Book burning time?

[John Dibble]

The fact is, this bill is just plain horrible. This bill would not only ban libraries from carrying fiction such as "The Color Purple," "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Brideshead Revisted" but textbooks as well - and that includes in classrooms, not just libraries. In other words, it's a ban on science. If a university library wishes to purchase copies of a psychological journal that includes homosexual studies, those studies better be negative otherwise the journals will be banned, regardless of whether or not the study is scientifically valid or not.

Another problem is, it's really banning a viewpoint. It's open to too much interpretation. If a psychology textbook says that homosexuality is not a choice, but does not say it is a healthy lifestyle or even imply it, it could still be banned. You could end up throwing half the books in the libraries out - that's an efficient use of taxpayer money...NOT.

If you find this bill to be acceptable, I urge you to consider this - one day it may something you believe in that will be banned from all public libraries and classrooms. How would many of you like it if this bill was banning public libraries from buying books Christian characters in them or that presented Christianity as a healthy lifestyle? Personally, I don't really see a difference between this bill and one that has the same wording, but just replaces 'homosexual' with 'Christian' - both would be stupid and far too overboard.

Really, this is as bad as banning a book from high school reading lists because it contains the word 'n'. Twain was not a racist - he was really the opposite, but many of his books are banned because it contains a word, and characters that were racists. Racists exist whether or not these books are banned, and homosexuals will still exist as well. We're sacrificing education for political correctness, or incorrectness, whichever this case is.

[Storebought]

Is there a play without gay content?

yeah, good one.

[David S]

Doesn't this remind you of Fahrenheit 451? Big government destroying books because they don't like what's in them.

The gay lifestyle is repulsive to me, but letting government decide what we should or shouldn't read is even more repulsive.

[afleitch]

Only in America...thats all this Brit is going to say.

[danwxman]

Only in America...thats all this Brit is going to say.

Not really. Saudi Arabia hangs gay people.

[DaleC76]

It gets worse.......

http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/2180916


Seriously, I agree with John's post above.  The bill is horrible - a pathetic cry for attention that has become the norm for what passes for "politics" in Alabama.

Although I would say that I would like to see the states become more selective in the books they buy for libraries.  In my opinion, fiction gets way too much money spent on it.  Danielle Steele and Steven King should not get more shelf space than George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.  I think libraries should spend their money on lots or reference/text material for research rather than books people can drop $6 for at Books-A-Million.

[badnarikin04]

Doesn't this remind you of Fahrenheit 451? Big government destroying books because they don't like what's in them.

The gay lifestyle is repulsive to me, but letting government decide what we should or shouldn't read is even more repulsive.

Fahrenheit 451 is an excellent example.

It's pretty much the only school book i ever liked because it was very pertinent in today's society. So many books are banned by schools and libraries that it's basically creating an under-the-radar fascist movement in our government.

[A18]

It's one thing for government to destroy its own property, another for it to destroy private property.