Should schools be allowed to ban books from their libraries? Nowadays, parents are concerned that inappropriate topics in books are contaminating the children's mindset (Powell 9). In reality, are the contents in the reserves indeed playing hide and seek with librarians, teachers, and parents resembling the famous quote “Don’t judge a book by its cover” by George Eliot? This raises concern about inappropriate content like disturbing, racist, and, sexually explicit in books leading to books getting banned from school libraries. However, it is unrealistic to assume that banned books won’t help us have a better understanding of our world, and evoke empathy and self-discovery. Everyone's hatred towards a book won’t make it fall off the shelves. …show more content…
In protest, answered in his interview, the author of “Maus” gave us a different view that we must accept the truth of the Holocaust. History is disturbing in that way (Gross). A true depiction of history, character depiction, and dialogue brought depth to the story and those minor details not only do not affect the whole moral but also show how terrifying these events happened in the past. Without these depictions, children will never realize how frightful the war was. Furthermore, it is more important that these naked, nasty truths about events and people’s stories in the Holocaust shape our world today. It is not wrong to educate children about things in the past, despite how grief and disturbing the story goes, it happened. It is better to tell ugly truths than white lies, and that should be the way we explore the world around us. Would this decision to ban books that say the truth about history make our young readers picture the World War as no more than a pillow fight? Books also evoke …show more content…
In my opinion, it is unforgivable that this inconsiderate decision to ban this book would isolate the author’s story and students find it hard going through puberty and barely identifying themselves. Kobabe stated “When you remove those books from the shelf or you challenge them publicly in a community, what you’re saying to any young person who identified with that narrative is, ‘We don’t want your story here’,” It is unacceptable to accept the bittersweet reason for the banning, and they have clearly misunderstood the morals of the book. Moreover, this book is the string to connect people in the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community and contribute a sense of identity to young adult readers. The banning muted many minority members, making more members manifest as a minor miracle to the banning (Alter 35). Therefore, this book shouldn’t be banned in school libraries and so should the next book. The banning of the novel “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, has been given by the board members of an Illinois school district, reasoning that it contains a lot of curse
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.
"Book Banning." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
Countries worldwide actively call for the banning of books that are found to be politically inconvenient, religiously awkward, or embarrassing in one form or another. But for writers like Russia's Vasily Grossman, a book's ban means far more than just a dip in sales. In 1961, he pleaded with the Soviet censors, "I am physically free, but the book to which I have dedicated my life is in jail." (Merkelson). A book represents an idea, thus limiting access to a book is banning the representation of an idea. The banning of books in American schools should not be allowed, because banning books will prevent students from learning the reason for the controversy and alternate viewpoints they can come to on their own.
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
Many parents are against their kids reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, because it speaks about a young Angelou and her experiences with rape and racial discrimination. If a book contains racial slurs, like this one does, it is frowned upon by many parents of the community (Leigh). Another reason arguing for book banning are those who have strong religious views or believe that gay rights are wrong generally. These people have a problem with books that encourage the acceptance of homosexuality. But most commonly, books dealing with graphic sexual content are banned from the eyes of children, regardless of religious affiliation. These parents wish to protect the innocence of their young children by making the material unavailable to their children and their peers (Information Commons). Ernest Hemingway 's work of Farewell to Arms was banned by a variety of people: school officials, parents, even Adolf Hitler. To Hitler, this books speaks about World War 1, and threatened the Nazi ideology (Leigh). To the school officials, this book was too sexually profane to be available in their high schools. For every reason to not ban a book, there pops up with one in favor of it. Both sides offer their merits and values concerning book
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.
Walt Whitman once said, “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” Between the years 2000 and 2009 a total of 3200 books were challenged in school libraries in an attempt to expurgate, or censor, the content in books provided to students. Today the trend of censorship continues as popular novels such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and Captain Underpants are censored from schools across the nation (Challenges by Reason).Censorship in regards to literature refers to the examination and suppressing of a book because of objectionable material. The process of censorship in school libraries often begins with an outspoken parent, teacher, student, or administrator and ends in the banning or abridgement of a novel deemed inadmissible. Censorship is protecting many students from controversial, immoral, and potentially unsuitable content; however, this is not always the case. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators with different backgrounds, beliefs, and morals are not creating a library pleasing to everyone because of the variety of opinion. Censorship in school is not justifiable, because it restricts discussion and knowledge of new, controversial, and necessary ideas, allows a handful of people to make decisions for a larger group based on opinion, and undermines democratic ideals.
Book banning denies readers access to different viewpoints and experiences. When certain books are removed from circulation, readers are denied the opportunity to engage with different cultures, beliefs, and viewpoints. This bias involves ignorance and reinforces stereotypes, blocking social progress and understanding. In educational settings, book banning challenges the pursuit of knowledge and critical thinking. By restricting access to certain books, teachers are forced to limit their ability to provide students with a well-rounded education.
Although this may be true, School Libraries Should Not Restrict Access to Any Books article thinks otherwise. “What's obscene is that kids who are maltreated often grow up angry and depressed and anxious and desperate. They experience crippling difficulties in school, in social relations and in all matters of self-esteem. They use the language I use in the story and worse because it is all they have to try to match what is inside to the outside world.” (Crutcher). The article explains that humans make sense of our emotions through knowledge and information gathered from books. Without these literary resources kids can lack self-esteem and can become sad. Overall, some may believe that book banning benefits a society by keeping harmful material away from individuals, it can almost harm a society due to the lack of relatable information given to a growing society.
Intellectual Freedom: The Case Against Banning Books in Schools. The debate over banning books in American schools has long been a contentious issue. While some argue that certain books should be prohibited due to mature themes, offensive language, and graphic content, this position undermines the principles of intellectual freedom and the well-being of society. Books, even those that challenge and disturb us, play a crucial role in fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper understanding of human experience. Instead of banning books, we should promote open discussion, provide guidance for mature content, and trust in students' capacity to engage with complex literature.
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.
This information from the article supports the idea that banning books takes away from the understanding of the personal experiences of people that mostly involve trauma, race, and/or discrimination. Overall, despite the fact that some may believe that books with potential “sensitive” and/or “graphic” content are harmful for students in school libraries, the fact of the matter is that keeping these potential “harmful” books in our school libraries increases the education level, gives students in schools new perspectives, and spreads awareness among students about issues related to trauma, censorship, race, and/or
Banning books keeps children from learning about or discovering themselves and the world around them. In an article from ProCon.org, the advantages and disadvantages of banning books are discussed. Author Robbie H. Harris, who’s children’s books are frequently challenged, talks about the effect books have on children’s understanding of the world. “I think these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids have today. It’s the world in which they’re living” (procon 3).Harris says that books address the “topics”, the “concerns”, and the “fascination” children have about the world that they’re living in today.
Did you know that there have been more than 4,000 bans on books in the first half of the current school year? Books get banned all the time for not being appropriate, but on one side of the argument they say they shouldn’t be banned while the other says that book bans help society. Books should not be banned because they can be banned for invalid reasons, books can be kept from younger children while still being available to the proper audience, and book bans can have effects on the students who aren’t getting the chance to read them. From a historical perspective it can be argued that books should not be banned because people are banning books for invalid reasons. While some may argue that book banning keeps kids safe from books that are inappropriate, books like To Kill a Mockingbird and Uncle Tom's Cabin are books about parts of history that kids should learn because it is the truth.