Banned Books

         What I have realized from discussing banned books is that we  as a society avoid books that will stir conversations that we are uncomfortable with.  We would rather not have a discussion about homosexuality or the insecurities of an overweight girl or the sexual desires of teenagers.  We would like to pretend they don't exist.  Young adults don't experiment with drugs and certainly don't do anything promiscuous.  Of course all of these lies we fool ourselves in believing are just that--lies. Pretending that these issues are not real and present in our society only perpetuates them.  We're not afraid that children will actually do the things they read in books simply because they read them in books, that is just the facade and justification we, as a society, give for censorship.  In reality we are simply afraid of them bringing it up, asking difficult questions, acknowledging taboos.  
      I found it very interesting that many of the banned books are also many of the most praised works, both classic pieces and modern works, although not surprising.  Things that are great are groundbreaking and things that are groundbreaking are controversial and things that are controversial are always swept under the rug by some people.  It also makes you consider if they are so popular simply because they are so controversial, that desire to know what all the fuss is about.  In that way banning a book backfires on those that banned it because it merely draws attention to the fact that this book is unusual.
      After reading The Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things I understand even more clearly the importance of having a free society without censorship.  This book has a lot of interesting lessons for young girls.  While it may have some scenes that are more sexually explicit than some mothers would enjoy, it is important that adolescent girls know that they are not alone in the urges and desires they may be having.  They will benefit from seeing their insecurities in a character, reading Virginia's internal monologue that matches up with their own at some points.  This book has an incredible message about self-image and that if you want to change yourself do it because you want to do it not to please others.  Parents might dislike the idea that Virginia needs to rebel against her parents to discover who she is, but sometimes teenagers need to do that.  It is difficult for a teenager to feel comfortable with who she or he is and they need to see that represented in the books they read in a very real way.