It’s about time

We knew it was going to happen. We knew it was only a matter of time. “It” has been happening for a long time. But — and this is important—some were left untouched, unscathed, if you will, by the noxious banning of books in states like Utah and Florida. But we knew it had to happen. We knew that there was one writer that the drooling anti-book crowd would find their way to sooner or later.

That author is Stephen King. Florida has banned 23 of King’s books from school libraries. Some of the books banned include:

It

Carrie

The Running Man

The Long Walk

The Gunslinger

“What the f###” was what King had to say about it.

Of course, this is all due to Governor Pudding Fingers and HB 1069, which requires some books to be removed.

It seems that “some books” mean every book anyone complains about.

Fortunately, something is being done about all of this. Some major publishing houses, such as Random House and Penguin Books, are now suing to get these pathetic book removal provisions tossed aside. FINALLY! It’s about time! Look, book banning is as much on the ballot as anything else. We need a president who reveres the written word and sees in the written word knowledge to be had. What we DO NOT need are people who see the written word as evil, as something to toss aside, to burn, to steal from children.

America, the beautiful, has always been as much about knowledge and imagination as anything else. We need ALL books for they give us understanding, they fire up our imaginations, and they allow us to see the sunrise from multiple perspectives. King is a great author. I don’t know about you, but “Carrie,” for example, taught this writer so much about the horror of bullying. No book deserves to be banned — ever — anywhere –, but this is one time where I can write about these bans with a smile because publishers have finally had enough, and now litigation is pending. It’s the right thing to do.