Readers
of books can benefit themselves and society in immeasurable ways. But they can
also lead to self-destruction and an attack on the world. Books, like anything else, can be a building
tool for greatness, or a hammer for chiseling a monster.
You
probably can’t imagine books being used in bad ways, but how about these:
1.
People
misunderstand a book’s message and use it to do harm.
2.
A
book offers incorrect or bad advice that subsequently is followed to the
detriment of a reader.
3.
The
politics expressed in a book incites someone to support harmful political views.
4.
A
book turns someone onto following a cult.
5.
A
novel leads the reader to act out what should only be a fantasy.
6.
Books
of science or history report the wrong facts or share incorrect information,
which is then embraced by the reader who acts out of ignorance.
7.
A
book champions a dangerous point of view that leads people to act in a
misguided way.
8.
A
book encourages risky behavior.
9.
A
book offers just one side to a complex issue and fails to give a complete picture
to someone seeking to take action.
10.
A
book is so poorly written or edited that it confuses the reader.
I
love books but I realize that a book could be a vehicle to do harm. There are books on peace and there are books
on how to make bombs. There are books
about love, and there are manuals on how to commit crimes. There are books espousing wonderful philosophies
about unity and there are books that spew hatred, prejudice, and revenge. The reading public, the news media, and
responsible authors, publishers, and educators must work together to create and
promote books of quality while disavowing books that harm us. Free speech must always
win and allow for the publishing of all types of books, but a strong society
must counter what it finds to be dangerous or objectionable with protests, awareness campaigns, and a resilience for promoting
truth and good values.
So
readers can do a lot. They can read books and become educated, enlightened,
inspired, and entertained. They can also
read something and take violent actions or work in opposition of a loving
society. Readers need to be smart about what
they read, how they read, and what they choose to believe.
Do
we really teach people how to read a book, in terms of how uncovering clues
about what’s being said, how it’s being said, what’s missing, and what could be
another way at looking at things? It
doesn’t matter what’s published or written.
What really matters is what people choose to read and their capacity to
understand and act – or not act – on what they read.
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