Why Should Banned Books Be Banned

The biggest problem school libraries seem to face is where to draw the line on book content. But school libraries must understand that allowing book banning, they are taking away the opportunity for all students to read , instead of letting the parents decide what their child should be reading. Finlo Rohrer, BBC News Washington, explains that “In the US more and more parents are pressing schools to withdraw books with bad language or sexual content.” Parents that are uncomfortable with books in school libraries have made the effort to completely remove them from the library altogether. But when parents press to remove books that they might find unacceptable, they are actually deciding for the rest of the students as well. Mike Rose argues that “One disturbing aspect if censorship is its power to deny students in one class or an entire school system the right to read particular texts” (Agee, 61). Parents have every right to watch what their child reads and

Although it is ridiculous to ban books, it is somewhat understandable. Some books are extremely heavy on the controversial side, and include a boat load of inappropriate content. “My corduroys. My boxers. Two layers. I could feel the warmth of her cheek on my thigh. There are times when it is appropriate, even preferable, to get an erection when someone’s face is in close proximity to your penis” (Green). It is easy to see why someone with a closed mind would take offense to this kind of content being in a book for young

Even though we have the right to the First Amendment, many books have been banned or challenged in the U.S. Books have been banned for many reasons including profanity, sex, violence, religion, etc. The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a

A shared belief among those who advocate against the censorship of books is that often the books deemed offensive and deserving of a ban can provide readers with valuable life lessons. For example, in Harper Lee’s frequently challenged novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch states, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 30). This quote exemplifies the significance of empathy within one’s life and what it means to truly understand a person. After all, it is empathy that creates and allows deep connections between people. Furthermore, Atticus Finch also says, “Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no

At the present time, at least seventy-five books are being banned. This is hurting our culture more than it is helping. This has to be stopped; books cannot be taken off of the shelves at the rate that they are today. The books that are being taken off of the shelves are, for the most part, considered classics. The act of book banning puts limitations on what authors can say, and what readers can read (Dorshemer p.1). The banning of books in America is a violation of our first amendment rights. Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution states as follows:

I understand why schools would want to remove these books because some contain inappropriate language or graphic details, but there isn't anything in those books that children nowadays have not already heard or seen before in movies or on the internet. My mom was always trying to prevent me from learning bad words, or the difference between a female or a male, but as a parent, she should have sat down with me and explained to me about the content that I was curious about. The material that is in banned books are only the opinions, thoughts, or explanations that covers issues that many people are too afraid to talk about. Unfortunately, it is also the material that people are sensitive about. These books are controversial issues that contain ideas that others are not willing to express for themselves.

Many challenged books could help people get a abetter idea of the world they live in and their place in it. Last: books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development. Expanding on that first point is the fact that parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people. You may ask others not to judge you for how you raise your kids, but that goes the same for books in school libraries. Parents who don't like specific books can have their kids "opt out" of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others.

Parents don’t like their kids reading anything “inappropriate” or “too old for them” so they take their problems to the school board or the city to get the books banned. Religious groups don’t want people in their religion reading books that go against them. In Board of Education, Island Trees School District V. Pico in 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court stated “Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books…”. Schools cannot just remove their books from their libraries. First, and inquiry must be made about the motivation and intent of whoever is pushing for a removal. The intention of keeping students from certain ideas in a particular work is against the first amendment. Although, if complaints are made about a book, the school might choose to just quietly remove it instead of making a big deal out of it. Most incidents only happen at a local level. It’s hard to successfully pull off a book banning past that. According to an article called Banned Books on firstamendmentcenter.org, books are most frequently challenged because “they contain profanity or violence, sex or sex education, homosexuality, witchcraft and the occult, ‘secular humanism’ or ‘new age’ philosophies, portrayals of rebellious children, or ‘politically incorrect ‘ racist or sexist

There are usually two ludicrous reasons as to why books are banned or challenged, one of them is that someone gets offended by its contents. I see in many cases that a very religious person gets outraged by homosexuality in books, and sadly enough that is one of the leading causes of

Book banning in the United States has been a problem ever since words have been written down, and should still be allowed. People think that since the author is different colors or a different sexuality then that was the reason the book was banned. Adults consider “younger kids” not mature or under age is because they don’t show it. Parents don’t want their child, or children, to think that even though it’s a book don’t mean that it can’t influence them. Many people also think that since the book isn’t good that it should be banned but just because you don’t like doesn’t mean that they should get rid of it because other people may like it.

“It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written, the books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers” (Blume 1999). Judy Blume can not explain the problem of book censorship any clearer. The children are the real losers because they are the ones that are not able to read the classic works of literature which are the backbone of classroom discussions all across the United States.

In the book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, there is a conflict between civilizations and how they represent each other as they fight for their own personal beliefs and strive to the top using any means including violence. The only reason this book is banned is because of the violence, but what about the teachings of leadership? It teaches about leadership and why it is important. Your decisions influence others, because you are their own leader - they will listen to you! They are important educational devices which should not just be locked away just because of some other downside. They are much more beneficial than they are harmful if put into perspective. Many people do not ponder on the importance of these literary tools and take them for

A banned book is defined as, “a book that has been prohibited from being published or circulated by a government authority, usually on the ground of religion, politics, or public morality.” Throughout the United States, many lists have been developed of books that are banned from school and libraries.These books are usually prohibited due to explicit content such as the use of drugs or alcohol. Although some books contain graphic things, what you take from them in the end could be more beneficial than avoiding them. The book A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard, should not be banned in school libraries and schools, as it shows the experience of an kidnapped 11 year old girl, now an adult trying to spread awareness about her story.

The determining of “if books should be banned”. It all comes down to the obscenity laws. These laws stress work that describes sexual conduct in a patently (clear) offensive manner. Works containing words, which seem vulgar, or works presenting interracial or homosexual relationships will obtain the label “obscene” (offensive in moral principles). There are also books, literary works, which have been banned, censored, or challenged because of the language it uses. The literary works might also contain racial characterization or the vivid image of drug uses, social class, or even sexual orientation. Other social differences may be viewed as harmful to readers.

Censorship comes in many different forms and has its own meaning to every individual. Censorship refers to the suppressing of information, ideas or opinions and can be seen from on screen to in print. Specifically, booking banning has been one of the most controversial forms of censorship. For as long as books have been printed, censors argue over the ideas and misconceptions that are presented in them. Books are often attacked because they are the perfect way to expose new ideas and to attack old ones in very effective ways. The most common reasons why books have been challenged is due to the sexual, profane, and religious content that the consist of. With that being said, books are also seen as the gateway to knowledge since every scholar, teacher, and student has been taught by literature. Books not only have the ability to hand people knowledge, but they can also test the limits of what is considered culturally acceptable. Censorship has been a controversial debate topic because some consider it an infringement to the First Amendment, while others argue that its purpose is to conceal inappropriate things. Considering both sides of the argument is very crucial when it comes to the banning of books.