The question of whether or not to ban books is a question that echoes the halls of many school boards, courtrooms, and libraries across the country. While the idea of a banned book in other countries might be unheard of, it is a serious issue to the public school systems of the United States, with many books being censored or banned every year. Many reasons have been brought up for attempting to ban a book, such as violent, racial, and sexual themes ("About"). The list of books that have been banned is quite extensive, including Fahrenheit 451, To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher In The Rye, Gone With The Wind, and many other classics that most former students and readers remember fondly (Frequently). Although books such as these are considered timeless novels and remain in the history of literature forever, they also remain banned in some areas that find them unfit to be read by students. Books should not be banned due to the first amendment of the Constitution granting freedom of speech and press, it can be a hindrance to the learning process in schools, the endless valuable information that books contain, and the inspiration books can be to people.
When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they included a very important list of rights that belong to every citizen of the United States, known as the Bill of Rights. The first amendment of the Constitution states that citizens have both freedom of speech and press (Constitution). In the act of banning books, this right is essentially disregarded and completely violated. Censorship of literature and speech were contributing factors to the colonies deciding to break away from England in the beginning, making a sad regression back to the dark times of banned press and speech censorship (First). Even though some materials may be offensive to some people, the public as a whole should not be forced into banning or censoring a book.
This has caused many books to be challenged and even banned from schools and libraries across the world. ... Who decides what books are banned? ... There are many books and many reasons why books are banned these days. ... Some of the challenged books are banned, some aren't. ... Here are some quotes related to the banning of books. ...
Banned Books Yes, I do believe that certain books that are banned should not be allowed in public libraries or schools. ... Yes, maybe they are well written books and interesting, but keep them out of the reach of kids, and the only way to do this is to ban the books from the public libraries and schools. ... To me, yes and no, is my answer to the question of does banning of books violate our first amendment rights. ... Banning or not banning certain books has a big effect on society. Certain books get banned obviously because of the contents within the book. ...
Banned Books Yes, I do believe that certain books that are banned should not be allowed in public libraries or schools. ... Yes, maybe they are well written books and interesting, but keep them out of the reach of kids, and the only way to do this is to ban the books from the public libraries and schools. ... To me, yes and no, is my answer to the question of does banning of books violate our first amendment rights. ... Banning or not banning certain books has a big effect on society. Certain books get banned obviously because of the contents within the book. ...
The main reason books are banned from schools is because of sexual content, use of profanity, or the way the book may influence you. ... Banning books takes away that freedom of the Constitution. ... Therefore, society can learn a great thing or two from these banned books. ... In a way, it is highly hypocritical of America to ban any books in any place. ... The context of most banned books are made not just for entertainment value. ...
The main reason books are banned from schools is because of sexual content, use of profanity, or the way the book may influence you. ... Banning books takes away that freedom of the Constitution. ... Therefore, society can learn a great thing or two from these banned books. ... In a way, it is highly hypocritical of America to ban any books in any place. ... The context of most banned books are made not just for entertainment value. ...
Many school districts have banned questionably some of the greatest books in literature, such as the renowned "To Kill a Mockingbird". ... The American Library Association's Judith Krug strongly disagrees with the banning of books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" because, "They've stood the test of time. ... According to the American Library Association, sixty one percent of challenged or banned books are because of parents (uakron.edu). ... Alfred Whitney Griswold wrote in his book about education "Books won't stay banned. ... Lastly, my favorite quote against banning literatur...
By censoring or banning books because of subject matter, language usage, or violent situations, a person's rights are being violated. Oscar Wilde said, "The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its shame."" When books are banned, it demonstrates a refusal of censors to look at the world with open eyes. ... Banning a book cheats a person of enjoying a valuable part of literature. ... Banning a book based on delicate subject matter denies tragic reality. ...
Certain books challenge and inspire students to change the world and although some subjects border the unthinkable, banning them from schools in no way teaches students about sensitive subjects or expands their knowledge of truthful and necessary events in history. ... Banning certain books in schools means censorship. ... A banning is the removal of those materials. ... (Crum) Why ban certain books but not others? ... With religion already banned from public schools, parents tend to snub their noses at books with religious content. ...
Being ranked fifth as one of the most challenged books in the 1990s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, can definitely be considered a very controversial novel (Huckleberry 1). ... Also it has been banned because many African Americans view this novel as one that contains racial slurs and racism (Zwick 1). ... Many other libraries banned the novel for the same reasons that the Concord library banned it, and because they perceived it as a bad role model to children. ... Monteiro reported that it "contains repeated use of the profane, insulting, and racially derogatory term ...
