Should The Chocolate War Be Banned

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Joseph Brodsky, a famous poet, once said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. The Chocolate War, written by Robert Cormier, features a freshman student by the name of Jerry Renault that goes to Trinity High School. He has a confrontation with the gang also known as The Vigils. The Vigils is a gang headed by Archie Costello. They have these assignments that have to be completed on time and if they're not completed, they are then punished.
According to World.edu, “In 2001, it was challenged in York County, Virginia, for sexually explicit language. Retained as optional reading for middle school students in Girard, Pennsylvania …show more content…

The grandmother didn't like her granddaughter reading the book so she then had it challenged and it was banned from high school english classes.
Harford County’s school superintendent reverses decision and The Chocolate War is returned to classrooms. The superintendent, Jacqueline C. Haas, has written a letter stating, “We write to express our concern about the recent removal of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier from the ninth grade Social Studies curriculum. We understand that parents challenged this award-winning book because they objected to language, sexual content, and references to homosexuality.” This means that just because the parents of the students challenged the book, that it doesn't get removed from the …show more content…

“The task of selecting readings for the curriculum properly belongs to professional educators. Parents may be equipped to make choices for their own children, but, no matter how well-intentioned, they simply are not equipped to make decisions that address the needs of the entire student body. Without questioning the sincerity of those seeking removal of the book, their views are not shared by all, and they have no right to impose those views on others or to demand that the educational program reflect their personal preferences.” This is basically stating that parents can make their own choices for banning a book instead of actually getting it banned. In all, the letter written by the superintendent gives thoughtful reasons for why the book was reversed in the first place and that parents should instead make their own choice by not having their child read it.
All in all, my opinion on the book is that it should not be banned or challenged because it basically violates the first amendment which is stated

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