Celebrate Reading with Banned Book Week

About this time every year the American Library Association sponsors Banned Book Week, a time to celebrate the freedom to read. Yes, the freedom to read—something most Americans take for granted. 

In recognition of Banned Books Week, I and some members of the Free Expression class last year recorded some YouTube videos reading selections from banned books. I'm not organizing a similar project this year, but students and other interested parties are welcome to think about—and even read—a banned book this fall.

There more information about the official Banned Book, check out the ALA website here.

Also, check out this link to a list of books banned for homosexual themes, which is one area of controversy in the fight over access to books and the role of libraries.

Free Speech v. Censorship: Applying Principles to Real-World Cases

It's easy to argue for free speech when the speech you are advocating is popular and agreeable. It's much harder to support free speech when the speech is unpopular, disagreeable and even hateful.

This situation, which I call "the paradox of free expression," has been in the news lately because of the anti-Muslim film that was posted on YouTube and which inspired anti-American demonstrations and violence in the Middle East and elsewhere.

In fact, the nature of the film and the violent response to it have renewed calls for government action against the filmmaker and calls for YouTube to remove the film from its site. Commenting on all of this, civil liberties writer Glenn Greenwald points out that neither the American left or right has taken a principled stand for free speech. Both sides have been quick to abandon a consistent free speech position and criticize YouTube. Both sides have pushed for government action to remove the film from the Internet.

Greenwald notes, however, that government attempts to censor political speech runs counter to the free speech philosophy of the First Amendment. Free expression is supposed to protect controversial and offensive ideas, he notes. Moreover, he continues, "the White House has no business sticking its nose into which videos YouTube decides to publish or suppress." (A link to Greenwald's column is here.) 

For this blog assignment, read the entire Greenwald column and think about his arguments in light of our recent class readings. What would Milton say about the current controversy? What position would Locke or Cato take on these matters? In other words, what ideas or principles would these thinkers apply to this situation?

For this blog assignment, identify one or more free speech principles from Milton, Locke or Cato and apply them to the current controversy. Explain how your principle(s) applies to the controversy and how it attempts to resolve the debate over offensive speech.

Write about 250 words, which is about 15 sentences. Note: This is a longer post than previous blog assignments.

Author Salman Rushdie Writes of His Life in Hiding

In 1998, writer Salman Rushdie published a novel called The Satanic Verses. It was a serious novel, not intended to provoke, but the book was soon identified as offensive to Islam and Rushdie found himself the subject of a fatwa. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie to be killed for his offenses to Islam.

This is news now because of the recent violence against Americans for a crude and offensive film anti-Islam produced in the U.S. and posted to YouTube. It's also news because Rushdie has published a memoir of his days in hiding. The book, Joseph Anton, tells of his 10 years living under police protection. (The New York Times has an interview with Rushdie about the book. Here's the link.) 

All of this gets raises important questions about free speech and religion. In the U.S., for example, people are rarely offended by a novel (a novel!) and they rarely resort to riots or violence. In the Middle East, however, religious sensitivities are different and free speech traditions are weak.

In sum, what are we to think of this clash of ideas? In the U.S. we tend to value free speech and tolerate religious criticism. But when does speech cross the line? And how should those offended by speech respond short of violence?

Think about these questions. I'd like to discuss this in some detail in class.

Enlightenment England and the Move Toward a Free Press

In Chapter 3 of The Idea of a Free Press, Copeland traces some of the historical developments that led to a free press in England. Based on your reading of the chapter, identify and explain the significance of one important historical event or incident that moved the English press closer to a system of free expression. Because this chapter is concerned with the growth of news, select an event or incident that involves news.

Write your post in the comments section below. For this post, write about 100 words (about seven or eight sentences). To do this well, cite specific details from Copeland and explain why your development is important in the growth of a free press in England. Originality is important too. It is bad form to repeat or rewrite what another student has already posted.

Also: Be prepared to discuss and defend your historical development in class. See you Monday.

Free Reading, Or Not: Book Censorship in China

Free expression is an old but on-going idea, a concept that shifts with the times. That's one lesson of a story I noticed a couple of days ago about writing, reading and publishing in China.

As the story notes, publishing fiction can be a tricky business in China, a nation that has not embraced the Western idea of free expression. Due to official censorship, self-censorship and other factors, Western readers get a narrow slice of Chinese literature and much of that comes from Chinese writers based outside of China.

Technology is also a factor, the story notes, as more and more Chinese fiction is "published" online.

There's more about writing and censorship in China here.