Mrs Standish appears to believe some literature is "bad" for people and therefore should be banned.

The writer also assumes it is possible to distinguish between what is "good" literature and what is "bad."

As with other advocates of censorship Mrs Standish fails to offer any evidence which suggests children are in any way corrupted by "filthy books." What evidence there is suggests the juvenile delinquent and his friends don't read books.

My argument is that censorship has been a restriction on the liberty of the individual and is fundamentally evil. Before it can be justified, it must be proved that censorship will prevent a greater evil. Such circumstances I believe could occur during a national crisis.

I would submit that the proponents of censorship have no rational basis for their case.

It appears to be based solely on an intense personal dislike of some literature. And because these people find these books personally repugnant, others should be prevented from writing, publishing and reading them.

B.G.S.