One of the joys of working in bookshops comes from finding out what our government does to literature through its censorship board, the OFLC. Today at work I came across a recently banned book, called The Peaceful Pill about voluntary euthanasia.
The Peaceful Pill is written by Dr Phillip Nitschke and is I believe, a response to the the overturning of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (ROTI) in the Northern Territory by the Kevin Andrews Private Member's Bill in the Australian Parliament in 1997. The website that publishes and distributes the book is here: http://www.exitinternational.net
The OFLC reviewed the classification of the book in February and then banned it. Originally it was illegal to import it, but legal to distribute it or some such legal hogswallop. The press press release from the OFLC is here: http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=952&filename=952.pdf
The thing that makes me mad about banning of books is that no one can judge how this book is going to affect individuals or society. It is just like banning a movie cos it violent or art because the artist has used Christian mythological symbols in an offensive way to some people, or some music that 'made' a kid commit suicide. I choose. I get from information what I will. Only I can make it my knowledge that determines my action or reaction. I know someone who would fly into an uncontrollable rage if they were told they were not allowed to smoke in pubs anymore (as of April in Melbourne I believe) and rant like madman. The information presented caused a reaction. If I was told I could not smoke in pubs anymore, I would say yes, but is it English? I don't care. I feel like killing myself when I hear Christina Agulera or however you spell her name, cos it makes me sick what pop has become, but that it information becoming my knowledge. I may read about how to kill myself and then go and bake a cake. Who fucking knows.
Banning books is wrong. People should learn to think for themselves. If our society is teaching us that by banning books, then that is horrible beyond belief. Why cant they teach us to think?
By the way I bought a new fridge. Well, it is a second hand fridge in actual fact. I got it on friday. On saturday I went out and bought the food that's on the receipt. Click on it, the actual size will come up. Then the fridge broke.
Incidentally, 53 items totalling $160.05 means $3.02 average for each item.
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