We Are Fighting Back

Espe and I never get too personal on our blog posts. Today we are breaking that rule. We can't stay silent over something so important.

Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of a book called SPEAK. Speak is a story about a high school girl who is raped and chooses to remain silent about the horrible thing that has happened to her. A man by the name is Dr. Wesley Scroggins, a resident of Rebulic, Missouri published an opinion letter in the newspaper rallying for support in banning this book because according to him, "This is a book about a very dysfunctional family. School teachers are losers, adults are losers and the cheerleading squad scores more than the football team." Dr. Scroggins also goes on to object over the two rapes scenes in the book, calling it "soft pornography."

Trying to censor something that can allow teens to read about someone else going through and dealing with something they themselves have experienced, is wrong. Books like this give people hope, help them realize they aren't alone, and allows them to gain knowledge to help themselves in trying and difficult times. Dr. Welsey Scroggins wants to take that away from readers and victims, which alone is reprehensible, add to that the fact that he refers to rape scenes as "soft pornography" and it is disgusting as well. And don't even get us started on all the reasons it infuriates us that he is using his Christianity as his reasoning for why the book should be banned. This book is NOT un-Christian like. Trying to ban a book that could potentially help someone through something so horribly awful IS in fact, Un-Christian like and not at all the loving way that God would wish anyone to conduct themselves in our opinions.

We get it. Rape is not an easy topic to discuss. It is sad, scary, and heart breaking. Never the less, it is a daily occurrence. According to UCSC Rape Prevention, 1 in 3 women are coerced or beaten into having sex. The United States Department of Justice states that in 2005 almost 192,000 rapes were recorded and generally, only 16% of rapes are even reported! The awful truth is that ignoring it, refusing to discuss it, CENSORING it, isn't going to make it go away. Let me just say too that we sure are glad that we don't believe in the same God that Dr. Scroggins believes in. Our God is loving, kind, caring, and wouldn't ever want a rape survivor to feel alone or abandoned, or like they are the sinner and not the victim. Our God believes in love for everyone. Even for YOU Dr. Scroggins.

So what are we going to do to fight back? Writing this blog post is the first step. Bringing awareness is important.  We hope that this blows up in your face Dr. Scroggins, and that all your words do, is create more buzz for the book Speak and about how wrong book banning is, how censorship isn't a solution to anything, and that people protest in response. We are going to continue rallying with those on twitter and in the book blogging and author community, getting the word out about how wrong Censorship is by the #SpeakLoudly campaign started by Paul Hankins. We are also working on something to help spread the word and will get you details on this soon.

We encourage everyone who reads this to please read the author of Speak Laurie Halse Anderson's post about this, and to stand up for what is right.

We won't go quietly. We want to SPEAK LOUDLY.