Banned Books Ban Freedom
Tahir, CLP – Homewood
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book that some people consider to be “offensive” or “immoral.” That’s almost like declaring that all vegetables are disgusting just because you ate one that made you sick. If you think that’s stupid than you have to agree that it’s equally ignorant to put books in the “banned books” category just because they don’t fit with some “perfect” criteria.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wonderful book about the tribulations of growing up, making friends, and finding out who you really are. However, it was banned because of some trivial reasons: homosexuality, sex, and drugs. Homosexuality is as natural as heterosexuality. In fact, during ancient Greece and Rome homosexuality was commonplace, widely accepted, and even quite popular at the time. Sex is only bad if it’s completely wanton. However, the sex in The Perks of Being a Wallflower is barely wanton. The sex is barely described and leaves it to the reader’s imagination. Even though drugs can be hazardous, in The Perks of Being a Wallflower the characters are NOT drug-addicted monekys whose entire schedules revolve around getting high off drugs. Most teenage shows have all three of these reasons in it and are ONLY rated TV-14. To ban a book for these pathetic reasons in CRIMINAL!
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a great book that everyone should read when they’re mature enough for it. To ban such a great book simply because some people are “offended” by it is MONSTROUS! If they don’t want to read it that badly, then they’ll stop themselves from reading.
Filed under: Books and Reading, Contests, Programs
