Banned Books = Bad.

I don't believe in banning books.  It doesn't seem right - why should any book be banned?  People may hate a book, or disagree with it, but if you believe in people's right to disagree with you or have different beliefs than you, why should you not allow them to be expressed in book form?  

Books are another way of sharing ideas, just like websites or verbal discussions.  I understand wanting to keep pornography from children, sure.  That's why libraries are divided into age-appropriate sections in schools.  But if you don't believe in something from a certain popular book (i.e. Lord of the Rings or others), you can't suggest we should pull it from shelves because of YOUR personal beliefs or preferences.  That's unfair to the rest of the people in your community who believe differently from you.  Plus, if your child happens to read something you disagree with, be an adult and give them the chance to hear your opinion, but to think freely for themselves on the matter.  Trying to suppress ideas is the number one way to give them power.

If you ban ONE book because of someone's beliefs, what's to say you won't have to ban half the books in the world?  It is people's personal responsibility to decide what they want to read and don't want to read, but NOT theirs to determine what others can read.

Our world should be about learning at every corner, not sitting in stagnant ideas for fear of new ones.  And it seems to me that parents or leaders who try to control the flow of ideas in their families or populations (outside of normal age-appropriate issues) are actually doing a disservice to those people.

My three cents.