regarding book censorship

The other major element that I left out of my discussion of "Dirty Hands" was President Roslin's censorship of Baltar's book. The discussion about labor disputes blew it from my mind. But it was this issue that really made me despise Roslin at the start of the episode. She acted as if Baltar's manifesto was the worst thing in the world; like it was a public health crisis. She confiscated it and lied about it. I don't see what was so dangerous about it. And if it were, why did Roslin not simply circulate a counter-argument to his points? Doesn't the fleet have a free press? I understand that some things can stir up disorder, and perhaps Baltar said some things that may have indeed been dangerous, but he also made some good points and observations.

I am against book bannings for the most part. I don't have a problem with people deciding on their own to shun certain books, but I do when a large entity tells them to. I would have allowed OJ to publish If I Did It. Does it make a mockery of our justice system? Maybe. But if he can't put that out, then what other texts will be outlawed one day? Wouldn't that be a good historical document to have for future study?

This is not to say that there cannot be some censorship in place. If Christian schools don't want to put books promoting homosexual families in their libraries, they shouldn't have to. I think it depends on the situation, but the free market takes care of many of these issues anyway. If a work is repugnant, then put out a counter-argument. Some restriction might be applied for younger or less mature readers on certain things. I don't expect having second graders flip through Mein Kampf. But do I believe it should still be in print? Yes I do. There are some books I flat out hate. There are books that offend me greatly. There are books (An Inconvenient Truth?) that I even find somewhat dangerous. But I don't advocate their destruction. That's the easy way out; the reactionary way out. Christian parents may find that the His Dark Materials series promotes an atheistic worldview. But I think it important that they read them so they can discuss those points properly. I think it best to restrict them to older children, but that's different from crusading against them.

I think next week is banned book week. Think long and hard about your relationship to book censorship. Slander and libel are illegal, but otherwise our press is free. I'm glad Baltar was able to get his book out. President Roslin really needs to sort out her idea of freedom. She may say she cares about the people, but she doesn't care about Baltar, and that's a problem.