To the editor,

I would just like to say how much it scared and upset me to see the call for book banning in Kansas schools. I am currently studying at the Humboldt University in Berlin. The main building is located right across the street from the historic Bebelplatz where in 1933 Nazis and students from the university burned thousands of books either written by “un-German” authors or containing material considered dangerous to the Nazi regime.

Now, before people start drafting their angry responses, let me assure you that I am not calling ban-supporters Nazis. That would be highly inappropriate and, if nothing else, being in Berlin for four months has taught me not to use that word lightly. I just want to remind everyone where this sort of thing can lead, just as I am reminded every time I walk by Bebelplatz.

Children are not stupid; high school and junior high school students are much more mature and intelligent than many adults seem to think. The bad words and sexuality in literature, to which parents often object, are nothing new to any high school student who has ever watched TV or seen a PG13 movie, but both of these things are often integral parts of books that are important for a young adult’s education.

It is an insult to these students, your children, not to trust them with knowledge just because it is controversial. Instead, have these books taught in a classroom where teachers put them in the proper educational context. It is wrong to steal classic literature from the students of Kansas.

Maggie Brooke,

Lawrence/Berlin