Elek Pulinka
Mrs.Frye
English 9 Pd 5
March 12 2023
Famous author George Orwell once said "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." The Issue of book banning has existed throughout history as a way to control information. Many instances of book banning are rooted in the unwillingness to hear what you do not want to. In the US, book banning has a long history dating back to the 19th century, with books such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" being targeted for its depictions of slavery and racism. In the 20th century, the banning of books continued with works such as J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" being challenged for its controversial
…show more content…
A democratic society values open discourse and the free exchange of ideas, and book banning stifles this fundamental principle. Grose from the New York Times says “Few censors, if any, tend to see that censorship itself runs counter to certain basic American values” explaining how the action of book banning undermines democracy specifically in America. In many cases of book banning it's also an issue of parents seeking to control the media their children consume: “Despite parental outbursts, teens are going to continue to find ways to assert themselves publicly and privately, and to get their mitts on whatever their parents don’t want them to read, see or discuss”(Grose NY Times). Though parents do not realize the harm they're causing by sheltering their children. This can also lead to the creation of echo chambers where people develop outdated or ill informed opinions. When books are banned without a democratic vote it creates more of an issue. An example of a book being banned without the decision being voted on is the case of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. In 2007, the novel was published and won numerous awards. However, it also faced challenges and bans in some school districts for its depiction of sexuality, drug use, and profanity. In one case, the school board in Stockton, Missouri, decided to ban the book without a vote or public hearing. The …show more content…
2023, https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/.
Grose, Jessica. "Book Banning Is About the Illusion of Parental Control." New York Times 02/09 2022. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2628380362?accountid=70789.
Network, The Learning. “What Students Are Saying about Banning Books from School Libraries.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/learning/students-book-bans.html
Reichbach, Sean. "Book Banning Must Be Stopped." University Wire, 02/10 2022. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2628381201?accountid=70789.
Smith, Delaney. "Why Aren't Book Bans Illegal Yet?" University Wire, 02/08 2022. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher,