"Fahrenheit 451" 2008: The Palin Edition

Since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee a number of rumors, articles, and scandals have surfaced and circulated about her. While some of these are true (such as having a teenage daughter who is with child), and some are just inaccurate (such as the picture of Palin in a American flag bikini flaunting a gun at a gathering where there was drinking), there are some that have that thin vein of truth that could be an ideal that should be a concern when Americans go to cast their vote.

A controversial topic especially with Banned Books Week looming around the corner (September 27th-October 4th of this year) and the idea that Palin, once she became mayor, immediately had a list of books she demanded be pulled from the shelves of the Wasilla Public Library. While this list which has been circulating has been shown to be false, what is true is that she did ask the Head Librarian Mary Ellen Emmons to remove certain books from the library and when Emmons refused she started the process of trying to get the librarian fired, an action she ultimately disbanded when it became obvious that this would not have pleased the public.

As stated while the list that is circulating the Internet is false (in actuality is just a combined list of books that the close minded of America has been trying to get banned for the last few decades) it is scary that she even tried to get books taken from the shelves. Many will call her a "concerned parent" because she doesn't want books that are not exactly age appropriate to be made accessible to younger readers.

My take on that? Were those admirers of book banning observant parents they would know what their child was reading and would not let them read a book that they didn't feel their child should be reading. Banning books seems, in this vein, just another way to be a lazy parent. It is like saying "Well I don't want to monitor myself what my child reads I feel that is too much work but I am in favor of banning the book completely that way I never have to worry about it". We Americans who enjoy the freedom to read obviously have a problem with this; books being taken from shelves of public libraries and/or bookstores and thus being banned completely is simply unacceptable.

Are we that eager to become a society much like Orwell's 1984 or Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 where a majority of our decisions are made for us? In the opinion of the author monitoring what I can read is a serious offense. While I understand why some parents wouldn't allow their children to read books they felt were not in the appropriate for their age or mentality I severely disagree with banning the book completely. And while as stated beforehand the list circulating the Internet is false the fact that Palin wanted certain books pulled from the library in the first place makes her an enemy of bibliophiles everywhere.

Let's play pretend and say that McCain and Palin win the election. Knowing that Palin already has books she feels shouldn't be in libraries is it so hard to imagine McCain and her making this one of their priorities to get said books banned? While books are challenged left and right every single year, it just seems dangerous letting a person who obviously has an agenda to get some books off the shelves in a position of power where they actually may be able to do that on a national spread. What people sometimes forget is that totalitarianism sometimes start out as small insignificant things such as taking a few books a person of power doesn't agree with off the shelf. If Palin becomes our Vice President and this happens what will be next? Do we really want the power over what we read taken away from us?

My answer is a resounding no.