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Banned books Quote by Stephen King

“Censorship and the suppression of reading materials are rarely about family values and almost always about control; About who is snapping the whip, who is saying no, and who is saying go. Censorship's bottom line is this: if the novel Christine offends me, I don't want just to make sure it's kept…” quote by Stephen King
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““Censorship and the suppression of reading materials are rarely about family values and almost always about control; About who is snapping the whip, who is saying no, and who is saying go. Censorship's bottom line is this: if the novel Christine offends me, I don't want just to make sure it's kept from my kid; I want to make sure it's kept from your kid, as well, and all the kids. This bit of intellectual arrogance, undemocratic and as old as time, is best expressed this way: "If it's bad for me and my family, it's bad for everyone's family." Yet when books are run out of school classrooms and even out of school libraries as a result of this idea, I'm never much disturbed not as a citizen, not as a writer, not even as a schoolteacher . . . which I used to be. What I tell kids is, Don't get mad, get even. Don't spend time waving signs or carrying petitions around the neighborhood. Instead, run, don't walk, to the nearest nonschool library or to the local bookstore and get whatever it was that they banned. Read whatever they're trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain, because that's exactly what you need to know.””

Stephen King

About This Quote

Source Interview: Stephen King on Censorship, 2020

Censorship is less about protecting families and more about controlling what people think, using moral arguments to restrict access to ideas.

In simple terms: Control hides ideas behind moral claims.

Key Takeaway

Seek banned books, read them.

Themes

freedom of expression control intellectual autonomy

Mood

defiant urgent

Type

activist motivational

When to use this quote

  • schools
  • libraries
  • home reading
  • community activism

Key Concepts

censorship power dynamics moral panic

Questions to Reflect On

  • What books have you hidden?
  • How do you balance protection and freedom?
A Different Perspective

Censorship can also protect vulnerable audiences from harmful content.

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