Banned ignorance

Now that Banned Book Week 2014 has concluded, we've got something to say.

Thanks.

Thanks to all the parents who have communicated openly and effectively with their reading children. Rather than be scared by controversy or difficult subjects presented in books, these parents have taken the time and demonstrated the love to ensure their children understand what they're reading. That's no small feat for small feet. Or bigger ones.

Thanks to all the librarians and other library employees who ensure that the whole wide world is open to anybody willing to come in and check out books. We suspect that there remains some pressure, subtle or overt, to get "disgusting" or "inappropriate" materials off the book shelves. Thank you, library staff, for standing guard at the gates of intellectual freedom.

Thanks to teachers, administrators and school board members who have worked diligently not just to preserve the American literary foundation built by Twain and Steinbeck and Vonnegut and others, but for examining critically the materials available to our kids and offering options to parents and students uncomfortable with what they consider objectionable material. Before kids reach adulthood, it is more than the parents' right to be involved in what their children are learning; it's their responsibility. That's love, too.

Thanks to all of you, we envision a time when school research projects will focus on the unfathomable era of books being banned because of the fears of those in power. A vigilant society which defends its right to intellectual exploration is one that has a chance to remain free.