addendum in the stream, in defense of the sword of my daughter

    To the school librarian who censored my daughter's book/when you censor art, particularly that of a young budding writer in 4th grade, you instruct them to only know the taste of your fears and predicate motivational ignorances, instead of letting the Sun into the ripening dark loam of a young thirsty mind...shame upon you, shame on censorship, shame indeed...she wrote a book that was published as part of a district wide project for 4th grade students...her eloquent language was woven into a story that delved into issues of abuse at home and the comfort release of cutting and the tender innocence of a girl's first kiss...all references of which were stricken from the published copy...without even a heads up to her parents, who have encouraged her to write in her own voice, so we had no idea as to what this librarian's motivations might have been for censoring said, themes from book...I have subsequently found out it was motivated by the librarian being afraid that the book's "teen" themes might have offended someone if they were to read something like that not deemed appropriate for a grade-schooler to talk about, even though it was a single copy meant only for the student, and so the librarian erred on the side of toothless ignorance meant purely not to offend anyone but by the same gesture of regard, this librarian possibly gave my daughter, not only a lesson in why censorship hurts everyone, but this librarian, might have also taught my daughter about the power of our innate truths, one of which is when you express yourself, artistically true to your soul there is this personal power that can be wielded to serve your own soul as well as exemplify why art is needed as a voice for those common feelings we, in this sped-fast society, must endure to share a meaning with... 

EJR ©