Banned Book Week

To call our attention to Banned Book Week this week, Anu Garg (The Wordsmith) is using words in "A Word A Day" that relate to censorship. This is an excerpt from his column on Monday.

In Saudi Arabia a woman in public has to be covered head to toe or risk arrest. In India it's socially acceptable if a woman's torso and legs are clad. In the US it's tolerable as long as her top and bottom are not exposed. And in Europe anything (or nothing) is fair game.
Which one of these configurations is correct? Who decides? Well, here is an idea: Why not let a woman decide for herself? The same goes for books. Instead of banning certain books, why not let a reader decide what books he wants to read, and what books to buy or borrow?

Unfortunately even in these modern times there are Comstocks and Bowdlers around us. To highlight the issue, librarians, booksellers, and readers celebrate the freedom to read by observing Banned Books Week during the last week of September every year (Sep 25 - Oct 2 this year).