The medium of text holds a remarkable amount of indoctrination power. As with television, movies, and photographs, the content of novels, magazines, newspapers, and other types of written material can often include depraved, inappropriate, or, most importantly, dangerous ideas, images, or scenes. Many people don't realize that just by reading a murder mystery or a book like '1984' that is anti-establishment, or by reading an account of the life of a bloodthirsty dictator that they absorb information, and even internalize ideas that normally would not occur in their natural mind. Besides this, the types of people that enjoy books with descriptions of gory scenes often glean some enjoyment from violence, and many who read books like '1984' of their own volition may have anti-government tendencies. Therefore, in order to track and possibly prevent those with closet affection for violence and those who are anti-government (perhaps in a dangerous way), the government does have a right to know what people are reading. This, of course, does not mean that the government has a right to remove material from circulation that is viewed as being indicative of unsafe characteristics in those who read such material. It merely means that they have a right to know.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Yes, it's sketchy if someone checks out a book on homemade bombs from the library, but I disagree with your statement about 1984. If someone chooses to read it, it doesn't mean they have anti-government tendencies. It's just a popular, well written book.
I don't think what people read is any indication of their motives or personality. I read murder mysterys all the time, does this mean I'm violent? Even if the government did have a right to know what we're reading, how would they determine who is internalizing the text and who isn't?
Oops, that last comment was by Carly Haeck
I agree with you, Molly, that the governments have the right to know what people are reading, but not taking the books away just because it is might seems like a threat to the country or something else. Some people read for their causes. I know most of us, especially students, we are amazed with the things are dangerous. We want to read it to be informed so we can be cautious. But sometimes the governments think students would read that to plan something, which is not true.
-Lily
I disagree that the government should have a right to know what people are reading, mainly because, as with surveillance cameras in common places people would become paranoid and censor themselves, and their choice of reading material. Also in response to your saying that by reading something people internalize ideas about something that “normally would not occur in their natural mind”, however by presenting this idea in books as apposed to being confronted by it in real life they are given a chance to think about, and form their own opinion about the ideas.
Post a Comment