I used to think all book bans were just about politics...

I was reading about the 1987 ban of 'The Satanic Verses' in India and a bunch of other places. For years I figured it was just a religious thing, you know? But then I read a piece from a professor in Mumbai who explained the real fear was about street riots and public safety, not just the book's content. That changed my view on a lot of these cases. Makes you wonder how many bans are really about keeping the peace versus controlling ideas.

2 comments

2 Comments

emma7681mo ago

But that just sounds like an excuse to me... they could have kept the peace without banning the book. It's easier to control the book than control a crowd, so they pick the simple fix.

the_elizabeth1mo ago

Exactly, it's the lazy way out. I see this all the time at work, honestly. Management will change a simple rule for EVERYONE because of one person who can't follow it, instead of just dealing with that one person. It's always about the path of least resistance, even if it's wrong.