So, Why Are They Called "Classics"...?

 A few years ago at a FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention I participated on a panel on how to get kids to read. One of my fellow panelists raised a very important point. He said a lot of kids don't read, or get turned off from reading, because they're forced to read boring books.

I remember the audience cheered. 

He struck a nerve.

I've thought a lot about that one statement made by the incredible author Paul Genesse. He's right, to a point. Many of the books we were forced to read were boring, not because of the books themselves, but because--many times--we were too immature to understand the book on the same level those forcing us to read them do.

They're called classics for a reason.

I remember when we started homeschooling. One teaching technique placed a huge focus on reading the classics. You want to teach redemption? Read Les Miserables. You want to read about racism, read Uncle Tom's Cabin or Huckleberry Finn. Want to learn about our countries founding? There's so many good books out there. A book that's being read a hundred-years or more after it was first published means there's a reason it's still being read. We learn from the experiences of others. Stories--especially written stories--connect us in a way that no other medium can.

I need to read more. I have dozens of books, great books, written by friends that I have yet to read. Instead I grabbed from the bookshelf a classic, George Orwell's 1984. I know just the tile brings with it a flood of opinions, from every side. Some think it's a story of what our country's experienced over the past four years. Some think it's a prediction of what's coming. Actually, it's political commentary of the world one astute and observant writer who understood human nature and history and who saw and wrote about his day in 1948.

But, the fact that everyone has an opinion of the novel--for good or bad--THAT'S what makes it a classic. 

Oh, and by the way, just the first fifteen pages are terrifying.

It Makes You Think...

 The purpose of this post is not to persuade, or sway, or convince. It is not meant to start a heated discussion of who is right, who is wrong, who is virtuous, or who is evil. I'm inviting rational thought, something very much lacking in our world...something very much needed.

If you are at all following current events, you have heard the app and website Parler cannot be accessed at this time. Again, you may be cheering this development or just the opposite. I repeat--this post is meant to invoke thought, not to take sides.

If you're not familiar with Parler, think of it as Twitter for conservatives. This isn't entirely correct since many non-conservatives use (or used...) the platform. Now, no one can use it--it is a dead social medium. Those in charge of other platforms and social media decided it was okay to shut it down. It was found to be unacceptable.

You may not care that this happened. Chances are, you did not use Parler. Maybe no one you know used it.

Individuals are complex, multidimensional. We have many interests, we associate--either in person or online--with a variety of people and groups. Let's say, you are not on Parler, or even hate it, but you are part of a religion, are involved in community service or community theater. You work for a company that is based in America. Surely, this action by a few companies to shut down Parler cannot affect you.

But, if someone decides the religion of which you are a member, had discriminated or discriminates the rights of others, it might be a good idea to shut down apps, websites, and internet access of that religion. It may be considered unacceptable (I'm not saying these companies will take this action, but the important thing to remember is, they can and they are showing that they will...). This can be done because these software companies are, after all, private organizations and can do what they want. So, they may feel shutting down a religion's internet access is the right thing to do. Many would cheer this action because in their eyes all religions should be banned permanently from the internet, believing religions do more harm than good.

So, your religion no longer has access to the internet. You can still worship, after all. But, what if the company for which you work is owned by someone who is a member of this religion, or maybe a conservative. Since the religion and their political views are now deemed unacceptable, those in charge may decide to eliminate your company's presence from the internet. Because if the owner has these religious and political viewpoints, they must be part of how the company operates. These software companies are, after all, private organizations and can do what they want.

Try running a business in the twenty-first century without an internet presence. It's a death sentence. But, you can always get another job. The community theater you love so much--if it's run by unacceptable people, it may need to go. Community service organizations...same thing. You cannot allow an unacceptable person running those things either. Anything unacceptable is an open target.

The purpose of this post is to generate thought, nothing else. Think of all the things you do, that you're involved with. All it takes is someone to label you, your religion, your employer, your interests as "unacceptable" then the simple act of removing an unacceptable app and website like Parler might just end up affect you after all.