Thoughts & Things

On Banning Lived Experiences

We've come to the end of banned books week. I hope everyone has had it on their minds. We can always make an effort to read banned books, fight book challenges, and speak up in favour of putting books into people's hands rather than ripping the books away.

One thing that has always cut me to my core when it comes to book bans is the concept of banning memoirs, autobiographical stories, and fiction stories based on things people actually go through. The idea that a person's actual life is too graphic to be exposed to the public is absolutely absurd. If anything, it is vital that stories like this be shared so that others experiencing it have something to connect to.

It's common to see places like high schools challenging the presence of books that feature issues like racism, homophobia, rape, abuse, drugs, alcohol, war, etc. I can understand the urge to protect kids, but shielding them from issues they could very well be facing in their real lives could do real damage. A book could be the only way they learn they aren't alone, the way they come to terms with something that happened to them, the way they understand what is happening to a friend, the way they come to understand the world.

There is this constant need to protect children from learning about things they might already be experiencing. We fail to teach children how to deal with complicated situations, which leads to our failing children altogether. When children hit puberty without knowing what's happening to their bodies, we've failed them. When children experience things that make them feel alone and have no reference point to turn to, we've failed them. When children can't see themselves reflected in the books they're reading, we've failed them. We can teach children about difficult subjects without giving them age inappropriate materials. The subject being difficult does not make the book inherently inappropriate.

Books are our connection to other lives like our own. Books are a way we can forge a connection with lives vastly different from our own. When real experiences are reflected in a book, we all benefit. To say that an experience in a book is too mature for children who are already experiencing those things can only bring harm. We must spread knowledge and love through literature.