The Virginia Holocaust Museum and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia are presenting a program entitled Censorship: The War Over Words at 7PM on Tues., Sept. 23, at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The event will bring together writers, actors, and storytellers to read from the works of authors and intellectuals who have, at one time or another, been barred from the United States because of their political views or have had their works censored.

From the press release:

Designed as a kick off for Banned Books Week, a national program created by the American Library Association in 1982 to “celebrate our freedom to read,” the event will demonstrate how frequently artistic works are challenged in the United States.

The protection of free speech and expression is a cornerstone to our democratic society, which should not be hindered for the sake of national security. Words have the power to inspire and provide an important balance against tyrannical governments. Since the USA Patriot Act became law in 2001, the U.S. government has once again denied visas to respected writers and scholars with whose political views it disagrees. The government is increasingly using immigration laws to deprive American audiences of information and ideas that they have a constitutional right to hear.

In conjunction with the event, the Virginia Holocaust Museum will open a temporary exhibit that will highlight how censorship is used during acts of genocide. Together the two are intended to draw parallels between the subtle first stages of oppression with the overt signs that are more easily identified during ethnic cleansing.

The program will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at the Virginia Holocaust Museum located at 2000 East Cary Street. The exhibit will remain up through the end of October.