In the article, “How They Do It”, Chris Crutcher argues that books should not be censored by school officials just because an angry parent disfavors the books; Crutcher especially thinks this because these books are helping kids learn and relate to the real world. Crutcher strengthens his argument by using personal experiences, biased opinion, and sarcasm. Crutcher starts off his arguments by telling a personal story. In the article, he shares his story of how many of the books he has written and other books have been censored. He explains how his book, Whale Talk, was picked to be read all around in a school in Fowlerville, Michigan. Crutcher says how he received emails from educators about how the books have impacted their students, in a good way. In his book he has a troublesome scene with a little girl and her racist …show more content…
In the article, Crutcher states how the book helps teachers reach the troubled kids and change their view on school and life. He gives a lot a credit to the teachers for how they teach the book and make it come alive. Crutcher states, “…administrators to stand up for their teachers” (Crutcher). Crutcher believes that school officials should talk to the educators about the books and learn the facts before censoring the books. He also says, “They stand up for non–educators…” He improves his argument by saying the school officials listen to the parents more than the people who actually teach the children and know what is good for their education. He also talks deeply about the impacts the books have on children. Crutcher states how no matter how good a book is for the teenagers, the officials care more about philosophy than humanity. The school officials are not bothered by the affect it has on kids, all they care about is themselves. This helps his argument because people can see how vile the school officials can
n the “Pat Conroy Letter” (October 24, 2007) to the Charleston Gazette, Pat Conroy implies that the only good in banning books is giving students irresistible temptation to read them. Conroy emphasizes the dangers of banning books by juxtaposing books to real life utilizing diction, imagery, and conjunctions. He uses sarcasm in order to persuade the school board to change their book banning policy. Conroy captures the audience’s attention with a historical allusion to the Hatfields and McCoys to relate to the people in Charleston, West Virginia using sarcasm and humor in hopes of convincing that censorship is wrong.
The respondents, including Steven Pico, Jacqueline Gold, Glenn Yarris, Russell Rieger (students at Island Trees High School), and Paul Sochinski (student at Island Trees Memorial), argued that banning the books from school libraries violated their first amendment rights. Therefore, the respondents took the case to court (I...
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
She starts her article by describing her first contact with censorship and continues to talk about her experiences as an author with writing her own books being barred. She takes account of her personal views on how to handle topics people feel should be forbidden from children. She also adds that books should open up conversation between parents and their children. Blume states that we should not let fear be a deciding factor on what is right or wrong but rather be informed and educated about the things we fear. She also said , if applied, censorship is a personal choice and government should not decide what is suitable and what is not suitable for everyone else’s children.
content of the book, the school board voted 5-4 to ban the book. The book was later reinstated in the curriculum when the board learned that
To accurately determine what an educational institution should do with a book that contains some degree of cultural or moral shock is to analyze what the purpose of these institutions actually is. “Some parents brought the town’s segregated past and their dissatisfaction with the present into the discussion about the book” (Powell, 1). It is true that people from areas where slavery once ran rampant will be emotionally distressed with books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This may be understandable, but ultimately, schools are not purposed to dampen the discomfort of specific students and their families. Education Assistant Professor Jocelyn Chadwick states, “‘you have to remind them you are there to defend the text and not solve social issues’” (Powell, 1). Alleviating the cold reality from members of the community is neither a responsibility of educators nor a pedagogical concern. For the teachers and professors, the education of students, through whatever methods and textbooks, should far outweigh any of the culturally or morally shaky backlash that could follow. However, some disagree with this. “The CHMCA officially objected to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that ‘the prejudicial effect of the racial characterizations outweigh any literary value that the book might have’...
For example, in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, the city’s school board challenged the book and voted that the book should stay as a ninth grade school curriculum. It should not be challenged in any state. In our classroom, we have read this book and when we were reading it, nobody seemed to be making any comments about the use of language and racism mentioned. The reason being is that we are mature enough to handle what is in the book.
When a book is banned, reasoning should be backed up with many facts and teachers should be able to agree or disagree. Teachers are the ones who have graduated from colleges and have earned this right. Though the opinions of parents matter, their opinion does not necessarily take into account all that the book has to give. Parents may not see the potential of the book as a whole. They may just see the racist language or cruel behavior in a book. What their opinions are mostly based on is the information that will keep everyone the most comfortable instead of the importance behind the basics for students to learn (Hills). Some books may include opposing ideas like this, but that does not mean that they do not have something to teach us. Many teachers take it on themselves to determine what is appropriate. They take on a certain level of self-imposed censorship to make sure that they are teaching appropriate material. Along with this, books being bought with school funds have to go through a process of approval (Zimmerman). This should eliminate any problem areas that parents may have. Besides just having the school board approving the books, many teachers have the same basic outline of what a book should include and be like. They ag...
Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law must reconcile conflicting claims of liberty and authority, as expressed by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 1940 in “Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries” by Herbert N. Foerstel (23).
Books on school’s curriculum required to read over the school year is excessively challenged by students and parents who believe that they are offensive. A certain book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, was challenged by a father who believed that the book not only swore and used cigarettes, but also went against their religious belief. Alton Verm, the challenger to Bradbury’s work, commented,“it’s just all kinds of filth,” and wanted the book withdrawn from the curriculum. Granted that Fahrenheit 451 is inappropriate at times, the book’s theme is something that everyone should examine. Moreover, books prevent old mistakes from happening and gives people independent thought and opinion.
“The Miseducation Of Cameron Post” has caused a school district to ban the book due to its major profanity. Though many think freshman students should not read it, many think otherwise. Parents have complained that it’s too “gay” and uses too much words that a freshman shouldn’t know, but they don’t realize that they might have already learned many other “bad” things in today’s world. Maybe some parents should worry about who their children’s friends are, the movies they’re watching, or how easily they can get their hands on that book. In my opinion, I think it's the students choice to read what they want. High school is a time when kids find out who they are and start growing more independently.
Max, the main protagonist, learns some of these lessons from the cruelty of his mother. Many people find this disturbing and cruel, and was a motive for the banning of the book. Others found that the book was a way for kids to escape to their own world, where they weren’t bound by rules and hardships. It was a place where kids can be free.
The community should not control what students read in school because it is up to the parents. The parents in the community need to control what the kids are reading. There are some people with no kids in the community. If those people could vote to ban or keep books, then they are impacting other parents, kids. Most parents know what is best for their own kids and it is up to the parents to decide what their kids should read. In the article, Finney wanted to ban Of Mice and Men because she thought it used inappropriate language and
What do books like Harry Potter, looking for Alaska, and The Hunger Games all have in common? These books have all been heavily challenged by the banned book committee. Children in schools face the problem that reading material is slowly becoming a list of what not to read. Parents fear the topics written in some books are things that children shouldn’t face at that moment. The world is slowly cutting out important pieces of literature to protect young people from seeing the brutality around them. Banning books should stop, because we are only harming the creativity that is born within a student when they read.
Censoring books causes children to grow up with a closed mind. Allyson Casares, a teacher at Nicholson Elementary School in Crawfordsville, writes that “Parents… want children to remain innocent and unscarred, but death is a natural part of development… if parents try to "protect" their children, they might disturb their natural emotional development.” This statement just goes to