This is national Banned Books Week, a good time to remind everyone that almost any book can be banned by some group or other at any time. The fear of having people read a book is a sure sign of a society gone mad, and is also fairly insulting to the reader.

My own favorite contemporary banned book is Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman, which has ranked high on the list for some time now, and which is is illustrated by one of my favorite people, the talented Diana Souza (look at Diana's wonderful site with high bandwidth only). Heather Has Two Mommies has even been the inspiration for a rock song by the same name.

The censors are always good for business. Every time someone condemns a banned book, people go out and buy it. A number of books we take for granted as classics were once banned: Ulysses, The Canterbury Tales, Leaves of Grass, Call of the Wild, Frankenstein, Black Beauty, and Lady Chatterly's Lover. Even I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been banned because it contains sexual language, violence, and--shock of shocks--racism.

The librarians of our nation have always presented a staunch opposition to the censorship of books, but they need help from you. Many communities have anti-censorship groups you can join through your local library. Banned Books Week is a good time to stop taking reading for granted. With the despicable Patriot Act, the government already has a right to know what you read, and there are plenty of groups lying in wait to limit your selection.