Think for yourself? A pox on you!
In researching my column that ran today on Banned Books Week, I asked Fresno County Librarian Karen Bosch Cobb a question that my daughter Alyssa, 12, had.
Why is children's book "James and the Giant Peach," by Roald Dahl, on the list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books?
Someone (sorry, I didn't catch her name) called me back with the answers:
1. James is verbally and physically abused by his aunts.
2. The book makes reference to alcohol, tobacco and snuff.
3. The book "encourages disobedience."
Because we all know that will NEVER occur to children unless they read about it in books. Why don't we just forbid everything that promotes independent thought?