You may think that banning books was something that happened in Victorian times, but banning books still happens -- and mystery novels are not exempt.
Mystery novels banned? By whom and why? The US Constitution's first ammendment states
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
However, schools and libraries around the United States act to ban numerous books each year, stating reasons such as profanity, violence, and even "bad role models." Recently effected works include those by some of America's most illustrious writers, such as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.
Mystery novels have been touched also. John Grisham's "A Time to Kill" was banned from many schools for its graphic rape scene. The classic Joseph Heller novel, "Catch-22," has been banned for its earthy language, and the widely popular Harry Potter novels have been banned from a few school libraries, citing that Harry Potter makes a poor role model for young readers.
What do you think? Do you think schools and libraries are justified in prohibiting certain books from gracing their shelves? What do you think the standards should be? Share your thoughts at the discussion below.
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