Viewpoint: Book banning via governmental censorship equates fascism, not freedom
“It was a pleasure to burn.
“With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.”
I’d never thought I’d see this powerful introduction from Ray Bradbury’s "Fahrenheit 451" come to life, even figuratively. This alternate reality where all books are illegal and burned at 451 degrees Fahrenheit, depicts a dystopian civilization of narrative censorship. A society such as this holds no value of American freedom, neither does Oklahoma Senate Bill 1142.
I was utterly shocked when an Oklahoma Senate committee advanced this bill on March 1. This bill would have allowed any parent to request the removal of a book from a school library if the main subject involves sex (in any sense of the word) or anything of “controversial nature.” Furthermore, if that request to remove the book was dismissed, the parent could challenge the school district in court. This could potentially result in the eradication of any book if just one parent dislikes it, regardless of what the majority of parents, students and experts feel about the book’s value.
It is important to note that school districts, which are already critically underfunded in Oklahoma, might now have to bear costly legal fees. This would deeply concern school districts when deciding whether or not to keep a book in the library to ensure a robust literature selection for all children. Highly important and educational books would get taken off the shelves because of the opinion of one parent, simply as a result of a school not having the budget to fight it in court.
Some of the books that were recently under review in the Oklahoma attorney general’s office were classics from my childhood and the generations before me, among them "Of Mice and Men" and "Lord of the Flies." These are two masterpieces that opened our eyes to the reality that every human experience is unique. A beauty of recreational literature is that it is also often educational, instilling an important life lesson. Reader will enter a world and observe how someone other than them thinks, feels and responds to life’s circumstances. To some this offers different perspectives and experiences, and to others it can provide validation or a sense that they are not alone.
Are we really so concerned that hearing a different perspective will make a child, adolescent, or young adult someone we no longer recognize? Do some not understand that a decent high school debate team will in fact educate their students on the importance of learning every possible angle the opposition may take. Challenges to our former beliefs, understandings and opinions should be welcomed. To again quote Bradbury, “We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” Closing one’s eyes and ears is a problem, not a solution.
Oklahoma is the state where I grew up. It is a place where I was raised to know that I had the freedom to choose who I wanted to become. Oklahoma is a state that appreciates that knowledge and information are not things to be withheld or controlled by the government. Rather, we as American citizens have the right to make our own judgments about the quality and value of a work of literature.
Our children should be given that same right. No one parent should determine how all others are to be educated, or what reading materials are or are not available to them. These concerns can be addressed with school boards without the government getting involved. Parents do have options available to control what their own children have access to without limiting the access of someone else’s child. Book banning via governmental censorship equates fascism, not freedom. The books that opened my eyes to the worlds I never knew should be available to the next generation, too. Each parent has a right to raise their child as they see fit, but not the children of others.
For now, Senate Bill 1142 has failed to move forward. However, these bans have passed in other states, and the Oklahoma Legislature continues to draft similar bills. That is why I implore every Oklahoman to be vigilant, stand on the side of freedom, and remind their representatives to reject bills such as this that would threaten the republic our ancestors built. Bradbury’s legacy is a warning to heed.
Grace Fairchild Saidi is a master's degree candidate at Boston University School of Public Health. She grew up in Altus, Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Viewpoint: Oklahoma students are harmed by book bans
