I´ve been watching the Library Wars lately. And it started these thoughts about freedom of speech. As many know there is stuff going on in USA and the whole mess with Japan not wanting to have anyone outside Japan get their hands on visual novels and all. I think that Onii-chan wrote it best so go here to read up on that specific subject. Yes I know I´m late to the party, but it just came onto me and I wanted to write down my thoughts about it all.

Who decides on what should be allowed to be placed on paper in a book? Should we try to write down history as it appears or should we listen to the governments and only write down what they decide is worth placing on paper?

Is there any regulations on what should be allowed to put down? If that is the case, who should decide? In the case with visual novels and them having lolis in them I don´t understand why countries outside of Japan, like Sweden has anything to do with it or why they should even try to force Japan to change their views on this matter. I am terribly sorry to say that I do not remember where it all started, if I recall right it was a feminist group that demanded that lolis, neko-mimis and what not were to be banned from appearing in visual novels.

I just laugh at this, non real images have to be banned cause they show adult women having sex, only that they look younger? It´s simply wrong.

But back on topic. Books. The history books have a bit of a flaw in them, I do not claim this to be the truth but I do feel that why is the history books so one-sided? Is it because that the victors of the wars decided what should be printed down? Media coverage of wars either have a glorifing or repelling undertone, it´s easy to see.

In Library Wars there is a special faction that works to prevent books from being burned. They usually barricade themselves in a library and fight of the forces that try to come and take special books that are to be burned. This is done by military actions from both sides. Over a book. It´s a bit silly isn´t it?

But it also comes back to why a certain power, like a government should decide on what kind of books are to be allowed. Knowledge is indeed power and a ruling government that knows that there are books that do not appeal to them or place them in a bad view is something most often they can´t seem to tolerate. So I do understand why they would want to destroy any information that can be used against them.

In Library Wars there was a big fight where the Kanto Library Force, without any military training wanted to defend the books got shot down by the Cleansing Comite. Unarmed people VS armed people can only end in one way. Disaster. That was the beginning, after the event the Kanto Library Force starting educating their people in military arts.

It has gone to long when there has to be military force brought it.

I just realized, I can´t write something good out of this. I just can´t. So to try and finish it of on a good scale.

Freedom of Speech and the Freedom to write down anything you want are things that I think everyone should be able to have. We should all be allowed to go to a library to get books to read without having to fear getting pummeled or the book we just borrowed being stolen and burned. It should be a basic human right.

Power will most certain lead to corruption. Having the power over what books and what people are allowed to see, say and read is a terrible power and should never be handed to people. It will just get ugly. I hope that it will never come to this in the real life even if it seems as if we are heading straight for it.