Lani Kawahara oversees the young adult section at Kauai’s largest library in Hawaii. She set up a display celebrating Banned Books Week. Books have been banned in other countries and challenged throughout America for all kinds of reasons--political, religious, concerns about violent or sexual content, and so forth). The fact that there are books certain people don't want others to read shows the importance of freedom of speech, press, and so forth. This makes it incredibly ironic that Kawahara's display about banned books was censored. Yes, the Hawaii library system is celebrating, "Freedom to Read," week instead of Banned Books Week to avoid political ire.
Banning a week about banned books basically proves why a Banned Books Week is important, doesn't it? People want to censor a book because they don't like it challenges a politician, calls out a religion, shows a sexual orientation that, for some reason, offends them, or otherwise want to keep you from reading about something. We should keep books with differing views or content that might upset others in our libraries, bookstores, and so forth. If you don't agree with something, don't read it! Let the people who want to read about Captain Underpants do so (seriously, that book was challenged) and if, "To Kill a Mockingbird," makes you uncomfortable with its discussion of racism, that is the point! Censoring Banned Books Week goes to show just why we need it, clearly.
