What I'm Watching: American Jail (I've always wondered what happened after the people from COPS got dragged away to jail. Now, I know. Mostly they're still the same drunk trailer folks just locked up in jail.)
Current Word Count: 9,476 (yes, I realize I've actually managed to lose words over the last few days. My muse and I are currently not on speaking terms!)
As an avid reader and a mostly avid writer, I feel like I just need to take a moment and acknowledge Banned Books Week (9/26 - 10/3/09). As a sarcastic smart ass I have to wonder why anyone would ever want to ban a book at all. Sure, maybe you don't agree with what's being said in the book. So? Don't read it. It's not like the book is going to throw itself at you, hold you down and force you to read it. Maybe you don't want your children reading what's in those books? Here's a thought. Recognize that parent is a verb as well as a noun and be aware of what your children are reading. Don't allow them to read the books that do not meet your approval but don't try to tell me what my children may or may not read.
I think that it's not only important to be exposed to the ideas with which you agree but also those ideas with which you might not be familiar. It's the only way to learn about the world outside of ourselves and, if our belief systems can't withstand exposure to other thought processes, then they must be very weak belief systems.
Out of the top ten challenged books in 2008, I've read two: The Kite Runner and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I learned important lessons from both of those books and considered thoughts and perspectives that I hadn't before. That's never a bad thing folks. So, pick a challenged book and read it. Challenge yourself to consider something you haven't before...you'll be a better person for having done so!
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