Freedom to Read Week kicks off across Canada this Sunday, a seven-day span dedicated to reaffirming the commitment to intellectual freedom.
Given that we at the Napanee Beaver in the business of being read, it only stands to reason that we full-heartedly support this idea. Which of course, we do.
Among the many ways to celebrate the week is to read a book that at one point or another was banned-whether it be for accusations of blasphemy, coarse language or depictions of certain lifestyles.
At first thought, the idea of trying to have a book banned might invoke visions of a turn of the century setting, where Puritans object to a book with illusions to witchcraft. A list of banned books from the Hamilton Public Library tells a different story, with modern day titles ranging from 1990 to as recently as 2015.
Classic novels that were at one point challenged or banned include The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Lord of the Flies and 1984, to name a few.
Oddly enough at least half those titles were part of the curriculum when this reporter was in school-in a Catholic school system no less.
If nothing else, the fact a banned book could go on to be a staple of the province’s English studies is a good lesson on why it’s beneficial to challenge the status quo from time to time. Those in charge had their reasons for trying to prevent this books from being read at one point in time and in almost every case it was done so at the benefit of themselves, not the reader. Those novels, though some published decades ago, remain just as relevant today. The novel 1984 for example was written by George Orwell in 1948-when selecting a date for his dystopian setting he simply flipped the last two digits of the current year. Once an eerie look into a possible future, that date has long since passed and yet the message still resonates today.
Ironically enough in some cases it was the effort to get those books banned that played a role in them becoming classics that have stood the test of time, passed from one generation to another. The material may have not have been everyone’s taste and that’s fine. No one should be forced to read something they don’t want to-but no one should prevent public libraries from offering certain titles either.
Here in Canada intellectual freedom is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms-which is reassuring for sure, but never an excuse to take it for granted. Unfortunately it’s all but a given that there will always be a group of individuals who have a desire to push their beliefs onto others-that will include attempting to destroy material that doesn’t fit their mandate. That’s why recognizing Freedom to Read Week is important. It’s also a nice time to reflect on the fact that certain corners of the world still don’t recognize the right to information for its citizens.
-Adam Prudhomme