Context Matters: The Absurdity of Banning Looking for Alaska

Book bans are out of control—author John Green explains why Looking for Alaska deserves context, not censorship.

Let’s talk about book bans. Look, I know the state of the United States these days—it’s no secret that books are getting banned for just about any reason imaginable. And while the entire practice is deeply troubling, what grates on me the most is this: when people cherry-pick one or two pages or scenes, rip them completely out of context, and then slap a judgment on the entire book or story based on those tiny fragments. It’s often scenes that are violent, sexual, or—heaven forbid—promote ideas the Moms for Liberty don’t like.

Now, before I spiral into a full-blown rant about the insanity of book bans, let’s narrow the focus. There’s one book on the chopping block lately that has left me very surprised. I shouldn’t be, given the current climate, but I can’t help it. The book? Looking for Alaska by John Green. The reason? That scene. And to that, I say… REALLY?!

Instead of me trying to articulate why banning this book for that reason is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard, I’ll let the author himself, John Green, explain it. Because context? Yeah, it’s everything. Check this out:

Let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture here: banning books based on select opinions is dangerous, shortsighted, and—frankly—ridiculous. And Looking for Alaska is a great example of why this practice needs to stop.

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