Dear Editor,
We grew up reading, we’re certified bookworms! Reading allowed us to escape into new worlds, travel down the rabbit hole with Alice, get lost through the wardrobe door, and learn about important historical and cultural topics such as a firsthand account of a child during WWII in the Diary of Anne Frank (banned in parts of the United States), the Underground Railroad, and getting your first period, in Judy Blume’s Is that you God? It’s me Margaret (banned in the United States).
Banning books has only ever been about control and censorship. The freedom to read books, any books, is about expanding knowledge, learning critical thought, opening our minds and hearts to compassion and inclusion, and learning about people and places that are different from us, while celebrating diversity and imagination.
Book banning is not new. In 1524 the Bible was banned. William Tyndale’s English translation of the New Testament was smuggled into England, and publicly burned in the streets. Church authorities stated that the bible would be available in Latin, so that only certain people could read it.
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (banned in parts of the United States) is a YA memoir exploring one person’s coming of age and exploration of gender identity. Memoirs and biographies are some of the best books to read to learn about the lives of people who are different from us.
I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (banned in Pakistan) is one girl’s exploration of standing up for the education of young girls in Pakistan under the Taliban.
Reading other people’s stories promotes the expansion of love, inclusion, compassion, and tolerance, as well as the necessary information needed to resist censorship and ensure that the world is a safe place for all of us, no matter what our identity or lived experience is. As Audre Lorde said, "it is not our differences that divide us, it is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences."
It is a freedom and privilege to read. Book banning has only ever been about control and censorship. Not in our town, not on our watch.
Sincerely,
Leah Henderson and Danielle Stewart
100 Mile House
