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Hri Kumar: Let Adults Borrow Banned Children's Books.

kryonlight

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Finally, someone from the PAP is talking sense this time.

Pulp Friction

I disagree with NLB’s decision to pulp the three children’s books.

Here is why.

I do not agree with the argument that destroying books is akin to censorship, and that all censorship is bad. There are some publications which clearly do not belong in our public libraries. There can be little argument that NLB should remove books which, say, encourage criminal acts or propagate racist doctrines. NLB’s officers must therefore be given some discretion to vet and exclude books.

The real question is whether homosexuality falls in that category which should be excluded.

This is where the conservative and pro-LGBT groups will never agree, and no amount of argument will make either side change its mind. As I have said previously, society will evolve on this issue and it is those who are not entrenched in either camp who will determine its direction.

I do not believe homosexuality falls in the category of issues which should be excluded. In fact, neither does the NLB. It says it carries such books in the Adult section.

But I think most neutrals would agree that children should read books with controversial themes supervised. I love to read to my 6 year old daughter. She will ask the most interesting questions, and have her own insights. It is a learning process for both of us. Like me, most parents consider reading to children a joy and a privilege. We take an active interest in explaining to and guiding our children on what they read, especially if the books raise difficult issues. And if parents prefer to keep such books away from their children or to tell their children that such books are “wrong”, so be it. That is their prerogative. Parents should be given an option.

The solution could therefore be to have the books placed in a separate section, which children can only access with an adult present – much like a “PG” movie. Excluding such books, or worse, destroying them, sends an altogether different and confusing message about the role of the NLB.

The NLB obviously has some work to do to repair its image, and make clear its mission. I hope it will not run away from this. This is a good opportunity for the NLB to explain its processes and consult the public on how it can serve it better. This is not going to be an easy exercise, and NLB cannot hope to please everyone. But it can demonstrate that it is open to all views and will do its best to find common ground. I think Singaporeans will appreciate that.
 

sochi2014

Alfrescian
Loyal
He is an idiot or might be gay too.

Junk gay lifestyles trash should be burnt.

They dun deserve special treatment or recognition.
 

laksaboy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
What we need a a great privately-owned library, with books of all genres and subjects, and no need to succumb to public pressure to remove this book or that book. If you want to read a book on how to make a bomb it is there.

You'll need to pay an annual fee to be a member, but there is no fee for making reservations. Because the library is so well-stocked, you don't really need to make reservations.

And because a membership fee is involved, you'll get rid of quite a large portion of undesirable library patrons e.g. those cheapskates who hoard the newspaper section, brats who run around and won't shut up etc.
 

tonychat

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
if you let adult borrow the books, they will let the children read it too after borrowing it.. come on.. that kind of books should be destroyed.
 

Luvurbaht

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
if you let adult borrow the books, they will let the children read it too after borrowing it.. come on.. that kind of books should be destroyed.

The first part of your post is right but the second part about destroying books is not a good thing. The Chinese Emperor Shih Huang Ti burned and banned books and that made China poorer. I think there are other ways to deal with this issue of certain ' undesirable' books and publications such as making them available to be read only in the library and only in the adult section.
 

Satyr

Alfrescian
Loyal
What we need a a great privately-owned library, with books of all genres and subjects, and no need to succumb to public pressure to remove this book or that book. If you want to read a book on how to make a bomb it is there.

You'll need to pay an annual fee to be a member, but there is no fee for making reservations. Because the library is so well-stocked, you don't really need to make reservations.

And because a membership fee is involved, you'll get rid of quite a large portion of undesirable library patrons e.g. those cheapskates who hoard the newspaper section, brats who run around and won't shut up etc.

Sam already has one.
 

Clone

Alfrescian
Loyal
restricted access is fine.

i just dont want my 7 year old daughter anywhere near those books even with a 2 foot pole without my consent.
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
between pulp fiction the movie is gay right?

and its one of the top ten greatest movies in the world.......900,000 reviews on imdb,most of the biggest movies in the last 10 years are lucky to even have 200k reviews....

[video=youtube;9IPzwiKk0BE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IPzwiKk0BE[/video]

this song is famous for ass pounding sex in bathrooms and prisons.
 
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HTOLAS

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Hri Kumar is scum and I think he is doing this mainly to distance himself from something that's turning more and more unpopular. But I agree with the comments he's made.
 

3_M

Alfrescian
Loyal
Going by his logic, should we also reclassified Playboy into the adult section?

The whole confusion stemmed from the fact we outlaw something with zero enforcement and made a mockery of the whole legal system. So it open to interpretation by the various interest groups according to their own agendas. To clear the whole matter, it either the gov enforce 377A, seek out those gays, charge and throw them into jail like how they proactively apprehend drug traffickers or the gov abolish 377A and allow gay marriages, gay adoptions etc.

There should be nothing in between.
 

Satyr

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hri Kumar is scum and I think he is doing this mainly to distance himself from something that's turning more and more unpopular. But I agree with the comments he's made.

Likewise. This is the one sensible thing I have heard him say in a long while.
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
When? When is this happening?

1384359757000-BOOK-THIEF-MOV-JY-1658-59704130.JPG
 

tanwahp

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
What Hri Kumar say still doesn't represent the PAP stand. We know the PAP stand on gays is continue discouraging gay lifestyle as much as possible. It's like Denise Phua calling to scrap Elected President but the PAP stand is opposite.

The gay issue is a dividing (although not necessarily divisive) issue. Whether parties have made a stand or not, individual leaders of the party have made their own stand openly. NSP has stood like the PAP but Ravi and Nicole Seah have openly supported gays. WP has not stated any stand and the result is the same - Faisal wore white while Daniel Goh supported gays. Looks like this will continue in years to come.

The only clear cut one is the RP which is to support the gay cause. Then again, RP is practically no more than 3 members, not hard to find consistency.
 

enterprise2

Alfrescian
Loyal
Finally, someone from the PAP is talking sense this time.

Pulp Friction

I disagree with NLB’s decision to pulp the three children’s books.

Here is why.

I do not agree with the argument that destroying books is akin to censorship, and that all censorship is bad. There are some publications which clearly do not belong in our public libraries. There can be little argument that NLB should remove books which, say, encourage criminal acts or propagate racist doctrines. NLB’s officers must therefore be given some discretion to vet and exclude books.

The real question is whether homosexuality falls in that category which should be excluded.

This is where the conservative and pro-LGBT groups will never agree, and no amount of argument will make either side change its mind. As I have said previously, society will evolve on this issue and it is those who are not entrenched in either camp who will determine its direction.

I do not believe homosexuality falls in the category of issues which should be excluded. In fact, neither does the NLB. It says it carries such books in the Adult section.

But I think most neutrals would agree that children should read books with controversial themes supervised. I love to read to my 6 year old daughter. She will ask the most interesting questions, and have her own insights. It is a learning process for both of us. Like me, most parents consider reading to children a joy and a privilege. We take an active interest in explaining to and guiding our children on what they read, especially if the books raise difficult issues. And if parents prefer to keep such books away from their children or to tell their children that such books are “wrong”, so be it. That is their prerogative. Parents should be given an option.

The solution could therefore be to have the books placed in a separate section, which children can only access with an adult present – much like a “PG” movie. Excluding such books, or worse, destroying them, sends an altogether different and confusing message about the role of the NLB.

The NLB obviously has some work to do to repair its image, and make clear its mission. I hope it will not run away from this. This is a good opportunity for the NLB to explain its processes and consult the public on how it can serve it better. This is not going to be an easy exercise, and NLB cannot hope to please everyone. But it can demonstrate that it is open to all views and will do its best to find common ground. I think Singaporeans will appreciate that.

Looks like he and Inderjit are becoming the 'radicals' in the PAP camp!!
 
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