Ignorance and social perception have once again trampled all over a freedom that we cherish. And this freedom is one that is constantly under attack by a moral majority that continually imposes some contrived list of good and bad content often viewed through flawed and tunnel-visioned lenses. Of course this is all based on their own personal preferences, with little to no balanced consultation from the entire populace, so how this list can be considered fair boggles the mind. Honestly, this practice of book banning does absolutely nothing to stop a person who wants to view the contents of that banned book, images included. Can we really look around at today’s world and presume to render a judgment on what is good and bad, when much of status quo’s everyday actions and words are causing such unmitigated terror upon logical behavior?
One such case that is making itself known in the comic world is the case of “Brandon X”, an American citizen that has been jailed as a sex offender because of the comic book (actually a Japanese manga) that he brought with him. Actually it wasn’t even a physical book, but a digital book on his laptop. First of all, that laptop is his private information and should not have been privy to an official search without cause. Secondly, there was no attempt to understand the cultural perception and mores of the Japanese artists that created it for their own society, and has luckily spread in popularity throughout the world.
When reviewing every written book, we quickly realize that there is a wide variety of art styles that support these divergent story lines and their intended audiences. Some of those art and writing styles are tailored to a more adult audience, who make the personal choice of reading the content of this particular genre. All creative content has a story to tell, and speaks to each individual while trying to hopefully teach something valuable. Good and bad have an equal place in this world, as one cannot live without the other. Just like we have a physical and spiritual world, of which both are integrated into our lives in so many different forms.
To simply look at the content of a manga comic (and many other types of comics worldwide) and judge them to be “perverted” because of our own personal preferences shows just how close-minded and hypocritical we as a society have become. Just as it also shows an unfair bias that comics and manga are either immature, violent, or otherwise inappropriate and unnecessary. Considering that many adults do not have the courage or responsibility to teach their kids everything that they need to know, both good and bad, in order to make it through that aging process that leads to maturity, these comics and graphic novels offer an important tool that can teach the child about disastrous and/or courageous actions, beliefs, and words and their repercussions.
Taking this conversation a step further, art and creativity has suffered at the hands of the moral majority since the first art form was created from a blank canvas. Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, and so many other famous artists have been called before the moral collective because of their interpretation of a subject that many considered not proper for polite society. Today’s artists continually fall into the same trap that society set back in those days, because moral judgment can mutate depending on the beliefs of the times which typically choose blindfolds over knowledge.
Morality is not just about our visual perceptions of right and wrong. It’s also about opportunities to create things that let us understand the concept of right and wrong, so that we make the appropriate choices in our own lives. What appropriate form that takes cannot and should not be left to governments or the moral majority. It’s the responsibility of each and every one of us, and our actions and beliefs show that we got the right message from the medium. It’s time we took back this power to expand our knowledge using our own judgment and responsibility. Then maybe we’ll all grow a little in our level of maturity and choose to do right from all of the lessons that we are fortunate enough to see.
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