Pressmeddelande AK Vorrat/Människorättsnätverket Svart Måndag angående datalagringen

Svensk översättning kommer inom kort.

Nu, lagom till dess att vi ska införa datalagringsinitiativet som EU inte själva längre vill ha och regeringen bryter sitt löfte rörande FRA och SÄPO och totalsviker det svenska folket genom att avrätta det sista vi har av en fungerande demokrati så kan det vara intressant att läsa detta pressmeddelande från Svart Måndags systerorganisation AK Vorrat.

Uppenbarligen har vi fantastiskt stort behov av att avskaffa brevhemlighet, kommunikationsfrihet, föreningsfrihet, yttrandefrihet, pressfrihet, källskydd och rätten att slippa åsiktsregistreras. Läs noga och tänk efter ordentligt. Allvarligt talat... finns det någon chans i hela världen att demokrater i Sverige överhuvudtaget kan fortsätta stödja Socialdemokraterna eller något av de neokonservativa övervakningshysteriska och trygghetsnarkomanistiska partierna i Alliansen?

Det är en skam att vi nu har avvecklat det sista av demokratin i Sverige. Friheten, demokratin och dess allra tyngsta grundvalar är nu avskaffade. Och det svenska folket tiger.

Nu är jag otroligt förbannad och besviken och kan inte riktigt låta bli att vräka ur mig, men allvarligt talat...

Skäms, svenska folk! Skäms! Ni förtjänar inte demokratin ni nu har förkastat och förbrukat!

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A study of German police statistics, published today, finds telecommunications data retention ineffective for the prosecution of serious crime. 
The EU data retention directive 2006/24 requires telecommunications companies to store data about all of their customers' communications in order to facilitate "the investigation, detection and prosecution of serious crime, as defined by each Member State in its national law". Germany implemented the directive as of 2008. Law enforcement authorities were permitted to access retained data for the investigation of serious crime. They could also request Internet users to be identified for the investigation of any type of crime. In 2010 the German Constitutional Court annulled the German data retention law for interfering disproportionately with fundamental rights.
An analysis^[1] of Federal Crime Agency (BKA) statistics published today by civil liberties NGO AK Vorrat reveals that data retention, while in force, did not make the prosecution of serious crime any more effective. With data retention in effect, more serious criminal acts (2009: 1,422,968) were registered by police than before (2007: 1,359,102), and a smaller proportion were cleared up (2009: 76.3%) than before the introduction of blanket retention of communications data (2007: 77.6%). Likewise, after the additional retention of Internet data began in 2009, the number of registered Internet offences surged from 167,451 in 2008 to 206,909 in 2009, while the clear-up rate for Internet crime fell (2008: 79.8%, 2009: 75.7%).
According to AK Vorrat, user avoidance behaviour can explain the counterproductive effects of blanket data retention on the investigation of crime. In order to avoid the recording of sensitive information under a blanket data retention scheme, users begin to employ Internet cafés, wireless Internet access points, anonymization services, public telephones, unregistered mobile telephone cards, non-electronic communications channels and such like. This avoidance behaviour can not only render retained data meaningless but also frustrate more targeted investigation techniques that would otherwise have been available to law enforcement. Overall, blanket data retention can thus be counterproductive to criminal investigations, facilitating some, but rendering many more futile.
As the EU Commission is currently considering changes to the controversial EU data retention directive, a coalition of more than 100 civil liberties, data protection and human rights associations as well as crisis line and emergency call operators, professional associations of journalists, jurists and doctors, trade unions, consumer organisations and industry associations is urging the Commission to "propose the repeal of the EU requirements regarding data retention in favour of a system of expedited preservation and targeted collection of traffic data".^[2] The German example proves that such targeted investigations can, overall, be more effective than collecting information on the entire population's contacts, movements and Internet use. In several Member States, lawsuits challenging the proportionality of blanket data retention are pending. The EU Court of Justice is expected to decide the matter in 2012.
The directive's critics have recently been joined by the German Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger who is also advocating shifting the directive to a targeted investigative approach, involving the collection of data on suspect communications only. Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger told the press last week: "Six member states have not transposed the directive since it came into force. Therefore the Commission has failed to a certain degree to achieve harmonised standards throughout the EU for internal market purposes, this having been the legal basis for passing the directive. The directive was not enacted for law enforcement purposes in the 'third pillar' framework as it lacked unanimity. Therefore the Commission should have a great interest in examining in the context of this evaluation how to provide more flexibility to Member States. Six member states have not transposed the directive, Sweden and Austria have been convicted twice [...] This goes to show that this is not a successful project for the EU Commission and the European Union."^[3]
Secretary of Justice Max Stadler concurred in saying after the informal meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers last week: "One aspect of protecting fundamental rights when prosecuting crime is interfering with citizens' privacy no more than strictly necessary. The current EU data retention directive in our opinion goes beyond this objective. There is no doubt that law enforcement agencies need data to secure evidence. Therefore, the storage of telecommunications data is justified to a certain extent, but – in our opinion – not without a specific reason. We welcome EU Commissioner of Justice Viviane Reding calling the proposal put forward by the German Minister of Justice [of introducing a quick freeze mechanism in Germany] a 'promising approach'".^[4] 

Download study:

• Study on the effectiveness of data retention (pdf) 

Brave new voices of the World: Kayla on breaking the silence.

“I’m terrified to share my message,” Kayla begins. “I’m afraid of losing friends and losing loved ones. I’m afraid of losing my reputation at this school and the way people look at me. This speech will change my life forever, but I hope that my words can change more.”

Kayla K. is a senior at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, Calif., about 60 miles north of San Francisco. Watch her powerful speech here.

CNN... Sågning av Rep. Bachmann som inte kan ett gram amerikansk historia

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När nu staten ändå ska börja styra våra tankar...

...vore det då inte lämpligt att följa efter amerikanerna och bli en riktig fähu... förlåt knähund på riktigt?

Min bloggpost om Alliansen och dess fantastiska vurpor har skapat en hel del uppståndelse. Allt från upprörda stämningar i mitt kommentarsfält till privata meddelanden från människor som tycker att jag borde hålla tyst och hålla mig på mattan. Något enstaka hot. Intressant på så många vis. Inte minst som ett gäng av dem arbetar politiskt. Censuren och tankekontrollen ligger inte långt bort. Orwell kan mycket väl ha rätt. Det kanske är därför han återfinns med nästan smärtsam frekvens bland de mest hotade författarna i USA idag och har gjort sedan en tid. Något som går igen även här i Europa.

Hemingway - Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Ni som inte har brukat spendera en del tid i USA eller med amerikanska intellektuella vänner kanske inte känner till det, men ALA (American Library Association) har sedan många herrans år sammanställt listor över de mest utsatta och hotade författarna och litterära verken i staterna.

Numera anordnar man även en särskild tilldragelse i form av en mässa där man propagerar för och kämpar för författare och böcker och gör sitt bästa för att stoppa denna förbudshysteri. Man kallar det för Banned Books Week och senast det begav sig var mellan 25 september och 2 oktober 2010. Den existerar för att det är långt ifrån enbart iranska mullor som bannlyser böcker och författare idag. Vi i väst ligger hästlängder före den muslimska världen i den sporten och har gjort det sedan en smärre evighet.

Koranen. En storfavorit på västerländska bokbål.

Bland de författare som ofta ifrågasätts och som ofta lever under censurhot och bokbålsterror i staterna går det att finna följande namn, varav ett par stycken säkert är kända även bland oss vanliga dödliga svenskar:

• Neil Gaiman
• F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)
• James Joyce
• Madonna
• William S. Burroughs
• John Knowles
• William Styron (Sophie's Choice)
• Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind)
• William Faulkner
• Ernest Hemingway
• William Golding (Lord of the Flies)
• J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)
• Upton Sinclair
• Truman Capote
• D.H. Lawrence
• Jack London
• George Orwell
• Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, m.fl.)
• J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)
• Anne Rice
• Toni Morrison (Beloved, m.fl.)
• Judy Blume (Forever / Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret)
• Alice Walker (The Color Purple)
• Maurice Sendak
• Salman Rushdie 
• Henry Miller
• Norman Mailer
• Aldous Huxley (Brave New World)
• David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars)
• Cecily con Ziegesar (Gossip Girl)
• Harper Lee (To Kill A Mockingbird)
• Robert Cormier (We All Fall Down)
• John Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men, m.fl.)
• Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)
• Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits)
• Patricia McCormick (Cut)
• Katherine Paterson (Bridge To Terabithia)
• J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye)
• Kurt Vonnegut

Och så vidare.

Flugornas herre. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Möss och Människor. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

När kristdemokraterna vill förbjuda åsikter, tankar, föreningsfrihet och annat kul samt regeringen redan börjat ta kontroll över public service och vad som nu produceras där, så är det faktiskt inte otroligt att varje dag i framtiden kommer att bli en kamp för att få rätten att skriva, läsa eller inneha viss litteratur. Men detta är bara en liten del av en större helhet.

Norman Mailers verk tillhör också planetens mest hotade.

Salingers Catcher in the Rye. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Detta handlar om något så mycket större. Men det pratas så sällan om det. Det handlar i censurens nya värld inte om att skydda oss mot hets, fördomar eller hat. Det handlar inte egentligen ens om missriktad puritanism istället för skydd av den som behöver skydd. Det handlar om en vilja att censurera allt som inte känns bekvämt. Allt som kan antydas vara farligt. Allt som på något vis kan anses vara misspassande enligt den eller den individen, den eller den nationen, den eller den religionen, den eller den specifika gruppen. Pöbeln ska inte läsa degenererande litteratur som hotar moralen eller potentiellt kan skada samhället. Eller framför allt dess ledare.

Neil Gaiman och Terry Pratchett - snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Harry Potter. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Detta berör oss och samhället på ett betydligt djupare plan än vi egentligen vill föreställa oss. En stor del av den internationella bokskatten står idag under attack av olika skäl. Hatlitteratur och exempelvis sex är bara en liten del i det hela. Att Harry Potter ses som fördärvande för barn är sedan en tid känt. Även min favoritförfattare Neil Gaimans verk står på listan över världens mest hotade litterära skapelser. Anne Rice som är mest känd för sina vampyrromaner om antihjälten Lestat och dennes vänner är också hotad. Barnfantasyboken Bron till Terabithia som gick som filmatiserad barnfilm på svenska biografer för inte så länge sedan likaså. Och förstås böcker som talar om övervakningssamhällen, tankekontroll och censur. 1984 finns med på de här listorna. Liksom Fahrenheit 451. Och Animal Farm. Man undrar varför...

George Orwell. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Stephen King. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Spänningsromanernas härskare kommer inte undan heller. Stephen King finns med på listorna. Liksom John Grisham. Och bland alla dessa titlar som lever under hot om förbud och bokbål finns även boken "The Terrorist" av Caroline B. Cooney. Man kan ju bara undra vad censur- och förbudsförespråkarna tänkte då de började arbeta för att förbjuda just den boken.

Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Och visste ni att Hergé's gamla klassiska seriealbum om Tintin och Kapten Haddock också finns med på alla dessa listor?

Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Ecce Homo - Censurerad

Jerusalem - Censurerad

Jag orkade inte leta rätt på några karikatyrer eller rondellhundar, men de har en hedersplats här, även de.

Finns det något som inte ska censureras egentligen? Vad ska du skriva för att inte hamna på listan över potentiellt framtida förbjuden litteratur? När inte ens barnböckerna går säkra, så antar jag att även Nalle Puh eller böckerna om Bror Kanin kan råka illa ut. För att inte tala om psykedeliska böcker om Doctor Snuggles! Jag kan tycka att det känns väldigt tragiskt att den svenska censurdebatten fastnat stenhårt i sexträsket så som den gjort och inte kan ta sig över midjehöjd. Det är faktiskt inget vidare smickrande för vår stolta svenska syndatradition att vi fastnar just där numera. Backlash från Fontana di Trevi, kanske?

Den svenska synden förkroppsligad.

Väldigt litet av den förbudsrörelse vi ser idag internationellt har överhuvudtaget att göra med sexualitet och än mindre med barn, trots att den svenska debatten så traumatiserat stannat där och inte vågar kika över vattenytan för en sekund knappt. Men likväl pågår samma censur av precis allt vad det vara må även i Sverige. Vi bara gör som vi alltid gör. Vi sticker huvudet i sanden, censurerar så gladeligen, men vägrar diskutera det överhuvudtaget. Och så får vi pseudodebatter om barnpornografi istället. Skämskudde för helvete! När vi i Sverige diskuterar förbud mot tecknade serier och gör allt vi kan för att förbjuda kopplingar mellan även serier och religion eller religion och sexualitet så missar vi precis hela sammanhanget globalt. Så som vi alltid gjort. Vi missar hela bakgrunden. Men för all del. Vi svenskar har väl alltid varit fixerade vid sexualitet och överförmynderi? Och idag då? Efter att vi lämnat Falkvinges rätt tråkiga verbala felsteg bakom oss och återigen gäspar åt allt som har med yttrandefrihet att göra? Speciellt homosexualitet känns litet läskigt för många och det är självklart att man inte kan visa vad som helst på svenska muséer idag. Och så har vi precis börjat nysta i debatten kring religion igen. Vackert så.

Igår skrev Sakine Madon på Expressen Ledare om hur liberaler sviker yttrandefriheten. Det är bara det att... jag tror inte att särskilt många förstår hur stort sveket faktiskt är. Eller hur stark denna rörelsen är idag överhuvudtaget. I Sverige och i Världen.

Elisabeth Ohlson Wallins senaste utställning "Jerusalem" har stoppats nästan varhelst den dykt upp. Samma sak med Ecce Homo en gång i tiden. Att Världskulturmuséet stoppade Jerusalem helt och hållet är skrämmande. Att dessutom en så kallad liberal som Mathias Sundin censurerar delar av utställningen då den når Norrköping är så skandalöst att det faktiskt inte ens finns ord för att beskriva det.

Även Louzla Darabis verk stoppades ju på Världskulturmuséet för en tid sedan nu. Det är ett par år sedan, men det gäller även för Ecce Homo. Den kunde ju inte ens visas i offentliga utrymmen på Sveriges Riksdag, utan man var tvungna att gömma undan den i källarlokalerna för att ingen skulle råka utsättas för den av misstag. Det kunde visst upplevas som traumatiserande att se kristendomen förknippad med nakna kroppar, vag sexualitet och homoromantik. Eller om man kanske ska kalla det delvis för oromantik, vad vet jag?

Förbjuden avbildning enligt svensk lag.

Och så hela den här prylen med synen på judendom och islam som Sakine skildrar väldigt bra i sin ledare. Det finns mycket att förbjuda därute och vi kan lugnt konstatera att varken amerikanska eller svenska politiker vilar i sin iver att stänga av, förbjuda och kasta ut.

Jo, du har gissat det. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig. Syndiga böcker ska absolut inte läsas av pöbeln.

Hur lång tid tar det till dess det demokratiska samhället i Väst har regredierat till 1930-talet igen och vi ser verkliga bokbål på Sveriges gator? Digitala bokbål som attackerna mot Wikileaks och statlig inblandning i public services publikationer börjar vi bli vana vid nu och ifrågasätter knappt längre. Men verkliga bokbål? I Sverige? Ja, nåja. Senast var det väl i Höör 1996? Och förra året ville predikanten Holger Nilsson bränna Jonas Gardells böcker på bål i Vetlanda. Den lilla traven människor som låg bakom det där bokbålet i Höör tillhörde ett parti som idag återfinns i Sveriges Riksdag. Det har gjorts ett par försök till här och var, förstås. Men det duger som sammanfattning.

Läste ni förresten Jessica Kempe på DN Kultur för någon dag sedan? Om varför Sverigedemokraterna brinner så för konsten? Läsvärt.

Den 5 oktober 2007 krossade fyra nationalsocialister (nazister) världs konstnären Andres Serranos fotoutställning ”A history of sex” på regionmuseet Kulturen i Lund. Vrålen och smällarna var ohyggliga och yxhuggen så brutala, berättar ögonvittnen, att väggarna spräcktes. I synnerhet bakom de bilder som föreställde mörkhyade personer. Men konstförstörarna högg inte enbart i blint hat. I ett manifest till medierna deklarerade de: ”Mot den fortsatta degenereringen av den svenska kulturen ... Mot dekadens, mot perversioner ... för folket och den sunda kulturen.”

Sverigedemokraterna, Nationaldemokraterna och Nationalsocialistisk front (NSF) applåderade. ”Sjuka utställningar som den i Lund får finansiera sig själva”, fastslog Sverigedemokraternas partisekreterare Björn Söder på Region Skånes Kulturnämndsmöte senare samma höst.

Berlin 1933.

Litet pseudohumor från Storbritannien förra vintern finner du här. I England började man elda böcker förra vintern för att det var billigare att elda böcker än att elda traditionellt virke. Man hade inte råd att köpa ved, så man rensade bokhyllorna i stället. Är vi snart där i Sverige också med alla utförsäkringar och nya Försäkringskasseregler, undrar jag då?

Men till västvärldens försvar (?) kan vi ju dock konstatera att vi är i gott sällskap med Kina och Indien där man bränner miljontals böcker av den buddistiska organisationen Falungong. Och FN's kulturorgan UNESCO tycker ju numera att det är ok att slänga upp bokbålsförespråkare som toppkandidater till rollen som generaldirektör för detsamma. Och vi har ju återigen hela den här biten med kritik mot islam som ju förstås inte lugnat sig nämnvärt på sistone. Nu senast har ju en kurdisk poet mordhotats för att ha diktat om kvinnans ställning i det muslimska samhället. Israel var för övrigt det första landet i världen att förbjuda Harry Potter och Frankrike skrev om böckerna om Pippi Långstrump för att Pippi var för vågad, för busig, för galen och alldeles för mycket av ett hot mot normen som sa att flickor skulle vara tysta, snälla och eftergivna. Starka och självständiga flickor göre sig fortfarande icke besvär i Frankrike. 

Pentagon - bokbrännare.

Och så har vi amerikanska försvarsdepartementet Pentagon som brände 9500 exemplar (hela upplagan) av en bok som man ansåg var ett hot mot landets säkerhet för inte så väldigt länge sedan. Krigsmemoarerna "Operation Dark Heart" köptes upp och förstördes för att det förekom "hemligheter" om USA's krigföring i Afghanistan. Litet Wikileaksvibbar här igen. Inte sant? Och detta skedde trots att militären redan godkänt boken och ansåg den ofarlig. CBS rapporterade också om detta. En nyredigerad (censurerad) version av boken ska nu ha fått tillstånd att tryckas. Sägs det.

Och nu varnas studenter i USA för att länka till eller alls ens diskutera Wikileaks. Samtidigt kräver USA ut information om alla som på något vis agerat i samband med organisationen Wikileaks eller ens skrivit om den. Det innebär inte bara isländska parlamentsledamoten Birgitta Jonsdottir, utan förmodligen ett gäng svenska riksdagsledamöter och definitivt en eller annan Europaparlamentsledamot, kan jag tippa. Och förmodligen drösar av oss integritetskämpar i och utanför Sverige och Europa. Nu ska vi tystas. Nu ska vi undersökas. Stoppas. Stoppas var, är frågan? Hur länge dröjer det innan vi alla sitter inspärrade på nästa Guantanamo? Hur länge?

Sagan om ringen - snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Ja, det är litet grann det här det handlar om. Ser ni något i allt detta som ni ogillar? Jag ser en oroande utveckling som inte riktigt känns alldeles bekväm för min egen del. När denna linjen vinner alltmer kraft i det svenska samhället och bland svenska politiker vet vi att vi är riktigt jävla illa ute och vilsna på ett vis vi inte borde tolerera. Men svensk media sitter mestadels tyst, Svenssons ute i stugorna tycker nog att det kan vara litet mysigt och värmande i vargavintern med alla dessa annalkande bokbål och förstår inte vitsen med att protestera. Och politikerna fortsätter driva på censurlinjen, puritanismen, främlingshatet, religionsförföljelserna och skräcken för allt som inte följer formulär 1A om vad som är passande att säga för att slippa råka ut för storebrors svettiga händer.

Lägg till detta FRA, Datalagring, de omfattande avtalen med USA om att sälja ut svenska medborgares privatliv till amerikansk underrättelsetjänst och allt annat otäckt vi sett under de sista åren. När är det dags att säga stopp? När räcker det? Hur långt ska denna utveckling få fortgå? Kan ni berätta det för mig? Ni som annars sitter där så tysta? Hur långt ska det få gå? När kommer detta ta slut? Och var befinner vi oss då? Vill vi verkligen veta?

Astrid Lindgrens Madicken. Snart på ett bokbål nära dig.

Kan vi inte försöka komma överens om att censur på grund av moralism, hat och fördomar inte hör hemma i ett öppet, demokratiskt samhälle? Ingen censur alls, faktiskt. Att oavsett vad som skrivs, sägs eller på annat vis tecknas ned så är yttrandefriheten den allra viktigaste juvel vi har att skydda. Att i ett öppet samhälle ska vi kunna tala om allt och ha väldigt högt i tak för åsikter, språk, beskrivningar av verkligheten och kritik där den förekommer. I ett öppet samhälle ser jag inte faran i att vi tillåter såväl burkor och minareter som rondellhundar.

Birk och Ronja. Farligt värre enligt rådande lagar, regler och normer.

Jag kan inte förstå att litteratur ska anses skadlig. Att tecknade serier ska anses skada barn eller att det skulle vara farligt för mänskligheten att se på Astrid Lindgren-filmer. Vi måste kunna tillåta granskning av myndigheter och även övergrepp begångna av stridande trupper. Någon måtta måste vi ha på censur- och förbudshetsen. Överförmynderiet. Trygghetsnarkomanin. Vi kan inte fortsätta att tala om censur för precis allting i tillvaron, trots allt. För att alternativet är verkligt, verkligt skrämmande och vi nog egentligen inte vill veta av konsekvenserna om vi väljer att gå en annan väg än öppenhetens.

Målning av Carl Larsson. Förbjuden enligt svensk lag.

Det finns gott om skäl till att jag ger mig på kristdemokraternas vansinniga förbudsiver. Till att jag kritiserar regeringens klåfingrighet rörande Public service. Till att jag hävdar att yttrande- och pressfriheten är hotad. Liksom källskyddet. Att jag skriker mig hes rörande förföljelser mot sjuka, äldre och svaga i samhället. Att jag blir så förbannad på utspel som centerns rörande skatt på överviktiga. Och hela den här övervakningsvurmen vi har sett under så lång tid nu. Och vet ni... allt detta har ett sammanhang. Vår oförmåga att se det kan kosta oss allt som är värt att värna i vårt samhälle idag och jag är fly förbannad över att det känns så otroligt ensamt i kampen för att få världen - och er - att se det!

Intressant?

Zac, Apelsineld, Kulturbloggen, Ipse Cogita!, Frasses Blogg, Mary, Vakare, Swartz, Scaber nestor, JensO,

Och när vi nu ändå pratar massövervakning och datalagring - har ni sett detta??

American Library Association: 100 most frequently challenged books 1990-1999:

1. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
7. Forever, by Judy Blume
8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
9. Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman
10. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
11. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
12. My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
14. Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
15. Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
16. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18. Sex, by Madonna
19. Earth’s Children (series), by Jean M. Auel
20. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
21. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
22. The Witches, by Roald Dahl
23. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
24. The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein
25. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
26. The Goats, by Brock Cole
27. The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
28. Anastasia Krupnik (series), by Lois Lowry
29. Final Exit, by Derek Humphry
30. Blubber, by Judy Blume
31. Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam
32. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
33. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
34. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
35. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras
36. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
37. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
38. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
39. The Pigman, by Paul Zindel
40. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
41. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
42. Deenie, by Judy Blume
43. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
44. Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden
45. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
46. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
47. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz
48. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
49. Cujo, by Stephen King
50. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
51. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein
52. Ordinary People, by Judith Guest
53. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
54. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
55. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
56. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
57. Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole
58. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras
59. The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
60. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
61. Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
62. Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly
63. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
64. Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
65. Fade, by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What?, by Mem Fox
67. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
68. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
69. Native Son, by Richard Wright
70. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday
71. Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen
72. On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer
73. The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
74. Jack, by A.M. Homes
75. Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge
76. Family Secrets, by Norma Klein
77. Mommy Laid an Egg, by Babette Cole
78. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya
79. Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle
80. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
81. Carrie, by Stephen King
82. The Dead Zone, by Stephen King
83. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
84. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
85. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
86. Private Parts, by Howard Stern
87. Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford
88. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
89. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
90. Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education, by Jenny Davis
94. Jumper, by Steven Gould
95. Christine, by Stephen King
96. The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene
97. That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton
98. Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
99. The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain
100. Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

American Library Association: 100 most frequently challenged books 2000-2009:

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling 
2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 
3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier 
4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell 
5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou 
7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz 
8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman 
9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Myracle, Lauren 
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky 
11. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers 
12. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris 
13. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey 
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain 
15. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison 
16. Forever, by Judy Blume 
17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker 
18. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous 
19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger 
20. King and King, by Linda de Haan 
21. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee 
22. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar 
23. The Giver, by Lois Lowry 
24. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak 
25. Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan 
26. Beloved, by Toni Morrison 
27. My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier 
28. Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson 
29. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney 
30. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier 
31. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones 
32. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya 
33. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson 
34. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler 
35. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison 
36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley 
37. It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris 
38. Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles 
39. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane 
40. Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank 
41. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher 
42. The Fighting Ground, by Avi 
43. Blubber, by Judy Blume 
44. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher 
45. Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly 
46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut 
47. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard 
48. Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez 
49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey 
50. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini 
51. Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan 
52. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson 
53. You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco 
54. The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole 
55. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green 
56. When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester 
57. Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause 
58. Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going 
59. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes 
60. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson 
61. Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle 
62. The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard 
63. The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney 
64. Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park 
65. The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien 
66. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor 
67. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham 
68. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez 
69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury 
70. Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen 
71. Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park 
72. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison 
73. What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras 
74. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold 
75. Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry 
76. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving 
77. Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert 
78. The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein 
79. The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss 
80. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck 
81. Black Boy, by Richard Wright 
82. Deal With It!, by Esther Drill 
83. Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds 
84. So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins 
85. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher 
86. Cut, by Patricia McCormick 
87. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume 
88. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood 
89. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger 
90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle 
91. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George 
92. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar 
93. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard 
94. Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine 
95. Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix 
96. Grendel, by John Gardner 
97. The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende 
98. I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte 
99. Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume 
100. America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank


Banned and challenged classics:

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger 
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck 
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee 
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker 
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce 
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison 
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding 
9. 1984, by George Orwell 

11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov 
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 

15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller 
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley 
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell 
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway 
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner 
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway 

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston 
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison 
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison 
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell 
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright 
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey 
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut 
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway 

33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London 

36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin 

38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren 

40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien 

45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair 

48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence 
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess 
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin 

53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote 

55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie 

57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron 

64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence 

66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut 
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles 

73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs 
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh 
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence 

80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer 

84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller 

88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser 

97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike 

Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from libraries shelves and from classrooms.  See Frequently Challenged Books for more details.

According to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, at least 46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century have been the target of ban attempts.

The titles above represent banned or challenged books on that list (see the entire list here). For more information on why these books were challenged, visit challenged classics and the Banned Books Week Web site.

The titles not included may have been banned or challenged, but we have not received any reports on them. If you have information about the banning or challenging of these (or any) titles, please contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Reasons for Challenges to Classics:

See also the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th century list. Source: Banned Books: Challenging our Freedom to Read by Robert P. Doyle, ALA 2010.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC (1987) because of "language and sexual references in the book."

The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger

Since its publication, this title has been a favorite target of censors. In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, OK was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh grade English class. The teacher appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school. In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, OH, asked the school board to ban the novel for being "anti-white" and "obscene." The school board refused the request. Removed from the Selinsgrove, PA suggested reading list (1975). Based on parents' objections to the language and content of the book, the school board voted 5-4 to ban the book.  The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that the vote was illegal because they needed a two-thirds vote for removal of the text.  Challenged as an assignment in an American literature class in Pittsgrove, NJ (1977).  After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read in the Advanced Placement class, but they gave parents the right to decide whether or not their children would read it. Removed from the Issaquah, WA optional High School reading list (1978). Removed from the required reading list in Middleville, MI (1979). Removed from the Jackson Milton school libraries in North Jackson, OH (1980). Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Removed from the school libraries in Morris, Manitoba (1982) along with two other books because they violate the committee's guidelines covering "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult." Challenged at the Libby, MT High School (1983) due to the "book's contents." Banned from English classes at the Freeport High School in De Funiak Springs, FL (1985) because it is "unacceptable" and "obscene." Removed from the required reading list of a Medicine Bow, WY Senior High School English class (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book. Banned from a required sophomore English reading list at the Napoleon, ND High School (1987) after parents and the local Knights of Columbus chapter complained about its profanity and sexual references. Challenged at the Linton-Stockton, IN High School (1988) because the book is "blasphemous and undermines morality." Banned from the classrooms in Boron, CA High School (1989) because the book contains profanity. Challenged at the Grayslake, IL Community High School (1991). Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, IL (1992) because the book contains profanities and depicts premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled. Challenged at the Cumberland Valley High School in Carlisle, PA (1992) because of a parent's objections that it contains profanity and is immoral. Challenged, but retained, at the New Richmond, WI High School (1994) for use in some English classes. Challenged as required reading in the Corona Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." The book was retained and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Salinger's novel. Challenged as mandatory reading in the Goffstown, NH schools (1994) because of the vulgar words used and the sexual exploits experienced in the book.  Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Challenged at the Oxford Hills High School in Paris, ME (1996). A parent objected to the use of the 'F' word. Challenged, but retained, at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, GA (1997). A student objected to the novel's profanity and sexual references. Removed because of profanity and sexual situations from the required reading curriculum of the Marysville, CA Joint Unified School District (1997). The school superintendent removed it to get it "out of the way so that we didn't have that polarization over a book." Challenged, but retained on the shelves of Limestone County, AL school district (2000) despite objections about the book's foul language. Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English class. Removed by a Dorchester District 2 school board member in Summerville, SC (2001) because it "is a filthy, filthy book." Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) school board member because of profanity. The novel was retained.  Challenged in the Big Sky High School in Missoula, MT (2009).

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

Burned by the East St. Louis, IL Public Library (1939) and barred from the Buffalo, NY Public Library (1939) on the grounds that "vulgar words" were used. Banned in Kansas City, MO (1939). Banned in Kern County CA, the scene of Steinbeck's novel (1939). Banned in Ireland (1953). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months' imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers were also on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving The Grapes of Wrath. Banned in Kanawha, IA High School classes (1980). Challenged in Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980). Challenged as required reading for Richford, VT (1981) High School English students due to the book's language and portrayal of a former minister who recounts how he took advantage of a young woman. Banned in Morris, Manitoba, Canada (1982). Removed from two Anniston, Ala. high school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restrictive basis. Challenged at the Cummings High School in Burlington, NC (1986) as an optional reading assignment because the "book is full of filth. My son is being raised in a Christian home and this book takes the Lord's name in vain and has all kinds of profanity in it." Although the parent spoke to the press, a formal complaint with the school demanding the book's removal was not filed. Challenged at the Moore County school system in Carthage, NC (1986) because the book contains the phase "God damn." Challenged in the Greenville, SC schools (1991) because the book uses the name of God and Jesus in a "vain and profane manner along with inappropriate sexual references." Challenged in the Union City, TN High School classes (1993).

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel." Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable. Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet. Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community." Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School's sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans. Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word "nigger."  Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.”  The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.”  Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007).  A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression.  The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it.  Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel, including the word “nigger."

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

Challenged as appropriate reading for Oakland, CA High School honors class (1984) due to the work's "sexual and social explicitness" and its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." After nine months of haggling and delays, a divided Oakland Board of Education gave formal approval for the book's use. Rejected for purchase by the Hayward, CA school's trustee (1985) because of "rough language" and "explicit sex scenes." Removed from the open shelves of the Newport News, VA school library (1986) because of its "profanity and sexual references" and placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18 or who have written permission from a parent. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, MI (1989) because it was “too sexually graphic for a 12-year-old.”  Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because of its language and "explicitness."  Challenged as an optional reading assigned in Ten Sleep, WY schools (1990). Challenged as a reading assignment at the New Burn, NC High School (1992) because the main character is raped by her stepfather. Banned in the Souderton, PA Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is "smut." Challenged on the curricular reading list at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, CT (1995) because sexually explicit passages aren’t appropriate high school reading. Retained as an English course reading assignment in the Junction City, OR high school (1995) after a challenge to Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel caused months of controversy. Although an alternative assignment was available, the book was challenged due to "inappropriate language, graphic sexual scenes, and book's negative image of black men." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged, but retained, as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High Schools in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from the Jackson County, WV school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles. Challenged, but retained as part of a supplemental reading list at the Shawnee School in Lima, OH (1999). Several parents described its content as vulgar and "X-rated." Removed from the Ferguson High School library in Newport News, VA (1999). Students may request and borrow the book with parental approval. Challenged, along with seventeen other titles in the Fairfax County, VA elementary and secondary libraries (2002), by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. The group contends the books "contain profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture.” Challenged in Burke County (2008) schools in Morgantown, NC by parents concerned about the homosexuality, rape, and incest portrayed in the book. 

Ulysses, by James Joyce

Burned in the U.S. (1918), Ireland (1922), Canada (1922), England (1923) and banned in England (1929).

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, ME School Committee (1997) because of the book's language. The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel has been required reading for the advanced placement English class for six years. Challenged in the Sarasota County, FL schools (1998) because of sexual material.  Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading listing in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles.  A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she’d found on the Internet.  Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene School District, ID (2007).  Some parents say the book, along with five others, should require parental permission for students to read them.  Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement (AP) English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY (2007) because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex.  The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams.

The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974). Challenged at the Sully Buttes, SD High School (1981). Challenged at the Owen, NC High School (1981) because the book is "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal." Challenged at the Marana, AZ High School (1983) as an inappropriate reading assignment. Challenged at the Olney, TX Independent School District (1984) because of "excessive violence and bad language." A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is "racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools." Parents and members of the black community complained about a reference to "niggers" in the book and said it denigrates blacks. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled. Challenged, but retained on the ninth-grade accelerated English reading list in Bloomfield, NY (2000).

1984, by George Orwell

Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter."

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov

Banned as obscene in France (1956-1959), in England (1955-59), in Argentina (1959), and in New Zealand (1960). The South African Directorate of Publications announced on November 27, 1982, that Lolita has been taken off the banned list, eight years after a request for permission to market the novel in paperback had been refused.  Challenged at the Marion-Levy Public Library System in Ocala, FL (2006).  The Marion County commissioners voted to have the county attorney review the novel that addresses the themes of pedophilia and incest, to determine if it meets the state law’s definition of “unsuitable for minors.” 

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Banned in Ireland (1953); Syracuse, IN (1974); Oil City, PA (I977); Grand Blanc, MI (1979); Continental, OH (1980) and other communities. Challenged in Greenville, SC (1977) by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux KIan; Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980); St. David, AZ (1981) and Tell City, IN (1982) due to "profanity and using God's name in vain." Banned from classroom use at the Scottsboro, AL Skyline High School (1983) due to "profanity." The Knoxville, TN School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools (1984) and picked Steinbeck's novel as the first target due to "its vulgar language." Reinstated at the Christian County, KY school libraries and English classes (1987) after being challenged as vulgar and offensive. Challenged in the Marion County, WV schools (1988), at the Wheaton Warrenville, IL Middle School (1988), and at the Berrien Springs, MI High School (1988) because the book contains profanity. Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, AL (1989) because the book "has profane use of God's name." Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga, TN (1989) because "Steinbeck is known to have had an anti business attitude." In addition, "he was very questionable as to his patriotism." Removed from all reading lists and collected at the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, AR (1989) because of objections to language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language." Challenged, but retained in a Salina, KS (1990) tenth grade English class despite concerns that it contains "profanity" and "takes the Lord's name in vain." Challenged by a Fresno, CA (1991) parent as a tenth grade English college preparatory curriculum assignment, citing profanity" and "racial slurs." The book was retained, and the child of the objecting parent was provided with an alternative reading assignment. Challenged in the Rivera, TX schools (1990) because it contains profanity. Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township, PA (1991) because the novel contains terminology offensive to blacks. Removed and later returned to the Suwannee, FL High School library (1991) because the book is "indecent" Challenged at the Jacksboro, TN High School (1991) because the novel contains "blasphemous" language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones. Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County, VA schools (1991) because of profanity. In 1992 a coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile, AL requested that local school officials form a special textbook screening committee to "weed out objectionable things." Steinbeck's novel was the first target because it contains "profanity" and "morbid and depressing themes." Temporarily removed from the Hamilton, OH High School reading list (1992) after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs. Challenged in the Waterloo, IA schools (1992) and the Duval County, FL public school libraries (1992) because of profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.  Challenged at the Modesto, CA High School as recommended reading (1992) because of "offensive and racist language." The word "nigger" appears in the book. Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria, LA (1992) because of profanity. Challenged as an appropriate English curriculum assignment at the Mingus, AZ Union High School (1993) because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending." Pulled from a classroom by the Putnam County, TN school superintendent (1994) "due to the language." Later, after discussions with the school district counsel, it was reinstated. The book was challenged in the Loganville, GA High School (1994) because of its "vulgar language throughout." Challenged in the Galena, KS school library (1995) because of the book's language and social implications. Retained in the Bemidji, MN schools (1995) after challenges to the book's "objectionable" language. Challenged at the Stephens County High School library in Toccoa, GA (I995) because of "curse words." The book was retained. Challenged, but retained in a Warm Springs, VA High School (1995) English class. Banned from the Washington Junior High School curriculum in Peru, IL (1997) because it was deemed "age inappropriate." Challenged, but retained, in the Louisville, OH high school English classes (1997) because of profanity. Removed, restored, restricted, and eventually retained at the Bay County schools in Panama City, FL (1997). A citizen group, the 100 Black United, Inc., requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as the using of the word 'Nigger.'" Challenged as a reading list assignment for a ninth grade literature class, but retained at the Sauk Rapids Rice High School in St. Cloud, MN (1997). A parent complained that the book's use of racist language led to racist behavior and racial harassment. Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School classrooms in Oakley, CA (1998) because it contains racial epithets. Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, AR school library (1998) because of a parent's complaint that the book "takes God's name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus's name lightly."  Challenged at the Barron, WI School District (1998). Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, PA High School (1999) despite objections to the novel's profanity. Challenged in the Tomah, WI School District (1999) because the novel is violent and contains obscenities. Challenged as required reading at the high school in Grandville, MI (2002) because the book "is full of racism, profanity, and foul language." Banned from the George County, MS schools (2002) because of profanity. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High Schools (2003) because the books contains "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." An alternative book, Steinbeck's The Pearl, was offered but rejected by the family challenging the novel.  The committee then recommended The House on Mango Street and The Way to Rainy Mountain as alternatives.  Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim, PA (2006) tenth-grade English classes.  A complaint was filed because of “racial slurs” and profanity used throughout the novel.  The book has been used in the high school for more than thirty years, and those who object to its content have the option of reading an alternative reading.  Challenged at the Newton, IA High School (2007) because of concerns about profanity and the portrayal of Jesus Christ.  Newton High School has required students to read the book since at least the early 1980s.  In neighboring Des Moines, it is on the recommended reading list for ninth-grade English, and it is used for some special education students in the eleventh and twelfth grades.  Retained in the Olathe, KS ninth grade curriculum (2007) despite a parent calling the novel a “worthless, profanity-riddled book” which is “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”  

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

Banned in Strongsville, OH (1972), but the school board's action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District. Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974); in Snoqualmie, WA (1979) because of its several references to women as "whores."

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Banned in Ireland (1932). Removed from classrooms in Miller, MO (1980), because it makes promiscuous sex "look like fun." Challenged frequently throughout the U.S.as required reading.  Challenged as required reading at the Yukon, OK High School (1988) because of "the book's language and moral content." Challenged as required reading in the Corona-Norco, CA Unified School District (1993) because it is "centered around negative activity." Specifically, parents objected that the characters' sexual behavior directly opposed the health curriculum, which taught sexual abstinence until marriage. The book was retained, and teachers selected alternatives if students object to Huxley's novel. Removed from the Foley, AL High School Library (2000) pending review, because a parent complained that its characters showed contempt for religion, marriage, and family.  The parent complained to the school and to Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.  Challenged, but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, TX (2003).  Parents objected to the adult themes—sexuality, drugs, suicide—that appeared in the novel.  Huxley's book was part of the summer Science Academy curriculum.  The board voted to give parents more control over their children's choices by requiring principals to automatically offer an alternative to a challenged book.  Retained in the Coeur D’Alene, ID School District (2008) despite objections that the book has too many references to sex and drug use.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell

A Wisconsin survey revealed in 1963 that the John Birch Society had challenged the novel's use; it objected to the words "masses will revolt." In 1968, the New York State English Council's Committee on Defense Against Censorship conducted a comparable study in New York State English classrooms. Its findings identified the novel on its list of "problem books"; the reason cited was that "Orwell was a communist." Suppressed from being displayed at the 1977 Moscow, Russia International Book Fair. A survey of censorship challenges in the schools, conducted in DeKalb County for the period of 1979 to 1982, revealed that the novel had been objected to for its political theories. Banned from Bay County's four middle schools and three high schools in Panama City, FL by the Bay County school superintendent in 1987. After 44 parents filed a suit against the district claiming that its instructional aids policy denies constitutional rights, the Bay County School Board reinstated the book, along with sixty-four others banned. Banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates, along with 125 others in 2002.  The Ministry of Education banned it on the grounds that it contains written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values—in this text, pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs, and other "indecent images."

The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

Banned in Boston, MA (1930), Ireland (1953), Riverside, CA (1960), San Jose, CA (1960). Burned in Nazi bonfires in Germany (1933).

As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner

Banned in the Graves County School District in Mayfield, KY (1986) because it contains "offensive and obscene passages referring to abortion and used God's name in vain." The decision was reversed a week later after intense pressure from the ACLU and considerable negative publicity. Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation." Challenged, but retained, in the Carroll County, MD schools (1991). Two school board members were concerned about the book's coarse language and dialect. Banned at Central High School in Louisville, KY (1994) temporarily because the book uses profanity and questions the existence of God.

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

The June 1929 issue of Scribner's Magazine, which ran Hemingway's novel, was banned in Boston, MA (1929). Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy. Burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933). Banned in Ireland (1939). Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974). Challenged at the Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "sex novel."

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School's academically advanced reading list in Brentsville, VA (1997). A parent objected to the novel's language and sexual explicitness.

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Excerpts banned in Butler, PA (1975). Removed from the high school English reading list in St. Francis, WI (1975). Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list.  

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, OH schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degrading to blacks, and is sexually explicit. Removed from required reading lists and library shelves in the Richmond County, GA. School District (1994) after a parent complained that passages from the book are "filthy and inappropriate." Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, FL (1995). Removed from the St. Mary's County, MD schools' approved text list (1998) by the superintendent, overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complainants referred to the novel as "filth," "trash," and "repulsive."  Reinstated in the Shelby, MI school Advanced Placement English curriculum (2009), but parents are to be informed in writing and at a meeting about the book’s content.  Students not wanting to read the book can choose an alternative without academic penalty.  The superintendent had suspended the book from the curriculum.

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

Banned from Anaheim, CA Union High School District English classrooms (1978). Challenged in Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger."

Native Son, by Richard Wright

Challenged in Goffstown, NH (1978); Elmwood Park, NJ (1978) due to "objectionable" language; and North Adams, MA (1981) due to the book's "violence, sex, and profanity." Challenged at the Berrian Springs, MI High School in classrooms and libraries (1988) because the novel is "vulgar, profane, and sexually explicit." Retained in the Yakima, WA schools (1994) after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list. Challenged as part of the reading list for Advanced Placement English classes at Northwest High School in High Point, NC (1996). The book was challenged because it is "sexually graphic and violent." Removed from Irvington High School in Fremont, CA (1998) after a few parents complained the book was unnecessarily violent and sexually explicit. Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne, IN (1998) because of the novel's graphic language and sexual content.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey

Challenged in the Greeley, CO public school district (1971) as a non-required American Culture reading. In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, OH, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it "pornographic," they charged the novel "glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination." Removed from public school libraries in Randolph, NY, and Alton, OK (1975). Removed from the required reading list in Westport, MA (1977). Banned from the St. Anthony, ID Freemont High School classrooms (1978) and the instructor fired. The teacher sued. A decision in the case—Fogarty v. Atchley—was never published. Challenged at the Merrimack, NH High School (1982). Challenged as part of the curriculum in an Aberdeen, WA High School honors English class (1986) because the book promotes "secular humanism." The school board voted to retain the title. Challenged at the Placentia-Yorba Linda, CA Unified School District (2000) after complaints by parents stated that teachers "can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again."

Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Challenged in many communities, but burned in Drake, ND (1973). Banned in Rochester, MI because the novel "contains and makes references to religious matters" and thus fell within the ban of the establishment clause. An appellate court upheld its usage in the school in Todd v Rochester Community Schools, 41 Mich. App. 320, 200 N. W 2d 90 (1972). Banned in Levittown, NY (1975), North Jackson, OH (1979), and Lakeland, FL (1982) because of the "book's explicit sexual scenes, violence, and obscene language." Barred from purchase at the Washington Park High School in Racine, WI (1984) by the district administrative assistant for instructional services. Challenged at the Owensboro, KY High School library (1985) because of "foul language, a section depicting a picture of an act of bestiality, a reference to 'Magic Fingers' attached to the protagonist's bed to help him sleep, and the sentence: 'The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the fly of God Almighty."' Restricted to students who have parental permission at the four Racine, WI Unified District high school libraries (1986) because of "language used in the book, depictions of torture, ethnic slurs, and negative portrayals of women." Challenged at the LaRue County, KY High School library (1987) because "the book contains foul language and promotes deviant sexual behavior.” Banned from the Fitzgerald, GA schools (1987) because it was filled with profanity and full of explicit sexual references:' Challenged in the Baton Rouge, LA public high school libraries (1988) because the book is "vulgar and offensive:' Challenged in the Monroe, MI public schools (1989) as required reading in a modem novel course for high school juniors and seniors because of the book's language and the way women are portrayed. Retained on the Round Rock, TX Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged as an eleventh grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1998) because the book "was rife with profanity and explicit sex:"  Removed as required reading for sophomores at the Coventry, RI High School (2000) after a parent complained that it contains vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content.  Retained on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL (2006), along with eight other challenged titles.  A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from  the books she'd found on the internet.  Challenged in the Howell, MI High School (2007) because of the book's strong sexual content.  In response to a request from the president of the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, or LOVE, the county's top law enforcement official reviewed the books to see whether laws against distribution of sexually explicit materials to minors had been broken. "After reading the books in question, it is clear that the explicit passages illustrated a larger literary, artistic or political message and were not included solely to appeal to the prurient interests of minors," the county prosecutor wrote.  "Whether these materials are appropriate for minors is a decision to be made by the school board, but I find that they are not in violation of criminal laws."

For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

Declared non-mailable by the U.S. Post Office (1940). On Feb. 21, 1973, eleven Turkish book publishers went on trial before an Istanbul martial law tribunal on charges of publishing, possessing, and selling books in violation of an order of the Istanbul martial law command. They faced possible sentences of between one month's and six months’ imprisonment "for spreading propaganda unfavorable to the state" and the confiscation of their books. Eight booksellers also were on trial with the publishers on the same charge involving For Whom the Bell Tolls. 

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

Banned in Italy (1929), Yugoslavia (1929), and burned in Nazi bonfires (1933).

Go Tell It on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls, NY schools (1994) because the book has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women. Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County, VA (1988) because the book is "rife with profanity and explicit sex."

All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren

Challenged at the Dallas, TX Independent School District high school libraries (1974).

The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

Banned from public libraries in Yugoslavia (1929). Burned in the Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair's socialist views (1933). Banned in East Germany (1956) as inimical to communism. Banned in South Korea (1985).

Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence

Banned by U.S. Customs (1929). Banned in Ireland (1932), Poland (1932), Australia (1959), Japan (1959), India (1959). Banned in Canada (1960) until 1962.  Dissemination of Lawrence’s novel has been stopped in China (1987) because the book “will corrupt the minds of young people and is also against the Chinese tradition.”

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

In 1973 a bookseller in Orem, UT was arrested for selling the novel. Charges were later dropped, but the book seller was forced to close the store and relocate to another city. Removed from Aurora, CO high school (1976) due to "objectionable" language and from high school classrooms in Westport, MA (1977) because of "objectionable" language. Removed from two Anniston, AL High school libraries (1982), but later reinstated on a restricted basis.

The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

Retained on the Northwestern Suburban High School District 214 reading list in Arlington Heights, IL along with eight other challenged titles in 2006. A board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, raised the controversy based on excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet. First published in 1899, this novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward.

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

Banned, but later reinstated after community protests at the Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA (2000). The controversy began in early 1999 when a parent complained about sex, violence, and profanity in the book that was part of an Advanced Placement English Class.

Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Quatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India because of its criticism of Islam. Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police who took threats to staff and property seriously. In Pakistan five people died in riots against the book. Another man died a day later in Kashmir. Ayatollah Khomeni issued a fatwa or religious edict, stating, "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death."  Challenged at the Wichita, KS Public Library (1989) because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed." In Venezuela, owning or reading it was declared a crime under penalty of 15 months' imprisonment. In Japan, the sale of the English-language edition was banned under the threat of fines. The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also restricted its distribution. In 1991, in separate incidents, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator, was stabbed to death and its Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was seriously wounded. In 1993 William Nygaard, its Norwegian publisher, was shot and seriously injured.

Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

Banned in South Africa in 1979. Returned to La Mirada High School library (CA) in 2002 after a complaint about its sexual content prompted the school to pull the award-winning novel about a tormented Holocaust survivor.

Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

In 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it "smutmobile," and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Lawrence's novel.

Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

The Strongsville, Ohio School Board (1972) voted to withdraw this title from the school library; this action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court in Minarcini v. Strongsville City School District, 541 F. 2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976).  Challenged at Merrimack, NH High School (1982).

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy sex novel." Challenged at the Fannett-Metal High School in Shippensburg, PA (1985) because of its allegedly offensive language. Challenged as appropriate for high school reading lists in the Shelby County, TN school system (1989) because the novel contains "offensive language."  Challenged, but retained in the Champaign, IL high school English classes (1991) despite claims that “unsuitable language” makes it inappropriate.  Challenged by the parent of a high school student in Troy, IL (1991) citing profanity and negative attitudes. Students were offered alternative assignments while the school board took the matter under advisement, but no further action was taken on the complaint. Challenged at the McDowell County, NC schools (1996) because of "graphic language."

Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs

Found obscene in Boston, MA Superior Court (1965). The finding was reversed by the State Supreme Court the following year.

Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

Alabama Representative Gerald Allen (R-Cottondale) proposed legislation that would prohibit the use of public funds for the "purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." The bill also proposed that novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed.  The bill would impact all Alabama school, public, and university libraries. While it would ban books likeHeather Has Two Mommies, it could also include classic and popular novels with gay characters such as Brideshead Revisited, The Color Purple or The Picture of Dorian Gray (2005).

Women in Love, by DH Lawrence

Seized by John Summers of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice and declared obscene (1922).

The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

Banned in Canada (1949) and Australia (1949).

Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

Banned from U.S. Customs (1934). The U.S. Supreme Court found the novel not obscene (1964). Banned in Turkey (1986).

An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

Banned in Boston, MA (1927) and burned by the Nazis in Germany (1933) because it "deals with low love affairs."

Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

Banned in Ireland in 1962 because the Irish Board of Censors found the work "obscene" and "indecent," objecting particularly to the author's handling of the characters' sexuality, the "explicit sex acts" and "promiscuity." The work was officially banned from sales in Ireland until the introduction of the revised Censorship Publications Bill in 1967. Restricted to high school students with parental permission in the six Aroostock County, ME community high school libraries (1976) because of passages in the book dealing with sex and an extramarital affair. Removed from the required reading list for English class at the Medicine Bow, WY Junior High School (1986) because of sexual references and profanity in the book.