Christopher Columbus believed that the world was round, a concept that most of the world's scientists and scholars already believed, and yet, had Columbus lived in a rigid democracy, he would never have been allowed to prove anyone wrong. You see, the majority of people believed the world was flat, and in a democracy majority rules. Although this is flawed and simplistic logic, it strives to make a point: the majority cannot always be allowed to rule.

We've started to discuss the 1st Amendment to the Constitution in class, and here on the website we've explored two biographies, Lenny Bruce and Jim Morrison, to better understand how something that once was concidered "obscene" by the majority, has been vindicated and accepted both culturally and Constitutionally.

Each year though, new "challenges" arise, in particular when it comes to books. Harry Potter books are challenged because of their mystical nature. Tuck Everlasting is challenged due to using just one offensive word. The "banned" book list is endless, and yet I place the word "banned" in quotes for a reason. None of the books have been challenged successfully. A successful challenge to create a ban on a book would have to prove all three of the "Miller Tests" in order to be considered obscene or inappropriate. We'll discuss banned books more throughout the semester. Banned books is a topic that also falls unders Bloom's "Evaluative" type of question, questions or topics that may not have difinitive answers.

Often, challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from inappropriate content or offensive language. Although this is a commendable motivation, "Free Access to Libraries for Minors," an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights states that, "Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources." Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.

Extra credit essay: Why does Harry Potter remain so controversial year after year. The essay can be handwritten in your journals and in draft form. No citings are necessary for this one, just logic and clever thought. 250 to 400 words.