General Discussion

Dustlawyer

(10,494 posts)

18. I think book and music bannings and burnings are a phenomenon that breaks out in different places

Wed Dec 24, 2014, 10:20 AM

Dec 2014

time-to-time, usually when you get an ignorant and/or religious school board or city government. A state government is pretty extreme and rare. These things encourage other areas to take the plunge that may have that ignorant make up as copycats. There is always a backlash from people like us that wins out. The problem is, when all of our schools get so bad that the future generations don't have enough people like us who know the value of these readings and music because we were exposed to it, there may not be enough at some point.

(Old geezer story time)
When I was in 9th grade (16), I was part owner of a DJ "sound system" business me and two friends started when we were 12. We made our own speaker cabinets, light board, consol etc., and started playing the YMCA dances every two weeks (Disco was truly King). We plowed 100% of the money back into records and eventually convinced my dad to co-sign a loan for professional equipment so that by age 16 we had a great business playing dances, weddings, and even a bar mitzvah!
Both of my partners were members of the First Baptist Church, the biggest church in town here in South East Texas. One of them came to me and said that his church had put on a program showing that the devil was at work putting satanic messages in the recordings. By playing them backwards you could hear "something". They were going to have a record and book burning in the parking lot of the church and he wanted to burn all of our records! He was being attacked at church for playing "dances" since Southern Baptists are not allowed to dance or drink alcohol (temptation of the Devil to fornication). Can anyone say "Footloose?"
I told him no and that I would buy him out my my share of "Devil money" so he sold out. I happened to manage a video arcade when not playing dances and one of the Mrs. pack an addicts was a very popular DJ from Syracuse, NY. When I told him what was going on and asked him if he could stop it he readily agreed. He got all of the other DJ's in town and they called so much attention to it the church backed down!

I don't know why they do these things. I would like to hear from someone with a sociology or psychology degree who could answer to this phenomenon. Anyone?

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Highlight:

America's Dangerous Turn to Anti-Intellectualism [View all] xchrom Dec 2014 OP

Read H. Beam Piper's Null-ABC hobbit709 Dec 2014 #1

Remember how the idiots in _Idiocracy_ suspected anyone who could read? nt tblue37 Dec 2014 #61

Anyone feel like we're repeating history? marym625 Dec 2014 #2

If this wholesale attack on knowledge and learning keeps up meow2u3 Dec 2014 #4

yep. marym625 Dec 2014 #5

Those people learned more in their association with Stalin Sweeney Dec 2014 #8

Sweeney Diclotican Dec 2014 #23

Teabaggers would spell it "Rain" hobbit709 Dec 2014 #6

If the idiots are willing to do anything it is better than talking the situation to death Sweeney Dec 2014 #7

"Fourth rein," surely malthaussen Dec 2014 #21

Yes, and they burned them also. asjr Dec 2014 #17

I think book and music bannings and burnings are a phenomenon that breaks out in different places Dustlawyer Dec 2014 #18

Hitler and Stalin were both guilty of this. Initech Dec 2014 #40

What a wonderful education. Sweeney Dec 2014 #3

The problem with what you said F4lconF16 Dec 2014 #46

This is a well-established practice of at least a century, or more Demeter Dec 2014 #9

Works banned in Boston Demeter Dec 2014 #10

Interesting that you mention Boston Trillo Dec 2014 #22

^^^ Interesting ^^^ SalviaBlue Dec 2014 #39

Don't you insult my Fanny!! Demeter Dec 2014 #41

They don't need intellectuals..... paleotn Dec 2014 #11

Add in fundy religion to the mix and hifiguy Dec 2014 #36

I agree. WHEN CRABS ROAR Dec 2014 #45

"Reality has a known left wing bias", and facts clash with the repuke world view. Simple. on point Dec 2014 #12

Didn't there used to be a really nice library in Alexandria? GliderGuider Dec 2014 #13

+1. nt bemildred Dec 2014 #15

Imagine ...if that had not been destroyed. L0oniX Dec 2014 #29

*repeatedly* (OTOH they had Antikythera-level machines in Byzantium around 500) MisterP Dec 2014 #33

As I recall . . . Jack Rabbit Dec 2014 #51

And murdered Hyapatia, the librarian hifiguy Dec 2014 #55

Fear makes you stupid. bemildred Dec 2014 #14

+1 xchrom Dec 2014 #19

National anthem: Duck and cover. L0oniX Dec 2014 #30

It Can't Happen Here Perseus Dec 2014 #16

The saddest thing I've read this year. Pholus Dec 2014 #20

They also claim its not in the Constitution BobbyBoring Dec 2014 #43

Thanks for posting Omaha Steve Dec 2014 #24

... xchrom Dec 2014 #32

Terrible policies. blackspade Dec 2014 #25

Are they burning them yet? That will be next. Humanity is regressing as well. L0oniX Dec 2014 #27

Give them a little time.... blackspade Dec 2014 #49

Where books are burned hifiguy Dec 2014 #56

Or put them is mass graves..... blackspade Dec 2014 #63

So "A People's History Of The United States by Howard Zinn" wouldn't be allowed either. L0oniX Dec 2014 #26

K/R marmar Dec 2014 #28

I just started reading about the 19th century America Demeter Dec 2014 #42

we see it every day everywhere and it becomes the new normal . olddots Dec 2014 #31

It simply is just easier to control the ignorant. nt kelliekat44 Dec 2014 #34

The late Richard Hofstadter was railing about this hifiguy Dec 2014 #35

Yep. His book "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life" was required reading The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2014 #44

Shame on Tucson daredtowork Dec 2014 #37

You can see this in the whole STEM circle-jerk. Odin2005 Dec 2014 #38

Scientism? Like what? As a computer engineering major I wonder what you're talking about. alp227 Dec 2014 #54

It's probably more obvious to people coming from the lib arts background Posteritatis Dec 2014 #58

TPTB desire a new generation of automatons, pliable cows easily herded against their own self blkmusclmachine Dec 2014 #47

I live in NW Arkansas, chervilant Dec 2014 #48

Not to argue or even nitpick, but SheilaT Dec 2014 #50

Seems like a leap ... JEFF9K Dec 2014 #52

Good article gopiscrap Dec 2014 #53

America has always... sendero Dec 2014 #57

When does the book-burning start? nikto Dec 2014 #59

I agree.... defacto7 Dec 2014 #60

So... caucasian is not an ethnicity? cui bono Dec 2014 #62

Ignorance is Bliss. Octafish Dec 2014 #64