In the essay, “Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools” the author Nadine Farid Johnson reviews the states that have banned books as well as the books that have been banned, she then goes on to give her opinion on book banning, and how schools should go about banning books. Johnson does not believe in banning books; she thinks that it is taking away from the student's learning and they are missing out on opportunities. She thinks if the parents don't want them to read the books, that is understandable, but that should not stop everyone from reading the books. I agree with the author, I don’t believe that the USA should be banning books. I think this for a couple of reasons, I believe that if parents or students don’t …show more content…
I believe in my first claim because if your parents don't think you should read something that is ok but banning it for everyone is very similar to Fahrenheit 451 it stops everyone from reading these books and most importantly it stops “all children from seeing a life that imitates theirs, it bars them from seeing someone who looks like they exist on the page”(Johnson 17). Banning books stops kids from seeing people like themselves and someone with whom they can relate. I believe that books should not be banned because it stops learning and exploring books. In Fahrenheit 451, the people have no idea what happened in the past and are very unaware. With books being banned and becoming banned, this could happen to US kids today, they won't learn and will not be able to explore the past without being able to read these books. Kids are not able to learn about the past of the USA, many books like “nonfiction histories of civil rights movements and biographies of people of color have been swept up in these campaigns”(Johnson 7). Students are not allowed to read these books and are being limited in their knowledge of the past, very similar to Fahrenheit
Dystopian novels like "Fahrenheit 451" contain themes and messages that cannot be suppressed. The value in not banning "Fahrenheit 451" substantially outweighs any reason to ban the book. In a world where "Fahrenheit 451" is banned, the population would not be able to see areas in society while require improvement and therefore, the individuals would be unable to incite change. Moreover, if the book was banned, the people would become monotonous and deficient in their ability to synthesize innovative ideas. Supporters of the ban often cite religious reservations as their reason to ban the book. The problems behind their argument is that their reservations are self-centered and inconsiderate of others considering the diversity and size of the nation. If "Fahrenheit 451" is banned, the results would be cataclysmic. Whether to ban a book is no easy decision, but in the case of "Fahrenheit 451", the answer is simple: not to ban "Fahrenheit
The practice of the censorship of books in schools has been prevalent due to the explicit content of them. Parents have been complaining to schools about books that count as required reading because they disapprove with the points made in the book. If a book consists of offensive or sexually explicit material, then parents would challenge the schools about them in order to prevent their children from reading them. Censorship in general has been an intensely debated issue because it is considered an infringement to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution while others argue it is used to conceal inappropriate things (Aliprandini and Sprague). The banning of books in school curriculum has also been debated since parents see certain books as inappropriate while others argue that banning them hinders student learning. Against the censorship of books in schools, Fenice Boyd and Nancy Bailey, authors of Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, believe that banning books creates a barrier between students and intellectual development (Boyd and Bailey, 655). Banning books from schools and removing them from the curriculum prevents students from exploring different ideas and developing creativity and critical thinking skills.
The Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Even though books may influence young minds with negative thinking, society shouldn’t ban books because it prohibits learning and it violates the First Amendment in the Constitution. Banning books takes away the author’s right, some books can be very educational, and it takes away the children’s choice of what they get to read.
First off, banning a book violates the Freedom of Speech, which is a part of the First Amendment. The First Amendment allows the people to have their thoughts and speech to be protected. If a book is banned, you are essentially prohibiting the exercise of free speech, which strangely contradicts the First Amendment. In The Catcher in the Rye, we the readers can see that J.D. Salinger supports the idea of Freedom of Speech with the statement, "And if the boy digresses at all, you 're supposed to yell 'Digression! ' at him as fast as you can. It just about drove me crazy. I got an F in it" (98). Utilizing the Freedom of Speech, the boy can say no to the teacher that forced him to read out loud in class. By banning the book, you are also violating the ideals for Freedom of Expression, which is also a part of the First Amendment. According to the Bill of Rights, the main concept of Freedom of Expression is that we individuals have the right to hold our own opinions without the consent of others (Bill Of Rights of the United States of America). J.D. Salinger also supports the ideals for Freedom of Expression with the quote, "In the first place, I
Ever since pen was first put to paper there has been some form of censorship surrounding it. The most current form of censorship is to ban the books which are viewed as inappropriate. Such an act not only violates the rights of American citizens, but it also violates the rights of the students to learn. Even if the government could manage to ban all of the books that it feels are inappropriate, the thirst to read such books would only grow. Too often is it forgotten that before the banning of books was an “at home issue,” (Book Banning 1) the federal government tried to cut the flow of inappropriate information off at the source
Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do administrators and school boards have the right to ban books? Are we taking away the rights of children to read? In case of Island Trees Schools District V. Pico in New York, the Supreme Court gave the school board broad discretion to frame curriculum and teach civic and moral values. This case resulted in the school board removing ten books from the school library for being "anti-american, anti-christian, anti-semitic, and just plain filthy." Another case involving book banning was Hazelwood School District V. Kuhlmeier. In this case the Supreme Court again gave school officials the broad discretion to control curriculum. This time the court left open the question if this affects the school libraries. In Olathe, Kansas, the district's superintendent made the decision to remove all copies of Nancy Gardner's Annie On My Mind because of it imposing views for gay actions. This standpoint resulted in a public book burning by a homophobic community group. At Hempfield High School in Western Penn...
Banning books from public schools and public libraries is wrong. It’s irrational to have a parent or school board member’s opinion determine what a school district should be reading. Books including and not limited to, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Flies, and Animal Farm all have one thing in common. They have all at one time or another been subject to banishment. These literary classics have been around for a long time and proved to be vital to the education of many, especially children and adolescents. These novels teach values and educate children about world affairs that can not come from an everyday experience. These controversial novels encompass the materials that ultimately boost our educational wealth. Banning books infringe
We live in an overprotective society, where people try to control other people’s lives from things that they find explicit. Many parents believe that by sheltering their kids from offensive things it will keep them safe. But, trying to live life as if there is always sunshine and no rain turns out to be a big disappointment. The banning of books has a negative effect on children and adults alike, as it can shelter children from real life situations, and revokes the rights of the people. Although people believe in banning books that contain vulgar language and profanity to help their children, it can actually hurt the child and can be considered unconstitutional.
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...
In conclusion, book banning should not occur because it is unnecessary, violates freedoms, and prevents important lessons from being taught. To preserve freedom and literacy, book banning should be banned.
Some people may argue that students should have a right to read what they prefer because we are denying them of their first amendment freedoms of the press and freedom of speech. No book should be banned due to improper themes in them. Books are a gift in which authors can express their opinion and beliefs and we can read about them. Kids should be able to be open minded to all books, banning books won’t affect you but it’ll affect children, which is what many
The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Burning Truths: An Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 “What Causes a Community To Fail?” Book banning in America dates back as far as 2,000 years ago. Since then, approximately 300-600 books were banned each year in the U.S., according to data collected in the 20th and 21st centuries. The numbers continue to increase each year considering that 2,571 books were seen as a “threat” to children and the education system as a whole, raising the book banning percentage by 60.99% in the year 2022. The dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is set in a dystopian society which has been designated around the world.
As it is inevitable that children will grow up to be exposed to the world's evils, which are shown in novels like Fahrenheit 451, teaching the context and meaning of those evils in a learning environment allows for more of a educated understanding and a fuller grasp on the issues within. By reading controversial novels in schools, students in middle and high school will benefit tremendously by being exposed to them in a learning environment. Although teachers and parents have control as to what the students are exposed to at a young age, Fahrenheit 451 should not be banned from middle and high schools as it depicts the effects of censorship on a dystopian society through use of controversial material which doubles as
Hollander introduces us acquainted with a concept known as idiosyncrasy credits. The main notion of Hollander's theory is that, an individual should first conform to the group rules, and then, come up with new ideas, which is one of the most important aspects in Hollander's theory of leadership. The main aim of the leaders in their early stage; is to build up credit with rest of their partners. Credit is one of the most essential aspects, which gives the people legitimacy, to exercise the power over the same group members, and to introduce new norms that are beneficial for the people. Hollander termed idiosyncrasy credits, because according to his perception; the concept may be new and innovative, which is only possessed by a leader.