Close the Book on Censorship

A wise man once noted that a university is a collection of books. A high school or junior high is no different. It is there that young minds should be exposed to books and a variety of readings and ideas.

Sadly, that’s not always true. The only lesson two recent cases of book-banning, in Anaheim and Placentia, taught developing minds was one of prejudice, fear and censorship.

At Orangeview Junior High in Anaheim, 10 books, part of a series on “Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians” were pulled from the library shelf because of one teacher’s personal prejudice.

The series, which, among others, covered the lives of Sappho, the Greek poet; John Maynard Keynes, the economist; Oscar Wilde, T.E. Lawrence and Martina Navratilova, was part of a larger series that also included titles such as “Heroes of Faith” and “Hispanics of Achievement.” Many of those series arrived with the gay and lesbian books and remain on the library shelf. But Anaheim Union High School District officials have kept the gay series from students.

The librarian and some district parents contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which, for the first time in its history, has filed a lawsuit against a school district over censorship.

In the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, the 1962 award-winning novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is being reviewed by a committee because some misguided parents want it banned. The book, recommended by the California Department of Education, is on the district’s core 11th-grade reading list and has been used for seven years without incident.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” should remain on the reading list. And the books on the lives of gays and lesbians should be returned to the library shelf. A small group of parents or a lone teacher who doesn’t think a book is appropriate should not impose that narrow viewpoint on others who could benefit from learning that gay and lesbian people have led productive lives and been recognized for their achievements, as have others who have had to overcome prejudice.

Schools, at all levels, ought to be havens that protect books--and students’ minds--from ignorance and censorship that seeks to stifle the pursuit of knowledge.