Why A Rose?

                  Many people say roses are the ultimate symbol of love. I disagree with these people. In this article there are many sentences and words that support that the red rose is the symbol of love. But I still disagree.

                  One reason would be that a rose is a material item. I believe love should not be about material items, like roses. If you have to be given roses to know someone loves you than you might not love them enough. I also believe that love should not be symbolized by getting someone a dozen red roses, its should be symbolized by the actions they make and how you treat one another.

                 Also roses die. Someone could take the rose dyeing as their love dying. Roses over time shrivel up and die! Do you want that to happen to your love? NO! You probably don't... hopefully.

This is why I believe roses should not be a symbol of love.

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What Is Love?

Love is when you are able to look at someone and smile for no reason. It's when you can find yourself in another person. It's not just a cute relationship with kissing and hand holding. It's when you are committed to spending the rest of your life with that person and sharing everything with them. 

When I see someone who claims they love another person, I really wonder if they could behonest and trustworthy with them. To be able to share everything with them and to listen to them. I hate seeing couples who flaunt their so called 'love' out to everyone by kissing or hand holing. Sure, it's okay to do those things, only with the person you love. Not a 13 year old kissing a 15 year old. That's not love! That's sick and retarded! At the young age I am I don't really know what love is. However, I do know what common sense is and I have enough of that to know not to tell any random middle school sweet heart that I love them.

Love is friendship. Best friends usually seem to make the best couples. The bond between two friends is like no other.

Love is feeling safe and being able to share your inner most fears and insecurities with one special person. 

As just a child, love is a complex thing for me. However, I like to look at my dad and his girlfriend. That's really the only example of true love I've ever had. She lives really far away. All the way in San Fransisco my dad is able to keep a real relationship from Los Angelas. It's been 4 years. I admire how they talk on the phone 24/7. I think that's true love. 

Why Would This Be Banned?

                 Banning books can be understandable if for the right reasons. This article included a list of 10 books challenged or banned. Another article included a list of some other books that were also banned or challenged. I agree with some of the books on the list, but I strongly disagree with many of the books on the list. Some of them being Bridge To Terabithia, Twilight, and also And Tango Makes Three.
                 I disagree with Bridge To Terabithia being on the list for one main reason. This reason being as stated in the article "Reasons for being challenged: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence." First off satanism, really i mean the main character uses his imagination to have an "adventure" with a friend, and later on with his sister. He imagines mystical creatures how does that support satanism, he is a young boy with a very exciting imagination. I believe Bridge To Terabithia should NOT be on the list of banned or challenged books.
            As well as the book i mentioned above Twilight should also not be on the list of banned or challenged books. " Reasons for being challenged: Religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group." The sexually explicit part i can agree with but the religious viewpoint? As far as i can remember there was nothing about religious views in the novel. I understand it can be unsuited to age group but seriously junior highers should be able to read these books and I'm pretty sure there aren't gonna be Twilight books at an elementary school.
            Lastly I disagree with And Tango Makes Three. This children's story is about two male penguins that hatch an egg together. I understand if you don't want your child learning about homosexuality, but how are they to accept people with those relationship views if they don't learn about how its okay to have those relationship views. Many parents do believe that their children should not be introduced to books of this kind at such a young age. If your child is not introduced to this particular relationship views they most likely wont learn to accept someone like the main characters in And Tango Makes Three.

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Banning Books has Crossed the Line

 


       I know some people who are book nerds might have noticed (or didn't) that your book might have been banned or challenged. Some books might have been banned because they seem offensive, insensitive, anti-family, satanic, sexually explicit or racist, or all of the above. People might be surprised reading this article and finding out what books have been banned or challenged over the past 30 years now. Mostly in the United States great books that students should have read, should have never been banned from the start because of the education it teaches and the background given whcih might been flagged as inappropriate for kids at some ages. But from this research you wouldn't believe what books has been banned or challenged.

Some of you may know or heard of, "Where's Waldo?" Well you might be surprised because that book is banned from the U.S. Just because one of the drawings show on one of the pages in the book. It was a beach scene and the "illustrator" put a lot of detail "a lot" into the drawing itself. You may know some beaches that are really crowded you see ordinary or insane things happening. Well just say the drawing involved a woman lying down on the sun (probably tanning) in a bikini. If you have been to a beach before you would understand what the detail that has been put into this drawing "hint hint" (bikini).

I highly disagree on why this book got banned. Yes I agree that illustration was a little inappropiate but it doesn't need to be banned. Have you ever seen a child not enjoying that book or pointing out inappropriate things (well hardly ever) but it keeps them busy. Do you want your child bugging you while you are filling out paperwork, studying for a test, getting ready for work, talking in a conversation. I take that as a "No" so if you agree on why this book should be banned, you might want to change your decision on disagreeing because you may never know when "Where's Waldo?" comes in handy.

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Challenged and Banned

Many books all around the world get challenged or banned from being in school library's and sometimes even public library.  Most books are banned for exposing sexual content, violence, vulgar language or even because of religious words. Some of the many books that get challenged or banned are simply because of only a few words that were considered "inappropriate" for students. I read an interesting article explaining some books that have been banned or challenge during 2001-2011 and some i could agree are very inclusive to inappropriate things but some i found ridiculous.

The book Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson was number eight out of five hundred and fifteen books in 2002. This book is about a little boy and girl who create a mythicle world in the forest by their house's using their imagination and an old tree house. Through out the story they battle abnormal creatures in their mythicle land. Again this is all in their imagination. Sadly at the end of the story the young girl dies from a terrible accident while swinging on an old rope across a small stream.

Book readers said this book had violent language, satanism, and violence. There was a little violence in this story but not enough to challenge it from students.  There was no more violence in the book than in a television show like The Powerangers. I was completely shocked when i read this fascinating book had been challenged and i am pretty sure many others were too.

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Seriously get over it!

 Tango makes three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, is a true story about 2 male penguins that find an abandoned egg and decide to adopt it. It was a best seller and everyone loved it. However, in 2008 it was banned after a complaint about the homosexual storyline.

What I have to say to that is, Deal with it! I mean you have got to be kidding me. Its a book about penguins. At least they sugar-coated it with PENGUINS.This type of stuff is really happening in the world. So a gay couple decided to write a book about there life.

The world is changing in many ways . Yes. That doesn't mean you should just avoid it. If you have a real problem with homosexuals then fine. You should not go and complain and whine about those things in the world though. Some people actually like reading this type of content. I mean seriously, its everywhere, just get used to it.

There are shows even like this book. Such as, Modern Family on NBC. It is pretty much a show about the life of a big family. There is a gay couple in this show and they have a little 4 year old girl. Although the dad has some not so nice moments towards them,  they still cope with it. This show also is a very good show. Julie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet won Best in comedy to represent Modern Family. I do believe they also won best in comedy for shows.

Either way, the world seems to be just fine with homosexuals. So why can't you? You don't have to read it, but when you ban a book that means no one can read it. Even the people that want to read it.

Ten Banned Books

Here are some books that are either currently banned or have been previously banned that are strangely on the lists.

 1. Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr, Suess.Ban now lifted.

 2.The Dictionary,ban now lifted

 3.The Da Vinci Code, banned in several countries
 4.The Color Purple, by Alice Walker.still banned
 5.The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien. ban now lifted
 6.The Bible, only certain versions.
 7.Gulliver's Travels,by Jonathan Swift ,banned lifted
 8. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,banned in certain countries
 9.Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson ,banned in certain countries
 10. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl ban lifted
 Most of these books were strangely banned, but currently unbanned.




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