Sacramento's Old Comic Book Ban: Time for a Change?

In Sacramento, a law from 1949 is still on the books. It stops kids from buying certain comic books. The law is not used much anymore. But some people want to get rid of it for good. Lecho Lopez runs a comic shop in Sacramento. He remembers his nephew reading his first word from a comic book. It was the word "bad. " Lopez thinks comic books are good for kids. He wants the old law to be removed. He says it is silly and outdated. The city council agreed to talk about removing the ban. They also want to make a week in September "Sacramento Comic Book Week. " The ban stops kids from getting comics with crime stories. These stories show things like murder or arson. Many people think the law is not needed anymore. Eben Burgoon is a comic book author. He started a petition to remove the ban. He says comic books can help people speak out against bad things. He thinks the old law could be used to hurt comic books. Sam Helmick works with the American Library Association. He says the ban goes against free speech rules. He thinks it is not fair to stop kids from reading comics. In the past, people thought comic books were bad for kids. They thought comics could make kids violent or make them read less. But now, people see the good in comics. They can help kids learn and think. Lopez says comic books helped him when he was young. They helped him read better. They also kept him away from trouble. He says comic books can teach kids good things, even if they have some bad scenes. Benjamin Morse is a teacher. He says comic books can have good messages. For example, Spider-Man is about a kid who loses his parents. But he becomes a hero and helps others. Christopher Ferguson is a psychology professor. He says there is no proof that comic books make kids violent. He says the same is true for TV and video games. Lopez showed some comics to a reporter. These comics have violent scenes. But Lopez says they also have good messages. He thinks the old law should be removed. He wants kids to be able to read comics freely.