[carlosjobim]

The effective difference is of course that they could easily get that book from somewhere else if they want it.

If I'm prevented from bringing my dog into a restaurant, that doesn't mean that dogs are banned. It means I have to go to the restaurant on the other side of the street.

If McDonald's doesn't serve any hard liquor it doesn't mean that alcohol has been banned in the country.

[mossTechnician]

Is it really that cut and dry? A technically competent person might easily access a book while living in an authoritarian country, while someone who grows up in an authoritarian family in a "free" country might be prevented from reading a book both at home and at the school where their parents lobbied to ban the book. (It's quite hard to access suppressed information if you lack the knowledge it exists in the first place.)

[carlosjobim]

Authoritarian family? Parents have the authority over their children until they are old enough to make their own decisions. It is up to them how they raise their kids.

They will have all the time and opportunity in the world to read and try anything they want to when they're older.

[mossTechnician]

The specific examples I provided included domestic abuse; most sexual abuse is done by a family member. I hope it's not contentious to say that parental control should not be as authoritarian as to allow that, let alone suppress the victim's knowledge of what it is.

[carlosjobim]

Not any abuse, no. But who is trying to censor or ban information on how abuse victims can get help?

[mossTechnician]

Conversion therapy advocates have disproportionate influence in book banning, for example. We know that's a form of torture.

[amanaplanacanal]

So you are suggesting that kids should just go to a different public school?

[carlosjobim]

You can get books from other places than your public school.