Recently, I saw a meme with a list of old banned books, saying, “kids, read these!”
But I’d bet none of those are the books people are afraid of today.
Kids see through this. No one stares in fear when you pull out Catcher in the Rye, or pulls you into the principal’s office for a “banned” classic.
So I’d be curious to hear what stories and ideas you do fear, or teach others to avoid:
Books about how transitioning is wrong…or books urging children to deconstruct gender?
Books suggesting brown folks somehow deserve inequality… or fostering anger towards white folks?
Books cultivating feminism in your son… or urging women to step back so men can rule over them?
Books propping up those in power… or urging us to burn it all down?
Books that help you profit off the poor… or books that lead your spouse to rage-quit and give it all away?
Perhaps you felt alarm at some of these ideas. I do! And those are my banned books. When I realise how much I want to protect folks from harmful ideas in speech or in writing, it makes the discussion around banning much more challenging.
Most of us have media that we fear being shaped by, or nudge our kids away from.
So I’m curious what books (podcasts, articles, speakers…) you fear. What power can those stories have over our minds?
And how (can?) we live among folks with different perceptions of hope and danger around us?
(Not saying some fears aren’t worthy; when we reach necessary limits, the concept of Giftschränke is worth looking at).