Essay On Banning Books

690 Words2 Pages

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 …show more content…

Pitiful. If a suicide attempt is a cry for help, then what is it? A whimper, or a peep? I draw little windowcracks of blood, etching line after line until it stops hurting. It looks like I arm-wrestled a rosebush.” However, it’s imperative to acknowledge how Speak lends a hand in promoting awareness and comprehension of issues like sexual assault, discrimination, and mental health challenges depicted. Therefore, it’s better to age-restrict it and instead ban it altogether, as banning is also neglectful of the negative impact it has on young minds. Because when students are never given the opportunity to read titles that address critical issues, they’re denied the chance to learn and grow. Despite the content Speak contains, it offers an opportunity for students to delve into complex topics in a safe environment. By reading the experiences of others, allows them to develop empathy for them and gain an understanding of the importance of standing against these issues for the benefit of society, both domestically and …show more content…

Nevertheless, there is no reason for the “increase of 28 percent compared to the prior six months, January – June 2022”. In those six months alone 800 individual titles were banned which is equivalent to 100 titles stripped from the reach of students each month. Not only is this detrimental to students, but to future authors as their right to express their ideas on topics is threatened, as is students' ability to see different perspectives. Another question raised is how the bans get passed when “over 70% of parents oppose book banning”, how does the minority make decisions over the majority? Lastly, and most importantly, by incorporating discussions on consent, healthy relationships, and seeking help in relation to the themes portrayed in Speak, educators can create a supportive environment for middle and high school students to navigate topics like sexual assault and mental

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