Banned Books Week is an annual event that draws much needed attention on the freedom to read or even really the freedom to think. We all should stand up when schools are pressured to prevent students from reading To Kill a Mockingbird, particularly in cases where "concerned parents" believe they are opposing racism and injustice by banning a book that would accomplish more by being read.  Are we trying to control what children learn instead of urging them and inspiring them to think?  Not only would I keep challenging and provocative material in the curriculum, I might be willing to go even further.

Different Drummer: Karen Elizabeth Gordon