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Effects of censorship
Censorship vs freedom of expression
Effects of censorship
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“A ‘challenge’ to a book occurs when someone objects to some of the content of a book, and most of the time, asks that the book be removed from children's access. Parents were responsible for 75% of such challenges between 1990 and 2008” (Manning), this is a problem. We need to understand what censoring is about. Not only that, we need to see if it is actually affecting who we are as a whole. When you censor literature you stop the flow of information and aren’t we supposed to be supporting kids and teens learning. We as a whole need to review our rules on censoring books and find a new way. It is not good to be taking all these books out because of one’s opinion. Books are taken out but what about movies and T.V shows, they are chalked full of sexual content, about gender and suicide. Parents should not be able to censor books from schools, but they should be able to use age restrictions while not restricting information.
To fully understand what the problem is, we need to find out why we censor books. The reason we started banning books was because of the Anti-Obscenity Act that denied the ability to send “Obscene
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It should explain that opinions will be acknowledged, but wont be removed. If it becomes a large problem amongst kids, then maybe decide to just remove it from school libraries but not from public. If someone wants to read a book then they should be able to go to a public library and read it their. If one person doesn't approve of literature then why should everyone have to suffer the loss of a story. The loss of a story is something big, what if it was a story of how someone managed to overcome a challenge or they themselves were challenged. These are the books that are needed to keep and can be educated from and change how lives are lived. The stories that are needed to be heard the most are the ones parents don’t
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.
That means because a political viewpoint is offensive to some one, it is inappropriate for a school library. What this leads to is children who will become legal adults, who can vote, that can say the reason they believe the way they do is because that is what their parents believe. That is an informed decision, which is what causes an ignorant society. Judith Krug, of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Office, has written: “ Censorship limits the ability of future voters and leaders to discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood, appropriate mode of operation as opposed to inappropriate.” (Flowers, Helen. “Inquiring Students Want to Know: Who Tries to Ban Books and Why?” #31) Books open up a different point of view that may be what a person of any age needs to make an informed decision. Charles William Eliot said it best when he said “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of
...l problem with censoring is that it limits a person’s freedom of speech and thought. By not providing them with all of the different ideas or stories available, what they can think of themselves is limited. While the parents who protested Lord of the Flies may have had their children’s best interests in mind, in the end it would only hurt them. Only by allowing them to learn all that is possible will they be able to accomplish all they can and society can truly progress.
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) defines censorship as: “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials… of images, ideas, and information…on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of standards applied by the censor” (Miner 1998). In schools there are three types of censorship, one type is a “parent who doesn’t want their child to read a particular book. Another is a parent, teacher, administrator, or school board member who argues that no one in the class, or school should read the book in dispute. Lastly, there is censorship that involves someone who is part of an organized campaign, whether of a local or national group, and who goes in ready for a fight and wants to make a broader political point” (Miner 1998). Although there are many others ways that a piece of literature could get censored, most censored works are asked to be removed from classrooms and school libraries.
In order to understand the problems with school censorship, one must know why it is done. One reason is bad language. A prime example of this type of censorship occurred in a California school when words like ëdamn' and ëhell' were blacked out of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Students were stunned by the irony of the situation. A book about censorship was being censored (Wright). Sexual activity is another common reason for censorship, along with assaults on family values and violence. Why is this happening when 90% of students surveyed do not believe that books should be censored because they contain offensive language or sexual situations (Survey)? Negative racial treatment of characters, setting, or theme also fuels censorship (Simmons).
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
We live in an overprotective society, where people try to control other people’s lives from things that they find explicit. Many parents believe that by sheltering their kids from offensive things it will keep them safe. But, trying to live life as if there is always sunshine and no rain turns out to be a big disappointment. The banning of books has a negative effect on children and adults alike, as it can shelter children from real life situations, and revokes the rights of the people. Although people believe in banning books that contain vulgar language and profanity to help their children, it can actually hurt the child and can be considered unconstitutional.
“If a teacher is using a text or piece of literature, there has to be value to it and it is important to be exposed to as much as possible” (Feldpausch). These wise words sum up what most teachers respond to when asked the question “Should parents censor text/literature in schools?” Highly educated, teachers know their own idea on this and can back it up with fact and personal experiences. What it comes down to is one simple phrase: Parents should not be able to decide what we can learn about in class.
Many may argue, “Children are mature enough to choose their own books!” However a medical discovery has shown that children and teenagers are not mature enough through physical evidence. “Understanding the Teen Brain,” an article on the Online Medical Encyclopedia, states that “The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until he or she is 25 years old or so.” This shows that children cannot decide for themselves what is good for them to read. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the adults to decide which books should or should not be banned.
“Originality is dangerous. It challenges, questions, overturns assumptions, unsettles moral codes” (Rushdie). Censorship is a heavily debated and controversial topic that has been the center of attention for hundreds of years. Novels, textbooks, magazines, and newspapers are so frequently challenged that there have been plenty of coalitions and groups started advocating for and against book censorship. Even now, there are many groups and parents that attempt to remove certain literary materials.
Censorship by definition is the suppression of speech or removal of communicative material which may be considered objectionable or repulsive. Censorship is nothing new and its effects are constantly felt throughout society. Many societies use censorship to protect the established moral and social order. Book censorship in western cultures can be traced to the earliest years of Christianity, when the church began to suppress opposing views as unorthodox. In ancient times, before the printing press and the mass production of literature, book burning was an effective form of censorship. This process guaranteed that no one would ever read them. Although book burning was very efficient it is now used as more of a gesture of protest to shock people rather than a real method of destroying a book. In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of media including books, periodicals, plays, motion pictures, television shows and radio programs for the purpose of altering or suppressing parts thought to be offensive. Today’s censorship occurs when certain people succeed in imposing their personal or moral values on others. Censorship deals mainly with the first amendment constitutional. “The law requires that if a book is to be removed, an inquiry must be made as to the motivation and intention of the party calling for its removal. If the party’s intention is to deny students access to ideas with which the party disagrees, it is a violation of the First Amendment” [First Amendment Center]. Though the First Amendment bars government authorities from prohibiting the free exercise, abridging the freedom of speech or practicing religious censorship in the United States, individuals have successfully pushed to remove books from public and ...
...hat sort of information that there child has access too, but they certainly shouldn’t have the right to regulate it for the rest of the children in the classroom. How can one censor know what is best for all children. Edward B. Jenkinson, the author of Censors in the Classroom writes that, “I do not think that a book or film should be thrown out because it offends the sensibilities of a few who may or may not have read the entire work. Our children should be free to think, free to challenge, and free to make their own decisions.”
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.
The Houston Chronicle, pp. C14. Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database. 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.
My last reason is I think that parents should monitor what their own children reads, but not have the authority to ban other children from reading specific espeically the Fault In Our Stars. Studies believe that banning