The word of the day for April 13, 2007 is “censorship” — noun 1 a : the institution, system, or practice of examining in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable b : the actions or practices of censors; especially : censorial control exercised repressively. 2 : the office, power, or term of a Roman censor. 3 : exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor, a hypothetical psychic agency that represses unacceptable notions before they reach consciousness.
Kurt Vonnegut died Wednesday. He was one of the best writers of the post World War II era. His speculative fiction was sometimes criticized as simplistic, but the ideas behind the stories were insightful and sometimes scary. (The idea of ice that doesn’t float, for instance, is as scary to me as global warming.) Although the movie based on his book Slaughterhouse Five was not to my taste, I figure it gave at least a few minds a chance to think a different thought.
Certain groups have attempted, and probably will continue to attempt, to ban Vonnegut’s writing. They are the ones who think that unorthodox thoughts are somehow inherently dangerous or that others should not have fun in unsanctioned ways. To quote Mr. Vonnegut, "So it goes." My mother forbade me to read Science Fiction when I was twelve. I think she wanted to save me from the lurid covers of the late 1950’s Sci-Fi pulp novels. I’m glad that I didn’t pay too much attention to her prohibition, for I would have missed out on Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five as well as many other works by other authors that have shaped today’s world.
The quote for today is from Clare Booth Luce (1903 - 1987):
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but, unlike charity, it should end there.
;^) Jan
1 comment:
Pardon my ignorance Jan but I vaguely recognise this authors name. I hate not knowing about an author who has lived a long life and written 'speculative fiction'. I am intrigued by his concept of ice that doesn't float. I must search this book out one day soon. My father censored my reading. No 'True Romance' books before I was old enough to understand them and no reading the 'problem pages' in the Women's magazines. It didn't hurt me but I was naive for quite a lot longer than most girls. Lol! Jeanie
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