方鯤鵬
在本人博文《憲法固重要解釋更關鍵 若得好藉口 二者皆可拋》一文第六部分《禍害美國百年的烏鴉法》上網後,有位網友跟貼提示:“聽說過這樣一件事,南方有個兒童讀物的連環畫畫家,因為出版了一冊連環畫作品被封殺。該讀本的名字好像是叫《白兔和黑兔的婚禮》【方註:書名是《兔子的婚禮》】。”
我在互聯網上查找到了這一事件。溫故而更知新。1958年,美國的一些州政府,居然愚昧荒唐到認為談論動物黑白相愛是大逆不道,必須橫加干涉;2008年,一位黑白混血兒當選為美國總統。這期間只經歷了50年。了解這些歷史能幫助我們認知:(1)世界上沒有哪個國家可以自封為道德巨人;(2)人類社會能和平地實現飛躍式進步。
根據維基百科網頁,這事件的梗概如下:
1958年,加思·威廉斯(Garth Williams)出版了一本引起騷動的連環畫兒童讀物《兔子的婚禮》。這是關於一隻黑兔子和一隻白兔子相愛結婚的童話故事。因為神經敏感的人認為,這個童話故事涉嫌暗示了不同種族間的愛情,這本書被禁止在阿拉巴馬州的州立圖書館系統上架和流通。
《蒙哥馬利地方新聞報》(一份種族隔離主義組織“白人公民委員會”的出版物)評論道:“一位奧蘭多出版社的編輯宣傳這樣一個種族間的通婚故事,是在洗腦。只要你一打開這本書,你就會意識到這些兔子結合在一起了。”這份報紙還指出,這本書顯然是反種族隔離主義者的宣傳品,目標是性格形成時期的兒童。
對於這本書引起的非議,作者威廉斯聲明道:“我完全不知道白色毛皮的動物,像北極熊、白狗、白兔子,它們的血統與白人聯繫在一起。我只知道一匹白馬和一匹黑馬在一起時,看上去像是很好的作畫題材。”他又指出,因為這只是一個溫情故事,沒有隱含仇恨訊息,所以這個故事不是寫給不能理解這個道理的那些成年人。
The Rabbits' Wedding controversy
In 1958 Garth Williams wrote and illustrated a book that caused a small uproar: The Rabbits' Wedding. The book was removed from general circulation in Alabama's state library system because of its perceived theme of interracial love. The story was about a black rabbit marrying a white rabbit. “Such miscegenation stated an editor in Orlando, was ‘brainwashing . . . as soon as you pick up the book and open its pages you realize these rabbits are integrated.’ The Montgomery Home News [a publication of the segregationist White Citizens' Council] added that the book was integrationist propaganda obviously aimed at children in their formative years.”About the controversy, Williams stated, “I was completely unaware that animals with white fur, such as white polar bears and white dogs and white rabbits, were considered blood relations of white beings. I was only aware that a white horse next to a black horse looks very picturesque.” Williams said his story was not written for adults, who “will not understand it, because it is only about a soft furry love and has no hidden message of hate.”
《兔子的婚禮》封面:
