Why We Should Ban THE LORAX

What is

THE LORAX?

The story goes that the Once-ler cut down his first Truffala Tree, which summoned the Lorax: a "shortish and oldish and brownish and mossy ... with a voice that was sharpish and bossy," who was the guardian of the forest. He warned the Once-ler of the consequences of cutting down the trees. But the Once-ler ignored him, and brought his relatives in to help him cut down the forest.

The forest became a barren wasteland full of pollution, and the Lorax was forced to make the animals leave so that they could find a better place to live. The Lorax then confronted the Once-ler, but at that moment, the last Truffala Tree fell. With no more resources, the Once-ler's family left, and he himself began to live in solitude. And with a final very sad, sad backward glance, the Lorax flew away into the clouds.

THE LORAX is a book about a man named the Once-ler, who moves"shortish and oldish and brownish and mossy ... with a voice that was sharpish and bossy" to a prosperous town full of the Truffala Trees, which contain Thneeds. Thneeds can be used to make socks, sweaters, mittens, or any type of clothing.

The Lorax, though, left behind a stone for the Once-ler that reads "UNLESS." The Once-ler figures out that the stone means 'Unless someone cares, nothing will get better.' The Once-ler then gave the last Truffala Tree seed to the boy who asked him about the forest in the firs place. He tells the boy, "Grow a forest, protect it from the axes that hack; then maybe the Lorax and all of his friends will come back,"

Some forest industries have already gotten together and published THE TRUAX, a book written in response to THE LORAX which promotes the foresting industry.

THE LORAX is a book which demeans and degrades the foresting industry and therefore should be banned in areas where foresting is the main economy there.

In the past, people have challenged THE LORAX saying it degrades and demeans the foresting industry. The people challenging the book live in towns where the foresting and logging industries control the economy of the city/town where their based.

"Endangered Books." ACLU of Oregon. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. <http://www.aclu-or.org/content/endangered-books>.

Ayers, Kyle. "The Environmental Message

Behind "The Lorax" (CBS New York)." The

Environmental Message Behind "The Lorax"

(CBS New York. CBS, 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 Oct.

2012.

Why was THE

LORAX banned?

Works Cited

Why We Should Ban

THE LORAX

In 1988/1989, a small school district in Laytonville, California banned THE LORAX because it "criminalized the forest industry." Along with these schools, it was banned and challenged in towns throughout the Pacific Northwest where logging and foresting are the big industries that support their economies.

Rome, Emily. "'The Lorax' Targeted for Its Green

Credentials." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 01 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012.

Seuss. The Lorax. New York: Random House,

1971. Print.