In this article, Deborah S. Connelly talks about the history of book banning, its presence in society today, and actions that have and can be taken against it. Most of these actions stem from the responsibility of librarians and organizations. Connelly believes that librarians have an obligation to keep their content uncensored and readily available to the public. She has stated that the best way to prevent book censorship is to educate our society about the importance of diverse books. A more specific approach regarding this idea might be for a librarian to remind an opposing patron why the book on trial was bought in the first place, and what it could have to offer the reader. As said on the final page of her article, “Knowledge is the key…
Gallo, Don. “Teens Need Bold Books.” English Journal 97.3 (2008). Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.…
Often times, books become banned in the classroom because of the controversial content that it contains. Once a book is banned, it becomes removed from the shelves of libraries, book stores, and classrooms. In some cases, banned books have been burned or refused publication. There are several reasons why books are banned, but books are most frequently banned because of the prejudiced opinions about religion, sexual orientation, and race. In school, children are taught to be mature and to not laugh at gross scenes; Children are also taught to not make commentary about the book when inappropriate content exists or if there are controversial topics. Are…
Almost four hundred years later, books are still being banned based on the fear of information. People of religious backgrounds question books which preach atheism, and fear for their religion. Parents question books which detail graphic or adult themes, for fear of their children’s innocence. Fear has been the primary motivator of literary outlawing for centuries, and it encroaches on our right to information to this very day. As Claire Mullally points out in her article ‘Banned…
Many people read and enjoy R.L. Stine books such as the goosebumps series and the fear street series. Even though many people love to read R.L. Stine books some of his books are still banned. Many parents have agreed that these books are not appropriate for children of certain age levels. When it comes down to it, it is the parents’ choice on what their child reads, but that doesn’t mean the book should be banned so that no child can read it without going to a place where the book isn’t banned. This is why I think banning these books is bad.…
Second-wave feminism. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. The base of evolutionary biology. All of these major changes in the world were products of books. People that read these influential pieces of literature went on to change the world and make history. Often, banned books lead the standings of contributors, as many of them become world renowned names such as To Kill A Mockingbird. Without these books, this world simply would not stand where it does today. People ban books because of the explicit content they hold and the negative impact they leave the reader with. Books should not be banned as they trail-blaze the path towards changing the world.…
It seems we are fast losing our freedoms as American citizens. Personal phone lines are tapped, religious freedoms are no longer allowed to be exercised in public schools, and never before has there been such a threat to America's very existence. Our manufacturing jobs have been leaving the country at a steady rate since the 1980's, health care is nearly impossible to afford, employers offer fewer benefits, social Security has been run into the ground, and our nation is in massive debt for trillions of dollars. And since books were hand written, our literature has been censored. In this modern era many would not think banning books, a hindrance on one’s freedom of choice, would be the situation, especially a great American novel such as The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book is a classic, depicting the American dream of the self made man, and it should not have been banned.…
Cited: Foerstel , Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Greenwood Press. Westport, Conn. 1994. 256 pages…
Banning books over the years has caused lot of controversy. Many people are all-for banning the indecent books, but there are some out there that think banning books is completely useless and idiotic. Books should not be banned because of its racial or sexual content. I oppose book banning for one reason.…
At first glance, the debate over banning books appears unimportant. Nevertheless, this debate has divided our nation into those who favor censoring books to protect their impressionable adolescents, and those who argue that education should be open for everybody without interference from the government in restricting the publishing and accessing of these books.…
Banning books puts an end to true freedom of expression. As the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States states "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." As Americans we have the right to express what we feel and our opinions. How could our country just disregard what was given to us as a right by our founding fathers. People worry about censoring explicit content from children, but you can always put age restrictions on books just as we do to movies, TV shows, and games. It does not require going to the full extreme of completely taking away the book from the public eye. People cannot just put an end to our freedom as if people haven't fought and died for the privileges that we have today. It is certainly not allowing for freedom of speech if people are censoring others' beliefs and opinions.…
Books have a numerous amount of ways to get banned. Book banning can cause the books not to be presented in certain places. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, was banned and challenged due to inappropriate language, rape, sexually explicit, racism, and not appropriate for certain age groups.…
Throughout the years, books from classics to young adult novels have been banned.. Books are an essential part of education. They have always been there to teach children, but all over the country, books are being prohibited. Certain books are not only banned in schools but they are also banned in libraries, and bookstores, limiting public access to specific pieces of literature. These books are banned for because they include profanity, or sometimes having different opinions than the majority of the population. However, Books should not be banned in schools because banning certain books prevents freedom of speech, keeps readers away from reality, and limits learning tools.…
One of the things that makes this country great is our freedom to say, write, and read whatever we want. Yet people are attempting to restrict our access to certain books, by either challenging them or banning them. The reasons are usually because it has sexual content or witchcraft and the encouragement of violence. Book banning has become so common that the last week of September is known as Banned Books Week. There have also been lists of frequently banned authors, as well as banned books. What is interesting about these is that many of the books are classics.…
Books can have a variety of different functions and potentials. A book can expand your knowledge or allow you to escape your world and become a part of the book. Books come in all sorts of genres and almost all fall under the categories of fictional or nonfictional. Some books might be viewed as inappropriate or explicit, but these views are different for everyone. But these views are what some book banning is based on. Book banning is when a book will be not be allowed to be viewed by almost anyone. Governments, schools, and/or libraries are some of the institutions that can be the ones to decide to ban books. Book banning should be stopped, instead there should be regulations that allow parents to choose what their child reads until they are old enough to choose for themselves and it also violates our freedom of press right and our educational advancement.…