I was so dismayed by the story in today’s Orlando Sentinel about the Longwood mother holding hostage public library copies of Gossip Girl books (www.orlandosentinel.com) to keep them out of the hands of minors that I posted it on Facebook. Happily, everyone who commented is also opposed to censorship. Alas, the woman was just on TV returning the books — although not paying $85 in fines — saying she had made her point by getting so much media attention. Huh?! Are you thinking about your daughter reading a racy book or your own 15 minutes of fame?
Ok, so I’m going to play along for the moment. I’m not going to rail against people who think that that because they pay taxes they can control who reads what. I personally don’t care what she reads, or doesn’t want her daughter to read, as long as she doesn’t deny me or my kids the opportunity to check out the books we want to read.
I am going to give thanks once again to my mother, who turned me loose in the library and told the librarian I was free to roam the adult section if I wanted. My mom never told me I couldn’t read something; she did put many good books in my hand — Rebecca, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird. She trusted me, and she was probably well aware we were passing around a dog-eared copy of Peyton Place on the school bus.
Which brings me to the Longwood woman’s teenage daughter. I really do hope that she has a good relationship with her mother and understands that her mother is doing what she thinks is in her best interest. Maybe she is even proud that her mother has taken up an unpopular cause.
But my bet is that she’s embarrassed half to death that her mom is treating her as a child in front of her friends, not trusting her to make her own decisions about what’s appropriate. Reading a book with swear words and references to sex and drugs doesn’t turn teens into dope-smoking sex fiends. A deeper pathology is at work there. But slapping a “for mature audiences only” warning on a book practically guarantees that curiosity will out. Ironic, isn’t it? Perhaps a plotline for a future installment of the very popular Gossip Girl series.
Meanwhile, open minds, open books. And vice versa.
On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 
I TOTALLY agree with you, Nancy! My husband & I were talking about the same thing earlier today. The kids today are inundated with the same “stuff” on TV, Internet,etc. Some of the TV commercials are much worse than what was in those books.
I too was given free reign in my library as a kid, & can remember memorizing the page number of a certain book to read a sexy part of it each time I visited the library–can`t even remember the name of the book now!
Kudos to the Seminole County Library for NOT caving to that kind of censorship.
Good essay, Nance.
Some people have vampire brains – meaning they are afraid they will crumble to dust if they let a little sunshine in.
What a shame this had to happen. What is the world coming to? And if she thinks Gossip Girls is a problem, she has another think coming.
I had a great mom who encouraged reading too, and a rough looking copy of Peyton Place doing the circuit. But trust is the name of the game. So is parental love and guidance.
Thanks for your post.
I read whatever I wanted as a kid as well. I’m not sure my mom would have approved had she known, but I think she had other things going on. I turned out almost normal!
Well said, Nancy. Have been out of town and missed this mis-firing Mom’s antics.
So grateful to my Mom (and Dad) for encouraging me to read whatever challenged and interested me.
So it occurs to me that, aside from all of the usual arguments, this woman is making a huge mistake when dealing with an adolescent. She has just guaranteed that her daughter — along with legions of other youngsters — will head straight for the nearest library to see these books. Did she miss the memo on teen rebellion?