Sara Nelson Blog | 09/18/2008 3:30 pm

Sarah Palin and the Case of the Banned Books, by Sara Nelson

By Sara Nelson

Editor’s Note: Sara Nelson is the editor in chief of Publisher’s Weekly, the industry’s leading news source, covering every aspect of creating, producing, marketing and selling the written word in book, audio, video and electronic formats.

Given that we’re all “book people,” I assume that most of us got several copies of the list of books supposedly banned by Sarah Palin that circulated on the Internet last week. At last count, I received a dozen e-mails with the list attached, some of them from friends wanting to share the pain, and some suggesting I run the list in Publisher’s Weekly. I considered it, of course, until the list was declared a hoax — apparently, it names titles that have been banned at one time or another in American history and, most tellingly, a few books that hadn’t even been published when Palin was mayor.

What’s the truth of Sarah and the librarian? According to several reports, Palin had asked at least one librarian what the town’s “policy” was on book banning, which is a perfectly acceptable question for a new mayor to ask, though one that could have had a different agenda behind it than if, say, I had asked it. The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, reportedly allowed as how she didn’t believe in book banning. She was later fired, but after a public outcry the popular librarian was reinstated. That said, there is no real evidence that Palin tried to remove books from the library. Choosing titles at random from the bogus list, which included Brave New World, Catch-22 and the Harry Potter books, the only one I found not to be at the Wasilla public library was Heather Has Two Mommies, a book about lesbian parenting (duh) that no doubt is absent from many a smalltown stack. So while Palin stands for many things about which my feelings range from unease to stout disapproval, one thing I cannot accuse her of is being a book banner. Case closed.

Of all the kinds of phony lists that a Palin basher might concoct ... the one that won a hoaxter's heart was a roster of books banned.

But I couldn’t help being struck by something: Of all the kinds of phony lists that a Palin basher might concoct — number of abortion clinics shuttered, say, or the contents of her personal arsenal — the one that won a hoaxter’s heart was a roster of books banned. Many of the book people I know would be just as appalled at assaults on women’s reproductive rights or limp regulation of guns, yet there were no smear campaigns that I know of on these hot topics. And why is that?

Maybe, in a way, focusing on book banning is easy. While there is indeed a wide range of popular opinion about abortion and gun rights, there’s considerably less dispute about censorship. Like child abuse, few are for it. And surely part of the bogus e-mail campaign’s power was that it confirmed for us something we already believed: that Palin is an extremist in social matters.

But I also think that the prevalence and vehemence of the banned-books e-mail — it was picked up by the mainstream press and eventually debunked by USA Today, among others — suggests something else, something I find in a roundabout, slightly twisted way, pretty positive. To wit: Books matter. They matter in the national conversation. They matter enough for us to solicit and debate our potential leaders’ attitudes toward them.

In other words, they are lifeblood even for those for whom they’re not livelihood.

388 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I don’t know what Bible you are reading that you keep missing it, but I can gaurantee that if you are truly seeking the truth found in God’s word, He will indeed show you. I wasn’t jumping to conclusions, your prior posting, was a dead giveaway.

By HA BIBI on 09/19/2008 12:09 pm

e-mail alert

I own a Catholic Bible, two King James’ versions, and a newer 20th century version that is very popular these days. Let’s be candid here: I was born and raised as a Christian in a family and community in which everyone took the Bible as a bunch of handed down myths associated with the sweetness of tradition. We understood these traditions to be parallel with and not entirely unlike Native American traditions and those of many other cultures and religious faiths. I do not believe the Bible represents the “Word of God,” but the words and beliefs of the men who wrote down the words. You are fully entitled to believe otherwise, but you are not entitled to force your beliefs upon me through the laws of this country. It is your country, and it is my country. I have a guarantee under the consitution that you cannot force me to adopt your belief system. I would not dream of suggesting you get an abortion, but lady, don’t tell me I cannot make that choice!

By MaryPage Drake on 09/19/2008 12:57 pm

e-mail alert

Lady, Don’t get your panties in a twist. No one told you or anyone what to do with your body. I simply stated that abortion is wrong in the eyes of God. I stand by that. I don’t care whether you believe it as truth or not, in the eyes of God it is the truth and just because you don’t believe it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change the truth. It is obvious in your above post, that the word of God to you, is nothing more than a bunch of handed down myths associated with the sweetness of tradition. I on the other hand know that it is far more than your weak definition. You may have your rights under this constitution and so do I, one of them is voicing my beliefs and unlike you who continue to prattle on and on childishly assuming others are telling you, what you can and cannot do, with your body is exactly the speech of a moron.spewing forth such ridiculousness. You can do what ever you want and so can I, and that is, stating what God has to say about it and my belief in his word. If you don’t like my beliefs, then I would suggest that you mossey on down the road and post to others who care, instead of ranting at me…Who doesn’t care what you think.

By HA BIBI on 09/19/2008 8:16 pm

e-mail alert

Elaine - would you please try to remember that this is not a religious website and you are not here to convert anyone. Thank you

By Maurine H on 09/19/2008 2:47 pm

e-mail alert

“How do you KNOW what God has to say?” Great question, MaryPage. For the purposes of this, ahem, discussion, the answer is that it doesn’t matter what God might have to say. God doesn’t write the laws in the USA.

By Meg Umans on 09/19/2008 7:03 pm

e-mail alert

Elaine, I know your type, too. You are mean, nasty, vindinctive, and evil. You are one of the types of people who Christ warns us against—you wear those hair shirts, participate in self-flagellation, and point fingers at others. You believe that you know best and the others who have their own opinions be damned! If murdering innocents is bad, then why has George Bush had so many of them murdered in Iraq—a country which had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11? By your words, it okay to murder in war, Elaine? If murder is a sin according the Ten Commandments, or the Top 10 as I like to call them, why is okay to kill in war? And in case you didn’t know it, you are not God either. And to answer your question, Elaine, have I taken in a pregnant girl? No. I had to move in with my 83-year-old mother when her health started failing two years ago. And so you will know, Elaine, I am currently holding down two jobs so I do not have to depend on any subsidy from the government. I do give money to groups trying to promote sex education and birth control in schools. While you might have been a “good” girl in high school, lots of young people do experiment sexually and they need to know how to protect themselves not only from pregnancy, but from STDs. I think it is nothing less than criminal that they are not educated to learn how to protect themselves. It is foolish to think that teens are going to abstain from sex. And I have to say, that out of the thousands of women I know, only two of them have had abortions. One girl I knew in high school, Elaine, before Roe v. Wade, heard from a friend of her older sister that if she took an entire month’s pack of birth control pills she would abort. I spent the night with her, she took all 20 pills and had a miscarriage. She was 17 and a senior in high school and I honestly think her father would have killed her if she had told her parents she was pregnant. No one should have to go through that again, Elaine.

By Rita T on 09/19/2008 3:58 pm

e-mail alert

First of all Rita, You don’t read very well do you? as if you had, you would have seen that I am not against birth control as I also know that young people are often NOT going to listen when parents attempt to teach them a better way, than experimenting with sex. It’s people like you, that reduce the human race to the thinking level of animals, as if there are no children who do take heed to the advice of their parents. For your information not every kid has to go out and do it, and that birth control should be availabe to those who can’t take direction and feel the need to experiment as you so call it. People need to take responsibility for their actions and again, Murdering the unborn is certainly not the answer. I stand by that, because God, whether or not you believe, is against the taking of innocents lives. It is People like you, who are the mean and nasty one’s as you can’t wrap your small minds around the fact that there are those of us who don’t believe in killing babies. Your last few sentences are nothing more than your own speculation with regards to to the young womans father killing her, how do you know that? I don’t know the circumstances of how she became pregnant, i.e. rape or was it “Experimenting” I do know for a fact that even in that time, there would have been other people available to offer her other alternatives, and at the same time, would have cared for her. Rita, there is no place in any of my post’s that claims that I said I was God, so in your feeble attempt to voice your opposition to my beliefs you show your total ignorance by nothing more than your stating things no one said and then assuming anothers wardrobe of choice. And you wonder why I find you without credibility. You too, also show your biblical illiteracy, as if you truly understood the word of God, you would know that war is not murder, it is war and God has led many of troop, into battle and was at the helm of those brave men who also recieved the victory. On 9/11, we were attacked but it is people like you who don’t understand the need at times to go to war and are the very same, that, if left to do nothing, would see this country attacked over and over again. Slaughtering the unborn, is not the same as soilders going to war to protect our country and it’s citizens…Including the unborn. No it’s you and your self proclaimation that God is the liar alongside all those who believe in his word. And that it is ok for you and others to play God, by the taking of the lives of the unborn. BTW, it is the likes of you, whom God warns us about.

By HA BIBI on 09/19/2008 6:16 pm

e-mail alert

Elaine, we were not attacked by the Iraqis on 9/11!!! WHY are we bombing and killing them? We WERE attacked by a group consisting mainly of Saudi Arabians who were members of al-Qaida. Why AREN’T we at war with the Saudis? Because the Saudi rulers and the Bush family have been in bed together for years. Why did Bush put aside the war on Afghanistan? On the topic of being pro-choice, it is evident that you are so closed minded that you will not accept that other people have different opinions from yours. My opinion doesn’t make me right any more than yours makes you right. I will not attempt to discuss it with you again.

By Rita T on 09/19/2008 7:49 pm

e-mail alert

Why is that Republicans are so interested in controlling a woman’s womb, but not for sex education, family planning, really educating children once they get here, and are all for going over and bombing the hell out of little innocent Iraqi children, and creating a generation of serious birth defects because the US poisoned their country with depleted uranium with a have life of 4/5 billion years? There is so much illogical in their mutually exclusive beliefs that it defies any kind of reason I know of. ie ‘Shock and Awe” just the name and idea is so evil and perverse. Bush Inc KNEW they ginned up evidence to start a phony war and reigned terror down on an urban population of 5M 50% under 15. That’s GOP Family Values. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awrd8GM-Mko

By HoBo Economy Thanks Bush-McSame on 09/18/2008 10:15 pm

e-mail alert

Gee Suzanne, You might try asking those unborn women in the wombs of those women that can’t be bothered giving them their rights. I have no problem with sex education, birth control ect…. I am against the slaughter of unborn children (Both boy’s and girls) Whether or not you agree with war, this country was attacked on 9/11 and there was a swift response. I don’t like war period myself, but I am of enough common sense to know that there are times when war is warranted and unfortunately there are casulities on both sides. Suzanne, you and I both know that we are not privy to all details that go on behind the secenes regarding the war effort, but everyone who is against the war, refuses to accept that General Petraeus, time and time again continually states that the surge has and continues to work. And all I can say about what I do know and having dealt with the military for five years, (Flying troops in and out of the war zone)those fine men and women of the armed services all wanted to go and Kick Saddams ass, and having known what he and his son’s did to people, men, women and children alike, people might be a little more thrilled that Saddam the saddist and his offsping are gone.

By HA BIBI on 09/19/2008 1:43 am

e-mail alert

elaine, i realize that i am responding to only one of the things you said, but no, the surge is NOT working. the surge was meant to give iraq the opportunity to form a political solution to their civil war. it hasn’t worked. what? you mean the slowdown in violence? the ethnic cleansing (as we now call it) that drove sunnis to foreign countries or to sunni strongholds in baghdad is now almost complete: thus, inter ethnic violence is down. indeed, the shiite government of iraq has begun arresting the sunni leaders of the anbar awakening. the 9/11 attack was carried out by predominantly saudi al quaeda members, yet the united states did not attack saudi arabia. that attack was the brainchild of osama bin laden, yet the united states has shown relative indifference toward capturing him. whatever saddam hussein did with the encouragement of the reagan administration and donald rumsfeld (the halabja massacre) and using weapons they sold him, he did not incur american wrath until he invaded kuwait, lost that battle, and suffered having a no fly zone imposed on him thereafter. he was contained when dubya bush went wild in an attempt to become a war president. bush did succeed in becoming a war president through outright lies and rigging of intelligence. that money being wasted in iraq could pay for infrastructure, education, health care, or just a better safety net for the workers losing their jobs and the people dependent upon them.

By mary lou s on 09/19/2008 2:50 am

e-mail alert

Reagan/Bush I armed, trained and gave Saddam weapons and money for years, and also armed Iran in the 7 year Iran-Iraq war to keep it going because the Bush family are WAR PROFITEERS. They have started many wars, deposed democratically elected leaders when it suite to to install their puppet dictators, (Contra wars) and negotiated with/supported dictorial regiemes when that suited them ie Oil/Gas/Minerals. Kadaffi’s OK now. The Brutal military regieme in Burma that ousted a democratically leader is shored up by the Bush Administration because of Halliburton’s major gas pipeline there. North Korea has nukes and a crazy dictator, that’s OK because no oil. Iran doesn’t pose a nuke threat but they are a problem because the agenda is to control the Caspian sea and Iran is the next step Saddam had no WMD, the world knew it, the UN inspectors knew it, the world church leaders knew it, Bush Inc knew it. Saudi hijackers attacked us and all the terrorism is Saudi funded and Saudis and the bin Laden family have been close biz assocs with the Bush family going back to before Harkin Oil. OBL’s brother was a major stockholder in Bush’s Harkin OIl. The Bin Laden Planes were the ONLY planes allowed to leave the US (ie the scene of a crime involving their brother) no other planes were allowed to fly, not even life saving medivacs…..just the bin Laden family…and approval came directly from the WH. Bush KNEW that Saddam had nothing to do with 911. And While Saddam went after the Kurds and others….he in no way did a fraction of the killing torturing maming and destroying that Bush has done there. Bush saying Saddam had nothing to do with 911: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbFzCvvSns&feature=related Aggressive/’preventative’ wars happen to be against the US Constitution and Intl Law. Russia just did it in Georgia…and that was bad. Remember? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbFzCvvSns&feature=related Here is the devastating results of their aggressive wars planned in 1998 that have benefitted only the war profitteers: http://www.irmep.org/2008pnac.htm Here is the ridiculous apportioning of our tax dollars that benefit only the war profiteers. having the richest, most powerful, most technologically advanced military in the history of the world didn’t prevent Saudis armed with box cutters that couldn’t fly Cessenas into our buldings because they wanted it to happen and wrote, in 1998, that they needed a New Pearl Harbor as a pretext to their phony war. http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/ Every Empire that has ended, was ended by Imperialism and disproportioante spending on profittering wars that sunk the state. Just what is happening. Perhaps read “War is a Rackett” by one of a handful of the most decorated Marines in US history that said he was nothing but a thug for US corporations: http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm To believe what you have been told about 911 means that you believe the laws of physics were suspended on that day. that’s the only way the official story can be true. http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=loose+change&emb=0&aq=f# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Pearl_Harbor

By HoBo Economy Thanks Bush-McSame on 09/19/2008 3:13 am

e-mail alert

Elaine, I’m just curious, between flying troops around, and saving the worlds unborn, where in the world do you find the time to post so much? I understand your passion on the issue of abortion and a woman’s right to choose, but what I don’t understand is the constant hostility that oozes from your posts to those that disagree with you.

By Catherine Kaiman on 09/19/2008 10:19 am

e-mail alert

It’s called living a full life, It’s called being a can do type of person, It’s called working hard and flying smart, It’s called community service, It’s called about taking ones self and being of service to others when the opportunity arises. I notice your post to me was at 10:19 am this morning, while my posting, was done at the quiet hours of late at night, last night. I guess I’ve got more stamina than most. BTW, I also raised two children as a single parent for most of their lives. It’s called putting your money where your mouth is. Catherine, I don’t care if people agree with me or not, it’s not a matter of folks agreeing with me. I didn’t write the Bible nor what God has to say in it. You can argue your case till the cows come home and it doesn’t change one iota, of what God has to say about it. I believe God, not mans words. You call it hostility and you do so, because I fully believe that that is the easy way out for you. We as an entire human race, do not have the right to kill unborn babies.(God’s Law) I know you don’t agree with me, I would expect nothing less from you and your kind. Rather, It’s you being the one with the difficulty accepting the fact that I don’t agree with you and those, who think it alright to kill the unborn.

By HA BIBI on 09/19/2008 12:02 pm

e-mail alert

Ahhhh Elaine, first of all, please don’t make yourself look like an idiot by assuming you know anything about me. First of all Elaine, I have never once in my life looked or taken the easy way out, that I can assure you. Secondly, I am a Christian, and I do not believe in abortion as a method of birth control, I do however believe there are a couple exceptions to abortion, rape and incest. Just because I myself, would never have an abortion, I would never presume myself to be so righteous to lay judgement on those that have or will make that choice. Simply because that judgement is God’s to make NOT yours. I too, was a single mother of two sons for many years Elaine, I don’t need to go around tooting my own horn for it however, I did it because I simply love my children. Being a single parent doesn’t make one “unique” Elaine. My third child, was born with Spina Bifida, he is paralized from the waist down, has to be catheterized 5 times daily, he has a C-tube in order to have bowel movements, he has a shunt in his brain, has undergone 14 surgeries in his short 17 years. He was recently diagnosed with a heart issue and to top it all off he suffers migraines at least a dozen days a month. Yes I suppose an abortion would have been the easy way out Elaine, for some but not for me. God gave me this child for a reason, and I love him with each and every fiber of my being. However, having a special needs child, does not give one unique status either. As for Community Service Elaine, I do fundraising for several different charities, I also volunteer for many different animal rescues. Twice a week I drive homebound seniors to various appointments. I volunteer at my son’s school. During the winter months I am part of the snow angels, where we go around shovelling snow for those who for whatever reason can’t shovel their own walkways. My husband and I adopt two needy family’s ever Christmas via an Anonymous Santa program. As well as participating in various community projects. Please Elaine, don’t preach to me about community service, I may not be able to fly a plane Elaine, but I have always taken the opportunity to help others when the opportunity arises. However, I don’t usually discuss those things because, I don’t think it an act of heroism, I consider it an act of community spirit, growing as a person, and just a good thing to do. I certainly don’t need to honk my own horn about it, nor do I believe this makes me unique, or better than anyone else. As for your quip about stamina, yes my post was at 10:19 am, for you see I get up at 5 a.m. each morning to make breakfast for my family, take my dogs for a walk, get my youngest ready to catch the handi-bus to school. Then I have various household chores to tend to, such as vaccuuming, dusting, dishes, washing floors, and perhaps throwing in a load of laundry. Then, if it’s a day where I am not scheduled to drive seniors, I will take a break and have a coffee and log onto the computer from time to time. Trust me Elaine, I do not lack stamina in any shape way or form, considering I am up various times during the night as well to tend to my youngest son. As for living a life Elaine, I live my life to fullest each and every day, because I am thankful for the life GOD gave me. You have a tendancy to pass judgement on people Elaine, when you have absolutely no knowledge of the person you are passing judgement on. I put my money where my mouth is Elaine, but I don’t NEED to belittle or demean someone in the process, to make myself feel more powerful. As for not agreeing with you on abortion Elaine, I never said I didn’t, for I do, for the most part. What I don’t agree with is your relentless hostility towards those who do disagree with you. As for not expecting nothing less from me and my kind, well I admit, I’m not quite understanding what you mean by that comment, but I’m sure it’s something else meant to be demeaning and ignorant, something which after reading your post doesn’t surprise me, I would not expect anything less from you Elaine. Just you. In the future please do not presume to think you know anything about me Elaine, and please don’t presume that you are so much better than anyone else, for the truth of the matter dear is God loves me and everyone else just as much as he loves you. I look forward to more of your posts “basking” in your own glory, condemning others and thinking you are righteous enough to do God’s work by passing judgement. I hope you have a wonderful day Elaine, God Bless.

By Catherine Kaiman on 09/23/2008 10:32 am