Book banning violates the authors right of freedom of speech. It implies a secret plot to restrict ideas or knowledge or a big brotherlike control over information. Two of the foremost experts on censorship in young adult literature say that no other topics are more likely to get a book banned. How banning books marginalizes children the atlantic.
In half a dozen states, moreover, demands that public libraries reveal the names of. Banned books week 2014 fast approacheth, marching to the cadence of its creed thou shalt not inhibit free speech. Most challenges to books today occur at the local community or school. So i will list pros and then answer them with cons.
Every year at the end of september, since 1982 the us has banned books week. It takes the book away from someone who wants to read it. Until the invention of the printing press in 1450, burning literature effectively halted its spread. You may not like something, but thats no reason to take it. I am not, in any way, in favour of book censorship. Historically, other reasons for banning books include.
Top 10 reasons banning books is a bad idea justine. Book banning for protection vs book banning books 733 words 3 pages. The power and danger in book banning lies in someones ability to think their opinion is the only one that matters, and, thereby, the only one that is allowed. Book banning also has a counter effect, as kids are more enticed to read the forbidden fruit. Asu professors say banning books tells some their experience doesnt matter. In its 32year history alone, over 11,000 books have been. In addition to the protests about the sexual content of many of the contested books, the forbidden library, a site dedicated to posting the explanations behind the banning of books in public schools, reveals hundreds of other books that have been banned in public schools for various reasons. Book banning is the suppression of literary works deemed to be socially unacceptable for a variety of reasons obscenity, religion, selfcensorship, racial or sexual subordination. If you really want people not to read a book, banning it will have the opposite effect. Of course, the very fact that a book is on a banned book often makes kids want to read it and find out why. The american library association tracks book challenges each year. Book banning and the first amendment noteworthy the. Every time i chose a book for our shelves it is done according to our school district selection policy, which says books must be ageappropriate and. Parents always have the option to pursue homeschooling or online learning if they disagree with the decisions that are made in this area.
When a book is banned, readers are deprived of good stories that can help them forget their problems for just a few hours each day. There are words that people use as an effort to shut down the right to speak of others. Find out here the 10 most banned books in the world. Parents should have the right to what materials their children can read.
An annual celebration of the freedom to read, banned books week was launched in 1982 in the form of events and exhibits highlighting issues. Reasons for banning books banned books libguides at. Which essentially means a week where stores and libraries display and discount books that have either been challenged or altogether banned in. For this reason, banned books week occurs yearly to give readers a chance to revisit past or recently banned books to encourage a fresh look into the controversies the books faced. The idea that all speech is equal is arguably false. James blasingame is a professor of english education at asus college of liberal arts and sciences. There are a few common reasons that books have been banned or censored in schools, libraries, and book stores. In 2017, there were 354 book challenges reported in the united states, which was a 9. John steinbecks of mice and men raises issues such as euthanasia, murder and justice. When adults attempt to restrict what their children read, they acknowledge the power of reading. The history of book banning in america lesson plan.
Book banning has been going on sense the early 1900s. An annual celebration of the freedom to read, banned books week was launched in 1982 in the form of events and exhibits highlighting issues surrounding censorship. The pros and cons of banning books 1288 words bartleby. Sherman alexie is the winner of the 2010 penfaulkner award, the 2007 national book award for young peoples literature, the 2001 penmalamud award. Many people think that book censorship, challenges and book banning are things that happened in the distant past. Book banning and other forms of censorship essential library of the information age. Salingers catcher in the rye featured discussions on death, religion, suicide and peer pressure. Perhaps no recent book has illuminated the benefits of such an approach for young readers as much as r. Censors typically identify as either a concerned parent, community members who react to a text without reading, or local or national organizations. But to complain that there is no free speech here or there that this cartoon or that book or that article was banned by whomever might be considered silly.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. There might be inappropriate content for certain families. Which essentially means a week where stores and libraries display and discount books that have either been challenged or altogether banned in the school curriculum at some point in time. Pros you can stop material you think is unsuitable reaching people e. Secular and religious authorities have censored books for as long as people have been writing them. These are all questions we have asked about book banning, so here are the basics of our first amendment rights and book banning. However the ability to print and reprint copies of a work brought with it the emergence of the book ban. Sherman alexie on book banning and censorship youtube. Pros and cons of banning books 1401 words bartleby.
The people doing the censoring get full control over what th. The books that are banned are the ones that define our past. Our first business will be to supervise the making of fables and legends. Banning books from one forum doesnt eliminate the ability to access content. Why we want parents to try to ban books the atlantic. They just choose not to order the books in the first place. Books are a gateway to another world we can visit without ever stepping foot outside our home. Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and. However, schools can ban books without this lengthy procedure. Common reasons for banning books, fort lewis college, john f. In both cases, the complaints were proven unjustifiable, because the information was taken out of context.
Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the united states, with childrens literature being the primary target. In both cases, an official complaint was made, and both books had to go through the process of banning a book from the school. The pros would be limiting the distribution of the specific information detailed inside the books, but banning books doesnt do much to stop the spread of information once its already out there. Librarians and teachers should not control what a child reads. And with this in mind, i present to you five better reasons not to ban books. If the content of a book offends you there are more effective ways to deal with your offendedness. Is the banning of books a violation of our first amendment rights. Book banning has been defined down to mean making responsible decisions about what reading material is ageappropriate for school. The coeur dalene school district complies with all applicable laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age 40 or older, genetic information, veteran status or disability in any educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance or in employment practices. Bookbanning in school libraries is only the latest battleground in a centuriesold war over the censorship of ideas. Banning books solves nothing, and we need to stop now. You may also remember all of the controversy about the harry potter books in the early 2000s. Books have been banned or changed because of political ideas, religious views, language, sex, and in one case, a cop being portrayed as a pig in a little kids book. Book censorship is the act of some authority taking measures to suppress ideas and information within a book.
Book banning is a great subject for a persuasive essay. Parents who dont like specific books can have their kids opt out of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others. The process for banning a book is a thorough and detailed one indeed. It prevents children from being exposed to offensive things like pornography and intense racism.
Whether youre for more homework or want to see less of it, we can all agree on the fact that the absence. Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the united states. The people doing the censoring get full control over what the rest of us read, enabling them to protect us from dangerous, disgusting or other dubious or forbidden content. All libraries have specific policies that are followed in selecting books for inclusion in the collection.
Advocates for banning a book or certain books fear that children will be swayed by its contents, which they regard as potentially dangerous. Con 1 parents may control what their own children read, but dont have a right to restrict what books are available to other people. What are the pros and cons of banning books and how is it. Our county has a group which reads the questionable book and determines whether its educational value exceeds the weight of the objections against it. You must be wondering why this book has been banned, and who did the banning. Books have the ability to open your eyes to the beauty and horror of this world. Censorship is the regulation of free speech and other forms of entrenched authority. The history and present of banning books in america. And theres always the lingering reality of what little good it does to ban a book.
Harry potter historical fiction holidays john green kid lit libraries memoir movies mysteries national poetry month poems poetry pros and cons of ereaders quotes summer. Book banning has existed into the farthest reaches of literary history. The pros and cons of banning homework is a decision that ultimately lies with each school district. But banning or censoring books is certainly not a new concept in any kind of library. Book censorship is when the government or a school bans a book because of its. Book banning hurting students by definition, a democratic society in america is a form of society which favors equal rights, freedom of speech and a fair trial and tolerates the views of minorities. Why banning books is a bad idea diary of a word nerd. It is a fair and thoughtful examination of the reasons people have for requesting a book be removed, restricted or relocated to another area, and even eventually banned. Banning is a part of our everyday life whether we like it or not. While many oppressive governments censor what their citizens can read, the u.
The cons would be restricting the interests of othe. Among other banned books and authors is alice walkers the color purple, where parents and school leaders in jackson county west virginia. If we ban fifty shades of grey, whats to stop us from banning every book with any sexual content whatsoever. So really, what book banning and censorship are all aboutwithin both small communities and at larger, oftgovernmental levelsis personal opinions. Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and unsuited to any age group are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. Indeed, arguments over obscenityhow its defined and how that definition relates to the first amendmenthave been at the heart of bannedbook controversies throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. If the content of a book offends you there are more effective. Did you know books in schools everywhere, even the dictionary, are banned. Or is book banning blanket censorship of materials that may help readers. Each book that is banned or censored is done so for the content within the pages.
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