Essay On Banning Books

One of our greatest freedoms as Americans is under attack, the freedom to read. The freedom to read and write what we want is essential to the sharing of ideas and how our country is operated. Books are censored today because some people want to avoid controversial views and moral corruption. If books are constantly removed in order to shield people from controversial views, then our very own freedom is stripped away. Americans must be trusted to make their own decisions about what they read and follow. For the most part, banning books inhibits the sharing of new ideas by limiting our freedom to read what we want.
A person’s freedom to express him or herself without fear of retribution is the essence of free speech. Censorship occurs when

one is successful in promoting their ideas while suppressing another’s ideas. Banning books is taking away the freedom to read and is equal to the banning of ideas. Powerful institutions such as churches, school boards and parental committees are the most successful at this as there is power in numbers. Censorship has been around since ancient Rome where it was ideal for the government and authors were severely punished for their controversial writings and theories. Even Socrates was forced to drink poison as punishment for being found guilty of corrupting his students (Link 53.) The argument here is whether there is more danger in exposing students to different ideas, or in controlling what students are allowed to think for themselves.
I disagree with book banning for three main reasons. First, the government should not restrict literature because that is a violation of the first amendment, which states the freedom of the press. This involves the right to publish as well as the right of citizens to have access to the media. The second reason is that education should be available to everyone. Everyone should be able to read what they choose and form their own opinions. Lastly, parents should monitor what their kids read but they do not authority over what other kids read. It is okay to disagree with a viewpoint, as Americans we have that freedom; but that disagreement should not influence censorship.
The censorship of books challenges the rights given to us by the first amendment of the constitution, which gives the right to express ideas freely as well as have access to the ideas of others. Free communication is essential to maintaining an open and creative society and is one of the main ways that new ideas are presented and shared. In “The Freedom to Read” the American Library Association states the importance of making all perspectives available to the public for open inquiry even if some of the views are offensive or detested. This is important because most new ideas start out as unpopular or unorthodox but the only way to encourage change is to present these new ideas. If the government restricts the sharing of ideas then no change will ever take place and the government can acquire all of the power. Even just the fear of being censored or ridiculed by government officials could prevent the authors of these new ideas from presenting their thoughts. In “The Freedom to Read” the ALA states “Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.” I completely agree with this statement, some ideas may be dangerous, but the suppression of ideas is much worse.
In “Book Banning, Real and Imaginary” Jeff Jacoby presents the point that book banning in the United states does not exist and books are only challenged by parents who may have an objection with a book because it may not be “age appropriate” for their child.

He may be right that most challenges of books do not result in a ban, but book banning still exists and the threat of censorship is unsettling. Most books that are challenged are generally banned because they involve one of the following: racial themes, different lifestyles, profanity, sex, violence, witchcraft, or unpopular views. Just because someone opposes something in a book does not mean it should be banned. Is banning books going to protect children from the evil in the world? Children are exposed to things such as profanity and violence all the time through the Internet and social media and it is almost pointless trying to ban books just to protect a child’s innocence. Parents have full right to monitor what their children read, but they do not have the right to remove books from public libraries as they see fit. Reading is the best way to improve our intelligence, we should appreciate books for being unique and controversial, not ban

them.
Some of the greatest pieces of literature such as: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Grapes of Wrath are constantly challenged to be put on the ban list.

These books that cause so much controversy actually teach important values. Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain and published in 1884 was and continues to be a very controversial piece of literature. It does not promote racism like some say. It is the story of a boy, abused by his father, having no mother and developing a relationship with an escaped slave. Twain uses this unlikely relationship between a man and a boy to attack the idea of racism showing that there is little difference in two people who are trying to escape their present circumstances even though they are different in color. Twain uses the local dialect and even the “n”-word, making the story more genuine to the reader. It was considered offensive and yet it is a beautiful picture showing the absurdity of racism that reaches readers today. Some parents react to books before taking the time to closely look at what they want banned. These great pieces of literature enlighten us on controversial topics and therefore should not be banned. The full knowledge of a topic involves understanding of both sides of the argument; if we choose to neglect an exceedingly unpopular topic, then we are deciding to live incompletely educated. Avoiding unpopular topics and parents keeping their children from reading about these ideas

inhibits us from discovering ways to solve the issues of society therefore hurting our nation as a whole.
In “Is Harry Potter Evil?” Judy Blume discusses how the third book in the Harry Potter series has recently been called out by parents to be removed from classrooms due to its teachings of witchcraft and sorcery. Blume emphasizes that the books are not the real danger, but the people who feel they have the right to demand the removal of a book for any reason are the problem. The idea of children being excited about reading should not be discouraged just because the books that many enjoy involve provocative topics. Even books like Harry Potter help educate kids and the betterment of child education should never be discouraged even if they are learning about controversial topics because they are still attaining a well-rounded education.
One may argue that it would be better to get rid of offensive writings and substitute with more palatable reading, but meaningful change begins with realization of what has gone wrong in the past. Parents tend to challenge books the most for obvious reasons. From 1990 to 2008, 56% of those who challenged books were parents. (American Library Association) Books are challenged and banned for a variety of reasons from sexually explicit material including language, nudity and homosexuality to racism, religious view and content that is deemed unsuitable for children. Parents are well meaning when looking out for their children, but there is a fine line that can easily be crossed and while no one is paying attention, First Amendment Freedoms once taken for granted are gone.
In “Book Banning, Real and Imaginary,” Jeff Jacoby claims that Americans should not even worry about book banning because a banned book “doesn’t mean a book that has been banned. It means a book about which somebody, usually a parent, has raised an objection – typically that is too violent or sexually explicit or that it is not age-appropriate.” This statement may be somewhat true, but parents still should not have the authority to have a book removed from a public library or bookstore just because they disagree. Parents are responsible for monitoring what their own kids read but not other children. Having children read books containing different views on a controversial subject helps children experience several points of view before forming their own stance on the issue. If our country allows people to raise objections to everything they disagree with then we will never experience new and innovative ideas.
Many feel that there are books that should be banned from the current culture because they portray values and morals that are disagreeable, even despicable. Many writings throughout time were deemed offensive and degrading to the majority of society. These same ideas can be read decades later, and are not seen the same way. In 1949, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare were in the crosshairs both for showing the Jewish race in a negative light (Kupfer 2-5). The challenge was eventually rejected. There is information to be gained from writings such as these. Even if someone’s opinion is unpopular or different from the norm does not mean it has no value. Knowledge is power. The more information one can gain about a subject, the more thought can be put into arriving at a conclusion or solution. Readers should be given the opportunity to arrive at their own conclusions and not be told by certain groups how they should think.
By understanding the thinking of others, no matter how different from “normal” their thinking is, information is gained to help the reader to evolve in his own thinking. If the ideas were unsuccessful, one has learned not to repeat the same mistakes. If the ideas were productive, they can be used and improved upon. Books that seem to cause the most controversy are those that challenge the status quo of society. Those writings dealing with politics and religion are particularly sensitive. Good books challenge one’s knowledge and beliefs and cause the reader to consider other perspectives and at can re-emphasize what and why they believe what they do.
Every citizen has the right to express their ideas in the form of writings and every citizen also has the right to read all writings for their own edification. The right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas.” It is wrong for anyone to attempt to limit or take away that right no matter what the subject may be. Each individual is responsible for what they do with that information and whether they decide to use it for good or for harm; that is freedom. This is a society based on self-government and if information is withheld by someone, even if they mean well, freedom no longer exists.