Banning Books In Schools

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Although one may argue that certain content in the books at a school library can be harmful for students, it is also possible that it could prevent trauma by removing those books. However, the truth of the matter is that having books in school libraries with potentially “graphic and/or sensitive content” can be beneficial for students that may have a bias towards a topic that is “graphic” or “sensitive” because it can give those students a different perspective on the topic. Having such books available to those students can also educate them so that they can fully understand those books. One can also say that books with “sensitive content” should not be removed from school libraries because it can make students who can relate to those books …show more content…

Evidence from an article that supports this claim states, “These are the books that are in our schools and our libraries.’ ‘And we felt that we weren’t being heard.” This quote supports the claim that banning books with topics involving racism, gender, and/or sexuality can be harmful to groups of people that relate to those topics. This is because banning these books suppresses the voices of those who are familiar with the topic. In addition to this argument, being exposed to sensitive topics can be beneficial for students, especially for those who don’t have an understanding of the topics. Quotes from the article that support this claim state, “Mandy Wang, who is 17 and a PARU member, says students rallied outside the high school for weeks and also attended school board meetings. ‘With reading,’ she says, ‘you become better at showing empathy and being able to empathize.” This idea from the article supports the claim stated because it endorses the idea that exposure to books with sensitive topics can educate students for a better understanding of the book’s …show more content…

She risks her life to sneak a book from the flames. As a middle schooler who was enamored by written words and the stories and lessons they contained, the thought of being forced to witness or even give up books to be burned was appalling to me. The chief aim of these stories is to call attention to the dangers of media censorship and the damaging effect such censorship can have on what it means to be human. In my own secondary school experience, I am grateful that many books, which are frequently banned, were not. Advocates of book bans—a form of media censorship—often cite reasons rooted in shielding others, particularly children, from the contents of stories like these.” 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

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