Censorship scares me. Censorship means that someone else is trying to tell me what I can and cannot think, believe, read or say. Censorship, thankfully, was forbidden by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution over 200 years ago. Censorship goes against the very grain of American independence, tradition and values.

But, the right to free speech, like all our rights guaranteed under the Constitution, will only survive if we are passionate about protecting those rights. That's why I was so alarmed to read that the Douglas County School District decided to keep some teachers from reading the Harry Potter books to students if a parent objected to them.

Douglas County is my school district. I served 8 years on its school board. My kids got a wonderful education there. I think it ranks among the top school districts in the country. But, this decision is a big mistake.

It sounds so easy to say, "Well, we just won't read that book in class if anyone objects." That gets rid of controversy and eases the jobs of busy teachers and administrators. But, it goes against the whole grain of American history where debate, disagreement and controversy, where full access to information and ideas, are fundamental to our democracy.

When a special interest group (in this case, Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs) can push an agenda that limits freedom of expression, we are all losers. Our children need to learn to understand issues and advocate their own views. They need to be prepared to listen to and respect the opinions of others and to argue vociferously when they feel strongly about something. They need to understand that democracy is based on freedom of thought. They need to know that much of the American genius and success is built on our freedom to create. That doesn't mean you have to like or agree with someone else's creation. It does mean that you have no right to suppress it.

Parents can and should guide their children's reading. I certainly did that with my own children. The time comes, however, when they are old enough to make their own choices. By then, we parents should hope that they have developed the critical thinking abilities to question what they read and hear. How can they do this if they are exposed to only one point of view or denied the opportunity to participate in the richness of American literature and culture? If parents choose to so limit their child, that is up to them. But, no organization, religious or otherwise, should be able to influence public policy to limit children's access to information.

Douglas County Schools have some better choices open to them than prohibiting teachers from reading controversial books. They can put the burden on parents to choose for their children. For example, they could send parents a list of books that are likely to be used in the classroom. If parents object to one of the books, they can ask that their child be given some other activity or put into a different reading group while the "objectionable" book is being used. One parent, however, should not be able to deprive the rest of the students from hearing something that may delight or motivate or fascinate them.

Parents have other options to banning books also. If they worry about the Harry Potter books' fantasies, they can discuss them in depth with their children. They can see this as an opportunity to strengthen the values, religious or otherwise, that they want their children to learn. If teachers let parents know they will read a book that some find controversial, parents can read the book to their children first, discussing the ideas in light of their values. In this way, parents can teach their children to question ideas, to disagree and to present their own views.

Censorship limits our worldview at a time when the need to understand the world around us has never been greater. Whether it's in Douglas County, Colorado or elsewhere in America, we need to vigorously defend our constitutional rights against any attempts to stifle them.