Posted by John Nichols on April 24, 2005 at 23:15:33 from 165.91.196.80 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: Biggles & Co posted by Laurence Monkhouse on April 24, 2005 at 20:46:46:
As one who has not read Biggles for at least 32 years (God I am getting old) I was wondering why the books are politically incorrect.
The other thing which concerns me sometimes is the concept that we should protect our youth from unacceptable ideas - in this case I mean the mores of our current time rather than when it was written. Is it not better to expose someone growing up to all ideas and educate them to appreciate the problems with ideas? Is this not part of the problem between China and Japan - to some extent the Japanese wants to move on from the past and the Chinese thinks that that is politically incorrect to forget the past.
I discussed this with a Jewish friend recently who had suggested that my reading Buchan was politically incorrect because the author was anti-semitic. But is that not part of learning history - the times were hostile to the Jewish people and one learns this in ones reading.
Maybe I am just sensitive to being told what I can read. I can enjoy Buchan but feel sorry for him because of his bigotry, whilst asking the question "Would I have had that bigotry if I lived at that time?" And then being glad I lived later.
As usual I will await Peter H's comments with some anticipation and then Ed's sense of what is best. Ed - you make my days a whole lot brighter - thank you. PS So does everybody else - so thank you.
JMN