "Animal Farm" and "Lord Of The Flies." These books (and many more) were absolutely foundational for me as a young person, and it's hard for me to imagine that I would have become the person I am today without them. I fervently support free speech, free expression and the arts. But I am also the father of a daughter who, as a 12-year-old, was required by her school to read a book ("The Kite Runner") that included graphic depictions of rape and pedophilia.

Here is my problem: Recently I have been observing a growing hysteria surrounding the "banning" of books in public and school libraries. As has become the norm, much of the reporting on this hysteria has been unbalanced, at best.

To start with, who doesn't disagree with the practice of book banning? Would we all not disagree with the fascist practice of removing books from public consumption for fear that the ideas contained within will lead to the lessening of power by those in power? Surely that is a commonly held belief and conviction by most people in the U.S. The problem seems to be with how we define book banning.

In an article published on Sept. 8 in The Oklahoman titled “Did Edmond and Bristow Public Schools ban any books? It depends on your definition,” it was stated that books which were removed from the school library where they can theoretically be accessed by ANY child in the school (no matter their age) and relocated to a grade-specific library or classroom (such as the eighth grade) are labeled as having been "banned" by the school district. Those books are still available in those schools. They are just available to a certain age group and older. I'm sorry but that is not "Book Banning." That is responsible education!

More:What are some notable books that have been banned in some Oklahoma schools?

Or consider this definition, given by The First Amendment Encyclopedia (I use it here because I see it referenced often): "Book banning, a form of censorship, occurs when private individuals, government officials, or organizations remove books from libraries, school reading lists, or bookstore shelves because they object to their content, ideas, or themes."

This definition implies that it can never be right to remove a book from public consumption based on content, ideas or theme. What a ridiculous position!

As far as I'm concerned, an adult should be able to check out (or buy) any book they choose, no matter the content, idea or theme. I'm willing to say this should be true universally. I personally think that racist propaganda and pornography are incredibly unhealthy and dangerous for our society, but I'm willing to accept that an adult should be able to read what they want to read. It is not, however, healthy for a child to be exposed to content, ideas and themes that are not appropriate to their age or stage of emotional development. A 12-year-old girl (in my opinion) is not ready to process graphic depictions of rape and pedophilia. A 10-year-old boy is not ready to process pornography. A 6-year-old is not ready to view graphic depictions of the Holocaust. In what world do we claim that all content is appropriate for all ages of humans? To have responsible adults filtering the materials our children consume through the lens of age appropriateness is not book banning. It's responsible education.

What we must see is that unhealthy ideas, content and themes that are consumed by our children can be emotionally and psychologically devastating to them, as well when their brains are not yet developed enough to handle them.

More:Former Norman teacher: We can choose inclusion or exclusion for schools. What side are you on?

It is not my intention to offend anyone, and I fully recognize that all I can truly offer is my personal opinion alone. But can we all just take a deep breath and think rationally for a moment? Let's debate what we consider to be appropriate or inappropriate. Let's state our cases and let's share our opinions. Let's consult history so we don't doom ourselves to repeat it. But we must stop trying to silence those who disagree with us.

Justin Ford is an Edmond resident.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Opinion: Filtering books for age appropriateness is responsible education