The More That You Read

In class last month, we watched the film The Name of the Rose about a monastery containing one of the greatest libraries in the world. Although it contained the only copies of many wonderful, classic works, the librarian locked them away. Only the two librarians had access to these amazing books, and most of the others didn't even know the books were there. Ultimately, the story boiled down to one of censorship and the restriction of knowledge.

Censorship is an issue fought around the world, and it's a problem we've been struggling with forever. Governments and other authorities decide what they think is best for their people to be exposed to, and what they don't approve of they don't allow the people to know. As in The Name of the Rose, books have often been the subject of such censorship. The US government puts out a list of banned books every year that it does not find suitable for young readers and that it prohibits public schools from providing and teaching. In other countries, like China and North Korea, the censorship extends much further and is much more strict.

Supposedly, the purpose of censorship, at least in the case of the banned books, is to keep violence, sexuality, bad language, and other bad influences out of the minds of the people. It's to keep them from getting bad ideas and making bad decisions based on the information they've read about. While I understand the theory behind this, I don't think it's quite the right approach. Just because someone reads about violence doesn't mean they will assume it's the correct way to handle a situation. People don't always emulate what they read or watch. Giving someone that kind of information doesn't mean they will use it to make bad decisions.

I personally believe that knowledge should be free and available to everyone. Information shouldn't be censored, it should be given to anyone who wants it. Authorities should not have the power to control what information we do or do not have. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn what they wish. Learning is a basic human right, just like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The more information and knowledge that is available to people, the more opportunity they will have in life. Restricting access to knowledge not only limits their view of the world, it limits their opportunities. As Dr. Seuss says, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."