Anything and Everything Did you know that the author with the most challenges in their books since 2013, is Dav Pilkey, author of the series Captain Underpants(Crum)? Imagine if there were no books in the world, we wouldn’t have ancient history, no knowledge from the past for humanity to reflect on, and people wouldn’t know the stories of ‘heroines and heroes’. Books dare to go over the uncommon topics that people don’t care to go over, and oftentimes books spark people’s imagination because they only have one limit, the author’s ability to write. Books shouldn’t be banned because they are an essential tool for learning and also encourage empathy and social-emotional development. Books are an essential and great tool for learning, whether you're …show more content…
For example, some people argue that they should be able to decide what type of books their kids are reading and getting exposed to. Other people mainly say they want to protect others (frequently children) from difficult ideas and information. The points people make are somewhat fair, but that doesn’t mean they get to decide and restrict material to other people as well as their kids, who most likely don’t have a say in anything. A fair amount of people also just think about the bad things that could come from books, which usually don’t, because books usually impact people’s lives in beneficial ways. Instead of trying to take books away from theirs and other kids, they should embrace reading. Because then they’re taking away opportunities from other kids/people to find and get whatever they need from a book. When you ban a book in a state, school, etc, just because of reasons/beliefs you have, it shows that you as a person likely don’t have much empathy and don’t have or care for wanting more perspective on things that could benefit you as well as others. Books answer and create questions, inspire us to dream and give us what we need to achieve our
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 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
School boards and teachers have a responsibility for protecting the minds of their students and covering age appropriate material. However, does this responsibility cover the extreme act of banning books from school classrooms? Does not the teacher have a duty to introduce to their students world issues in order to better the students ability to cope with problems in the world? How does a school decide which books should be banned from the classroom, and should it be left up to the teacher to decide what is decided in his/her classroom. By banning books from the classroom, we prevent our students from learning about controversial topics in a safe environment, and we also encroach upon the student’s freedom of reading what they want in school.
Literature has long been an important part of human life. We express our feelings with ink and paper; we spill out our souls on dried wood pulp. Writing has been form of release and enjoyment since the beginning of written language. You can tell a story, make yourself a hero. You can live out all your fantasies. You can explore all of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and share them with the outside world. But just because you can write, don't think you are uninhibited!
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.
The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.
"Censorship cannot eliminate evil. It can only kill freedom. We believe Americans have the right to buy, stores have the right to sell, authors have the right to write and publishers have the right to publish constitutionally protected material. Period." (“Banned Books and Authors”). Harry Hoffman, president of Walden Book Co., Inc., is accurate in this aspect. When books are censored or banned, they are not eliminated from society; however, their message emanates to create an impact. Even if the public conceals the content in these books, the victims that these censors sequester from these works are rarely unexposed to what is being censored to them. By challenging or attempting to ban a book, more attention is drawn to that distinct book, so society is more likely to read it. So in all actuality, censors have no tangible reason to ban the books, especially since it violates so many legal and ethical standards; book banning violates the First Amendment, it takes away the meaning of the books, and it withholds morals that could be taught in schools.
Books like The Chocolate War, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Of Mice and Men have been placed on the controversial bookshelf of many school libraries.
Every year there is a week dedicated to banned books. We celebrate banned books but still have them banned because either they aren’t appropriate or they do not agree with schools or possibly a certain organization. Banned Books Week promotes books that have been challenged by the public. It also promotes freedom of books from schools, libraries and books stores. Books should not be allowed to be banned by schools and/ or organizations because it is compromising the first amendment.
Books have been a part of history for 5000 years; in this time we’ve been using them to learn, teach, express, and give people experience that maybe mind alternating. Books are such an indispensable part of human development both in the sense of human evolution and the sense of an individual human’s growth. However, in recent years the act of banning books for “unsuitable” or “foul” language would be committing a disservice for the student body’s education; and for a school to deprive the student of said need is to fail of the main purpose a school is to serve. ” Foul” language is an essential literary tool for the dialect of certain books, but if censored, the lessons that could be taught from said books is lost. Along with this cutting out
Behind the Book Bans In contemporary society, few debates engender as much passion and controversy as the issue of book banning within educational institutions. Ideologies and beliefs are influenced by who and what we surround ourselves with, with a majority of our adolescents spending time in school the content that is presented there can heavily affect our opinions and views of the world. The practice of book banning in public schools has sparked intense discourse among various stakeholders, each with their own perspectives and interests. Among these stakeholders are students, who seek intellectual exploration and freedom; teachers, tasked with fostering open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity; parents, concerned with the moral and educational
The growing anger and disgust towards books from parents, schools, and more have become much more prominent in recent years. Specifically, children’s books that deal with sensitive or diverse topics, such as Harry Potter, have been bitterly criticized by parents and schools around the world. Some of the most commonly censored topics include abuse, death, sexuality, and certain religious claims. However, new movements such as Banned Books Week, created by the ALA, show disagreement towards the censorship of media. Books should not be banned or censored because reading banned books prepares children for later life and can enhance their imagination.
Also, just because a book is challenged doesn't mean it will be banned, many librarians, teachers and parents fight to keep challenges books on shelves and curriculums. Well thats interesting I guess, but why should I