Over a third of banned books contain themes or instances of violence and physical abuse. This is, sadly, a reality for many people. People may turn to books like these for help, for someone to relate to, only to realize they’ve been banned. Governments and religious institutions have had the power to ban books they deem to be inappropriate for children for a long time. This can result in people thinking they are alone in their experiences and not being able to seek help due to isolation. Adults should not be able to ban books because banning books restricts access to valuable information, removes support from people, and inhibits people’s empathy and understanding of others. Adults should not be able to ban books because it restricts people’s …show more content…
Children can also be equipped with skills to navigate an increasingly diverse world. Parents often shelter their children from content they deem to be inappropriate, and while this may make sense in some instances, it may be counterproductive for others. Issues such as racism should be introduced to children so they are encouraged to be the kind of person they wish to be treated. Developing social and emotional awareness is a skill everyone should possess to properly function in this ever-changing world. Some may argue that books should be banned for being unsuitable for children to read. While this may be true for children of extremely young ages such as 5 or 6, children should understand real world situations and not be sheltered from possible problems they may encounter in the future. Many times, books are banned for containing topics like abuse, sexual experiences, racism, LGBTQ+, or death. These are also common events for people, especially teenagers, to experience. Though abuse is horrible, it is still common in homes, students may realize they are LGBTQ+ and may need help navigating it, or they may even experience the death of a family member and not know how to cope in a healthy manner. Essentially, while it may be true that some topics are unsuitable for children to learn about, other topics may greatly help them improve themselves and perceive the world around them in a different way. In brief, adults should not have the power to ban books because book bans restrict access to information, remove support from people, and restrain people’s empathy. Sheltering children may be appropriate at certain ages, but they need to learn about the world in which they live. In a rapidly growing and changing society, people often ignore the value of books. Advocating for censorship will stunt societal progression, which in turn stunts the development of a better future. It is important to understand the
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!
Although some may say that certain books contain graphic/violent content, banning such books is not an effective method to prevent young children from being exposed to such content, and therefore is unnecessary. One person that harbors such beliefs is Christina Healey. In her article “Book Banning can be Justified in Some Cases,” she argues that in some cases, book banning is...
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.
There are many reasons behind book banning and what it stands for, that make a case for book censorship. One main advantage of book banning is that it is protecting children from inappropriate content. A book is usually banned because it contains material that is deemed unfit for minors. Most parents and schools do n...
First off, books are banned every year due to inappropriate behaviors that parents don’t want their children to read. “Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information” (About Banned and Challenging Books 1). Here are the top three reasons why books are banned from public schools. “The materials” used in the books were “considered to be ‘sexually explicit’, contained ‘offensive language’, and was ‘unsuited to any age group’ (1). Parents wouldn’t want their kids reading stuff over sexually explicit and offensive language that are too young to read these kinds of books.
When regulating the content that someone sees or hears, it is the sole responsibility of the individual to block harmful or offensive content from themselves or their children. In an article by Dan Gutman, a children’s book author, he states that if a piece of literature is banned from a school library, it is not only blocke...
At the present time, at least seventy-five books are being banned. This is hurting our culture more than it is helping. This has to be stopped; books cannot be taken off of the shelves at the rate that they are today. The books that are being taken off of the shelves are, for the most part, considered classics. The act of book banning puts limitations on what authors can say, and what readers can read (Dorshemer p.1). The banning of books in America is a violation of our first amendment rights. Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution states as follows:
Imagine a world where every book is an open door to new knowledge and freedom. Now, imagine those doors slamming shut. That’s a book banning. Overview: Book banning is the act of removing books from libraries, schools, or bookstores, often due to controversial content that some individuals or groups find objectionable. The reasons for challenging books can vary widely, from containing explicit language, sexual content, or themes of violence to promoting ideas that are considered unorthodox or against certain religious or political beliefs.
The growing trend of censorship and banned books has amplified over the last 3 years. Controversy on whether certain books that espouse opinions on divisive topics should be banned from the learning curriculum or banned altogether from districts but banning them contradicts freedom of expression through literature guaranteed in the 1st Amendment. Furthermore, it has affected thousands of individual titles across the US in grades K-12, one of many being the book Speak by Laurie Anderson. While Speak does address divisive topics like rape, xenophobia, and self-harm, along with many other mature topics, it should be age-restricted to middle schoolers and below for a lack of maturity but allowed in grades 9-12 due to its educational value to promote
In this essay, I will examine and assess the Divine Command Theory. The theory will first be summarized. Then I will state the theory’s strengths and what makes it worth examining. Lastly, I will cover the flaws and weaknesses of the theory.
Book bans have risen in prevalence in the past few years. With the pandemic in 2020, parents began to want more control over their child’s education. These bans have divided parents and students; one group supports the increased censure of literature, while the other petitions for freedom of literature. Book bans can prevent young children from seeing potentially harmful information, but they also allow some groups to push the envelope, banning books based on their beliefs rather than facts. Many of these books include LGBTQ+ topics, abuse, violence, and racism.
Book bans have risen in prevalence over the past few years. With the pandemic in 2020, parents began to want more control over their child’s education. These bans have divided parents and students; one group supports the increased censure of literature, while the other petitions for freedom of literature. Book bans can prevent young children from seeing potentially harmful information, but they also allow some groups to push the envelope, banning books based on their beliefs rather than facts. Many of these books include LGBTQ+ topics, abuse, violence, and racism.