Nov 24 2012: I am a university student. During banned books week at our library blank canvases and markers were placed with the question "What is your favorite banned book?"
Instead of writing something related to the topic of banned books (which would be, by definition, my favorite) many people used it as a venue for a religious debate. The worst part of it all was that the people who decided to engage in this were completely disrespectful and intolerant to any other perspective that wasn't their own. Do people fail to realize that intolerance breeds intolerants. If one is unable to respect the views of others, they cannot logically expect for their point of view to be respected. (Even though that is making the huge assumption that logic has any place in such discourse).
I always say that the beauty of living in a democratic society is that everyone is entitled to their opinions, no matter how blatantly idiotic they may be.
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A comment on Conversation: "...but I'll defend to the death your right to say it… Really?"
Instead of writing something related to the topic of banned books (which would be, by definition, my favorite) many people used it as a venue for a religious debate. The worst part of it all was that the people who decided to engage in this were completely disrespectful and intolerant to any other perspective that wasn't their own. Do people fail to realize that intolerance breeds intolerants. If one is unable to respect the views of others, they cannot logically expect for their point of view to be respected. (Even though that is making the huge assumption that logic has any place in such discourse).
I always say that the beauty of living in a democratic society is that everyone is entitled to their opinions, no matter how blatantly idiotic they may be.