Biography

Robert Cormier's books are among those most often banned of the 20th century. His books were often challenged for language, sexual situations, disrespect of authority and disrespect of religion. Personally, he was a gentle, devout man. Find how these two statements don't contradict each other.

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Chapter 2: Book Banning: A Brief History

Book banning is not a simple case of the “good guys” against the “bad guys.” The majority of cases of censorship spring from someone’s idea of what must be done to protect others. However, protecting people from harmful thoughts or words might not only feel to them as if someone was withholding information, but might also feel as if they’re being lied to or not trusted. Sometimes in order to protect people from wrong, the “wrong” has to be exposed and dealt with. In 1964, Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36^th president of the United States, said “Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.”