Consciousness and the Banned Book Baloney

Main point: where do you want to put your thoughts and energy?

Here, we have this problem: MAUS, a book that came out in the 80s/90s (30–40 years ago), is now being banned. Shit, what are we going to do?

First, is one book worth stressing over? Some suggest so, after all, we’re talking about the Holocaust here. Do you remember hearing about that horrific experience? Let me assure you, it was a bummer. Let’s step back for a moment, there’s a reason why I asked if this is worth stressing over. I asked this because there are literally hundreds of thousands of books on this specific topic. One less isn’t going to silence the most publicized, tragic event in modern history. But, it’s the only graphic novel that talks about it! Sorry, spoiler alert: it ain’t, you could almost fill a bookshelf.

Second, um, there’s like this thing called the internet. There isn’t a real way that this book can be completely wiped off the map. Students can literally read the graphic novel online, probably in any of those schools. Plus, out of the entire world, only a few, compared to a bajillion schools are banning this book.

But, the point is, Jon, that this book has nudity. Okay… so what? If anyone wants nudity, they have plenty of other options. Again, first point: there is so much nudity and saucy references in so many other books that would make MAUS look like a baby board book.

But the real point is, Jon, they’re not teaching the Holocaust in super great detail. Okay, that’s fair. But they’re not being taught critical thinking to understand much of what they’re learning in general. Luckily, they’ve already learned the basics in kindergarten: “Don’t hurt people, it makes them feel bad.” Alternate version: “The more we can celebrate our differences, the more we can get along and not murder each other and live together, peacefully.” Alternate, softer version: “The more we’re kind and nice to each other, the more we’ll expect and appreciate being kind and nice to each other.” Another version: “No matter what, the darkness and evil of the world shall be overcome by those whom disallow it in their hearts and in their lives.” Each of these versions are constantly asserted and repeated a bajillion times every day, simply by the fact that most of us are constantly looking for positive connections with ourselves, each other, and everything else.

You’re being facetious Jon, straight up. Well… again, the Holocaust was very…