Catholic Archbiship Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki has advised that a book by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. A Man of the People is a 40-year-old book that deals with politics and corruption. It foreshadowed the 1966 Nigerian coups. That, of course, is something young people in Kenya should not be told about.

According to the Archbishop, Kenyan schools should only allow books that set good examples, not those that may have a "negative influence" on young readers.

...the most important aspect in educating children is "character formation" first, followed by discipline and, lastly, education.

Especially if by educating them you put nasty thoughts in their heads. You know, social justice...free thinking...that sort of rubbish. And, you know, people have to be protected from this knowledge crap. It's upsetting to society.

"Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind." --Gen. William C. Westmoreland, 1982

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A decision to pull a controversial young-adult novel from a freshman class until it could be determined whether it was appropriate instructional material was supported by the Baldwin Board of Education Monday. In a 5-2 vote, the school board voted against returning copies of "We All Fall Down" to the ninth grade orientation class at Baldwin High School until a committee reviews the Robert Cormier novel and decides whether it should remain part of the curriculum.

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One of the misconceptions about Banned Books Week, I think, is that it is an alarmist overreaction to a nonexistant threat...that somehow books are being burned under our noses and no one is doing anything about it. However, I don't see it that way at all. I see it as an opportunity to celebrate the fact that we don't have wide-scale book-banning or rampant government censorship in the United States. It celebrates the present, where school boards and librarians (despite my snarky Twain quote) are holding back a growing tide of paranoia about freedom of thought and expression. It remembers the past, because we have not always enjoyed those freedoms in this country. And it cautions against the future, when those freedoms could be quickly taken away by simply ignoring them and giving in to the comfort of "safe" thought and easy acquiescence to the majority. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, would you rather fight for your freedom now--when it's easily won--or later, when you are surrounded and have no chance of winning?

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

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RELEASE ZONE: On the steps of your local city hall (city government office)
RELEASE METHOD: A well-labeled book, ideally from the 100 Most-Challenged list, left on or near the steps, and protected from the elements as needed. You might get creative by "hanging" the book from a tree limb, or "jailing" it inside a small cage, etc. Use your imagination, and try to take pictures!
RELEASE TIME: Sunday, September 21st, at sunset wherever you live.

But just because you didn't do it on Sunday, that doesn't mean you can't do it any time during the week. Free a banned book!

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