Nowadays, books are being banned from schools, left and right. It is understandable that some situations may be tough to read about, but they are daily occurrences in some places. People are banning books because of the discomfort that comes from them, not thinking about the potential consequences of their actions. There are many reasons to read painful literature, and by banning books, we are restricting our future generations from potentially crucial knowledge. Although uncomfortable, the topics talked about in these books are very real and reading about them is beneficial in many ways. While controversial ideas may be challenging to read about, they are very real and happen everywhere. One example that many books are being banned for is …show more content…
But parents tell them all of the time. Author Kurt Vonnegut had some of his books banned by a school, and in response, he states “It is true that some of the characters speak coarsely. That is because people speak coarsely in real life” (Vonnegut). While children may not be allowed to use hash language, it is still used around them, so banning books for the authors choice of words would not be helpful at all, as children are already exposed to the curses used. Another example of this is books about bullies and troubled children. Although the actions of such people are frowned upon, all people have bad thoughts sometimes, as said by poet Jalaluddin Rumi, “The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them all at the door laughing, invite them in” (Rumi). Similar to the swear words, children are already exposed to this type of thing, and banning books with them can only hurt children by not teaching them how to cope …show more content…
One of the main areas that can help with this is judgment and decision making. All things taught in school somehow tie back to these two very important aspects of life. In fact, education is commonly viewed as “an effort to improve the quality of choices open to all students” (NCTE). What this means is that by reading more books and being exposed to more situations, students and adults can make more intelligent decisions because they have experienced these problems while reading books. Not only can books improve one's ability to make decisions, it can also help people through tough situations. This can be seen with Scott Sanders’ situation, his alcoholic father making him extremely depressed. He believed that his father drank because his son was a failure. But, after learning about other people's experiences, he says, “I comfort myself with such knowledge as an ice pack against a bruise” (Sanders). Simply put, the knowledge that he is not alone helps ease his depression. He now has a son, and his son told him that when the father is sad, he feels responsible. All the father wants is for his son to be happy, and he believes that his son can be happy once he learns that he too is not alone. He says, “I write, therefore, to drag into the light what eats at me — the fear, the guilt, the shame” (Sanders). He says that if other people can realize that their
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.
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.
Banning Books “It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written, the books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers” (Blume 1999). Judy Blume can not explain the problem of book censorship any clearer.
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
Why are books challenged and further on banned? To challenge a book is an attempt to remove the material from schools and/or libraries, and to ban a book is to successfully remove the material from these places. Books are usually challenged to protect children from the censors of these books. This book was banned for all the wrong reasons. This paper will focus on racism, sexism, homosexuality, and violence since these were reasons the book got banned which on the contrary should have given it much more motive to let high school students read and learn from it.
Imagine you have a child. This child loves to read books on their own. They read so much you finally tell them to get their books from the library. Then, one day, your child asks you what does this word mean, you are horrified to see that the child is pointing to a curse word. From that point on the child gets in trouble with teachers and other adults for saying that word. This is why book banning is necessary to keep children from finding themselves in that situation and others. Book banning is required because a child may be taught bad habits, lose the magical innocence of childhood, and because children may not be mature enough to decide what materials to read.
The first amendment of the U.S. 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 (Buchanan).” With the banning and the challenging of books all over the U.S. I believe that our first amendment is being jeopardized. We should be allowed to read whatever we want to read it is our right according to the first amendment in the U.S. Constitution with freedom of speech.
It is challenging to choose what types of books are appropriate for children to read. Now in days the choice is even more challenging then it was a couple of centuries ago. There are books that feature violence, sexual content, offensive language or all. These subjects question concern parents because it can teach young children about several subjects that are usually avoided. Times have changed and so have books and what they contain, which makes banned books an important subject. Books can be a great source to learn from whether it history or just a folk tale, but parents and teachers must take into consideration the ages of the audience. Maturity is not achieved until a later time and some children may have difficulty reaching that point.
Censorship in School Libraries 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.
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
Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database. This article addresses some of the reasons that censors attempt to remove books from the curriculum: Many censors feel that works are not age appropriate for students. Staff, Wire Reports. (2002 October 3). Book banning spans the globe.
It is an overlooked topic that should be considered by everyone because, in turn, this will hurt a child's education. It also goes to show how kids will lack their creative side of learning because they are lacking the opportunity to explore the different perspectives being explored in books and how to incorporate them into their own creative endeavor. Also seen through Text 4: Book Bans Are Really About Oppression of Diverse Ideas,” it conveys, “As a parent, I know that books should be viewed as tools of enlightenment, not tools of oppression.” This quotation also demonstrates how, despite the fact that not all parents are against book banning, one that is against it is aware of the bigger picture book banning may have on their children as well for children in general. This parent takes into consideration the way books should be used, rather than the way they should be
Throughout society, many people fight over whether or not books should be banned. Books have been debated in different school districts for a very long time due to the topics involved in some of the books written. Some people believe that many books are classics and should be kept since they are a part of our history. They believe books can help guide people on how to act and teach a student many things. On the other hand, other people believe that books should be banned due to the many topics that aren’t suitable for children and students to learn about.
As a result, religious authorities strongly support book bans for their followers' exposure to certain topics that might distract them from their religion. Some believe that banning books is a profitable idea, however, some critics argue that banning books is limiting education. on the authority of Siby Shaji, “These challenged and controversial texts often delve unflinchingly into the complexities and challenges of life, addressing issues such as bullying, abuse, discrimination, and societal injustices that young individuals may inevitably encounter as they navigate their path to adulthood. Shielding children from these uncomfortable realities can leave them ill-prepared to face the harshness of the world.” However, reading banned books affects people negatively and many parents and teachers agree that a book ban is a very profitable idea and shouldn’t stop.
Book banning is a severely demanding issue in the US. In 2022, 2541 different titles were attempted to be banned; there has been a 60% increase in book banning since 2023. Book banning would, for one, affect people who want to read the books that are being banned, but does the thought that book banning can affect children's mental health and knowledge ever seem relevant and applicable? Books being banned can affect children all over the world and compromise the jobs of librarians and media specialists. Book banning has been an ongoing issue since 1637, but only recently has there been a bigger fight towards the end of this problem.