"Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Someone's written a book in tabacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag" (Bradbury 59). The censorship of books is suppose to be helpful, but is censoring really helpful or actually doing more harm? The fact is censorship creates many handicaps for the American public. The censoring of books can hinder the education of today's youth, and even change or omit history in some cases. .
Ever heard the statement "The truth hurts?". It must be true, because cases have been reported on books being censored and banned in schools for events that took place in them. The very same events that are a part of American history. An example of this would be when the book 365 Days was banned from Woodland Highschool in Baileyville (Rodgers). The book 365 Days is a collection of realistic stories about American soldiers wounded in Vietnam written by, Ronald Glasser, the doctor who treated them (Rodgers 64). Without hearing the truths of the Vietnam war, how are kids suppose to understand it and realize how it effect the United States? Omitting history to America's youth affects the education of the American youth.
Education is hindered greatly by censoring. "Half of the biology textbooks don't cover evolution adequately, and one-sixth don't mention evolution at all" states Anthony Podesta, founding president of People for the American Way (Monroe 34). When information is disclosed from a text book, it brings down the educational value of the book. The exclusion of things like evolution stops young people from learning about the world and themselves. Evolution is a theory and it is important for students to learn theories and make up their minds about them (Monroe 34). The president of the Authors League of America said ".the ideals of education and knowledge, and also the freedoms of speech and thought.
