Suzanne of the conservative Big Blue Wave Canada blog has well-thought out fictional piece, entitled, "Harry and the Human Rights Complaint" about a young man named Harry, Director of Library Services at a public library in futuristic Canda, where the ideals of free speech are supressed in the name of "Social Harmony" and maintaining the status quo on contraversial issues. When Harry features a book at his library which challenges the status quo, he is faced with a human rights violation lawsuit and a clash begins between those in favor of freedom of speech and those who wish to maintain the stutus quo, with Harry in the middle, unsure what to do.
Well written, the piece raises very real issues such as censorship and free speech (should we prohibit or allow contraversial literature and ideas in libraries for the sake of education or are we seeking balance "social harmony"?), the possibility of the internet drawing public attention away from reading, and classic and unique books are being pushed aside in favor of the newest novels and fad books. Also the story touches on more sentimental issues such as the feelings of the contentment one has at seeing the rows and rows of books at the library and the ideal that books are a gateway to knowledge.
No comments:
Post a Comment