Sex. Politics. Religion. The big three: a work of literature is often considered controversial because of its statement about or use of these topics. What makes these and other areas so touchy in the classroom? Why do some parents and concerned community members want controversial materials out of the classroom? In this look at the language of censorship, we must first define censorship, who does the censoring, and why. These will be the first three spotlights for looking at the language of censorship. Then, we will look at how teachers, especially teachers of literature and the language arts are affected by censorship. Finally, we will preview how censorship can be taught in the classroom, to prevent some of tomorrow's censorship cases. "I never knew a girl who was ruined by a book." * James Walker (Quotations, 1997, 2). When I was in elementary school, I read every Judy Blume book I could get my hands on. I cried through three readings of Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terribithia and scared myself with every Stephen King novel I could finish. In junior high and high school, we were taught Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, The Hobbit and Sounder, and My Brother Sam Is Dead, along with the classics. None of these books ruined my innocence. When I was date-raped the summer I was sixteen -- that ruined my innocence. Since then, I read that Maya Angelou's novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been censored because the rape of eight-year-old Ritie by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, is too "pornographic." In Moulton, Alabama, the novel was banned in December, 1995, after the superintendent said, "'When it goes into describing sex organs and describing the pain and actual act of rape, I... ... middle of paper ... ...Dr. Sara. "How the Mind of a Censor Works: the Psychology of Censorship." School Library Journal, January 1996, p. 23-27. Foerstel, Herbert. Banned in the USA: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. West Port, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. p. 135- 213. Noll, Elizabeth. "The Ripple Effect of Censorship: Silencing in the Classroom." Young Adult Lit: A Contemporary Reader. Ed. Dr. Jeffrey S. Copeland. Needham Heights, Mass.: Simon and Schuster Custom Publishing, 1997, p. 199-204. "Quotations on Censorship." Online. Internet. 2 Dec. 1997. Accessible at: http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/quote.htm. Rossuck, Jennifer. "Banned Books: A Study of Censorship." The English Journal 86.2 (1997): 67-70. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Portland House Press, 1989.
In conclusion, Blume’s piece “Censorship: A Personal View” was used to debate and inform the hot button issue back then of censorship in young teens literature. She comprised personal experience when handling censorship in childhood and adult life. Her personal experience alone could not hold the article together but by listing others that have lost their jobs or been suspended adds extra credibility to let the readers know how censors and censorship can effect an author’s everyday right of freedom of speech.
Many African Americans have contributed to the development of criminal justice field by their legal endeavors. One of these individuals is Thurgood Marshall, who played a role in desegregation in American public schools and became the first African American attorney to win a Supreme Court case. His major contributions in this field were mainly through his civil right activism while at NAACP. In particular, Marshall’s successful intervention in defending the three men involved in the Brown Supreme Court decision made him one of the greatest African American
Named after his dad’s brother, Thoroughgood Marshall was born in the summer of 1908. Thoroughgood Marshall shortened his name to Thurgood Marshall in the second grade because he thought his name was too long and he disliked spelling it. He originated from a middle class family in Baltimore, Maryland. Neither technically included within the north or the south of the country, Maryland’s racism reflected its position on a map. Between the obvious race divided south and the less prejudice north, Maryland included individuals with a mixture of principles and beliefs at the time. The author makes a good point that the geographic setting that Marshall originated from was one of the few factors that formed his thoughts and views on civil rights. His dad, William Marshall, worked as a waiter and country club steward. His mother, Norma Williams, was an elementary school teacher.
Before then he was already a very influential man who had changed the lives of everyone living in America. His contributions made to this country are written in a list, there is no doubt he was strong. In 1803(table), Jefferson launched the Lewis and Clark expedition that would hopefully expand America Westward across the Pacific Ocean(Para.5). In the same year of 1803, The Louisiana Territory was purchased. Jefferson wanted America to grow, with his background, knowledge, and newly gained presidency, he did just
As the American Library Association notes, books are usually banned "with the best intention…to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." (Brunner). If a book has frightening or controversial ideas in them, adults willing often censor that book from children. From 2000 to 2009, of the 5,099 challenges that were reported, 1,639 of these challenges were in school libraries and 30 challenges in academic libraries. (Frequently Challenged Books). At various times in American history, even some of the tamest books have been banned. Harriet the Spy, was banned because it supposedly taught children to "lie, spy, back-talk, and curse." Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was banned for being too depressing. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, was banned because it might encourage kids to break dishes so they won't have to dry them. (Frequently Challenged Books). While some of these excuses are more reasonable than other excuses, the banning of these books prevents the children from empathizing...
Jefferson’s role in the War for Independence is part of what makes him great, the amazing deeds that he accomplished after were extraordinary as well. According to ushistory.org, “In 1784 Jefferson went to France as an associate Diplomat with Franklin and Adams. It was in that year that wrote an article establishing the standard weights, measures, and currency units for the United States. He succeeded Franklin as Minister to France the following year. When he returned home in 1789, he joined the Continental Congress for a while, and was then appointed Secretary of State under George Washington.” In 1796, he ran for president of the United States however, he lost to his colleague John Adams. Although he was not successful in the preceding elections, on February 17, 1801 Thomas Jefferson was elected to be the third President of the United States as a part of the Democratic Republican Party. Mr. Jefferson believed in freedom of speech, religion, and assembly and made that a focal point in his presidency. He was an advocate for individual rights and protected them. In the amendments of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson pushed for these concepts to be included. In 1803, the United States gained control of much of the land west of the Mississippi River from the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Jefferson instructed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land that was obtained in the Louisiana Purchase. Even after his presidency, he continued to be involved in
The Cuban Missile Crisis was not only the tensest confrontation between these two nations; it was also the most controversial. There have been many different theories as to why the Soviet Union set up nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba in the first place. One theory suggests that Stalin’s successor, Nikita Khrushchev, placed these weapons in Cuba because he felt endangered by the United States’ nuclear missiles in Turkey, which were a threat to the Soviet Union. Another theory proposes that Castro feared for another US invasion in Cuba, thus enlisting the help of their communist allies. Since the unsuccessful attack at the Bay of Pigs, Castro feared for another invasion, perhaps a more successful one of Cuba. But nonetheless, the Cuban Missile Crisis proves to be successful in which we avoided a nuclear war.
...ditions of the time period. On March 4, 1809, Jefferson retired from public office. He left Washington and returned to his home, Monticello, in Virginia. He never left Virginia again.
According to “Freedom of Speech” by Gerald Leinwand, Abraham Lincoln once asked, “Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its people, or too weak to maintain its own existence (7)?” This question is particularly appropriate when considering what is perhaps the most sacred of all our Constitutionally guaranteed rights, freedom of expression. Lincoln knew well the potential dangers of expression, having steered the Union through the bitterly divisive Civil War, but he held the Constitution dear enough to protect its promises whenever possible (8).
By far, the most enduring aspect of Jefferson is the philosophies he held. These philosophies were brought up during his contentious debates against Hamilton during Washington’s presidency. At first, Hamilton prevailed and saw his philosophies become policies. Though, later, Jefferson was able to implement his philosophies himself. These famous philosophies of Jefferson were simple. He envisioned an agrarian democratic society, where the states had an upper hand in terms of federal-state power, and the Constitution was read in a strict sense (i.e. not permitting anything not specifically stated). In terms of foreign relations, Jefferson favored the French. This was not a long-lived love, though, with the many horrible things that happened between the U.S. and the French. These opinions held by Jefferson were opposite Hamilton, and both managed to be the foundations of their own parties: the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists, respectively. He also hated the thought of the president holding a sense of nobility, as will become evident during his presidency.
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...
This article emphasizes the point that censors go too far when they attempt to not only ban a book for their own children but want to remove it altogether from a school library, so that other students cannot read it.
Marshall was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Black Greek-letter fraternity, established by African American students in 1906.
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. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Thrasher, Frederic M.. "Education Versus Censorship." Journal of Educational Sociology 13.5 (1940): 285 - 306. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.