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Father writes ironic permission letter to let son read book about censorship

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[A man reads a 1953 hit novel by Ray Bradbury, which delves into a world where books are banned. Michael Thurston/AFP/Getty Images]

It seems the message behind Ray Bradbury’s science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451 is still taking some time to settle in. The dystopian tale, published in 1953, details a world where books are outlawed and burned. Bradbury wrote it as a reaction to the extreme political climate of 1950s McCarthyism.

Some children require permission from their parents or guardians to read the book, which is filled with mild curse words such as “hell” and “damn.” One of those students happened to be the son of Daniel Radosh, the head writer of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. On Oct. 24, he tweeted the permission slip he wrote for his son in order for him to be allowed to read the novel for his book club. His message received more than 10,000 likes on Twitter. Here’s what he wrote:

“I love this letter! What a wonderful way to introduce students to the theme of Fahrenheit 451 that books are so dangerous that the institutions of society – schools and parents – might be willing to team up against children to prevent them from reading one. It’s easy enough to read the book and say, ‘This is crazy. It could never really happen,’ but pretending to present students at the start with what seems like a totally reasonable 'first step’ is a really immersive way to teach them how insidious censorship can be.

“I’m sure that when the book club is over and the students realize the true intent of this letter they’ll be shocked at how many of them accepted it as an actual permission slip. In addition, Milo’s concern that allowing me to add this note will make him stand out as a troublemaker really brings home why most of the characters find it easier to accept the world they live in rather than challenge it. I assured him that his teacher would have his back.”

Ironically, a book about censorship requires parental permission for a child to read it. Well, it appears this novel will likely make for an engaging book club meeting.