ipl-logo

Censorship: The Pros And Cons Of Banning Books

853 Words4 Pages

Censorship is when any form of authority limits your ability to see, hear, or read what you want (American). The debate is where we should draw the line of free speech (Censorship). Book banning is very controversial because some people believe that banning books is necessary to control exposure. However, some people believe that is an obstruction of their rights. In order to fully understand this topic, we need to look at the background of this practice, why people are for book banning, and why people are against it. The background of book banning is very important to look at before deciding which side of the issue on which you fall. Banning books is one of the oldest practices of censorship (“Banned”). While today some people dislike the idea of restricting the information given via book, in medieval times, they would take it as far …show more content…

The fear of the new and unfamiliar may be an underlying cause of censorship (“Censorship” 246). Currently, many books are being banned because they contain same-sex relationships. In response to this, 17 year old Stacy Riger said, "We definitely can't hide these different lifestyles from our young people by pretending they don't exist." (American). Many people believe that this impedes on their rights and it controls their life (American). John Milton tried to explain why he is against the banning of books by saying, “ he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself (“Censorship” 246). This is just one person’s opinion and there are many others who would agree with this statement. While we have control over our many parts of our lives, people believe that they are confined by the books that they are unable to access and they are speaking out about why they have problems problems with the enforcement of these strict book laws.These are only a few reasons why some people are fighting against the restraint of book

Show More
Related
716 Words | 3 Pages

Books are a threat to the government. They contain knowledge and ideas. The ideas and knowledge in books cause people to question how things are. It causes them to notice the faults in the world. The government bans books to have a better

Read More
652 Words | 3 Pages

Books are an essential way to gain knowledge whether they are controversial or not. Thousands of books have been banned from public libraries and schools due to being deemed ‘inappropriate’ by parents, administrators, or religious leaders. Whether Americans should ban books in public libraries and schools is an often debated topic. This censorship of books is dangerous, as it restricts the American people's’ ability to access information, leaving Americans ignorant. Historically, banning books is not a new practice.

Read More
1082 Words | 5 Pages

When most people hear of book banning, they think of libraries across the country clearing their shelves of books thought of to be taboo or problematic. While that once was a problem in the United States, book banning has taken a tactical, less obvious form of censorship and it is mostly in schools. It’s not a stranger to anyone that middle and high schools have required reading lists that name several books students will have to read for the academic school year. The books can range from anything, [research and look up book names here], and are often stock packed with various themes, lessons, and messages. However, plenty of parents feel [look at article to see the support of book banning] that certain ideas should not be taught to their children, especially when the ideas conflict with their personal beliefs and interests.

Read More
598 Words | 3 Pages

Banning books has a negative effect on children and deprives them from fueling their mind and not preparing them for the real world ahead of them. Banned books can have positive message on life and can teach children lessons about the world around them. It is not good for children to grow up and not know what the real world is like, because they would not know how to handle life on their own because they were being protected from all the bad things in life. People like to do what, in their opinions, is good for their children, even when sometimes they are hurting them more than helping them. Some books do have profanity in them which children really should not read.

Read More
376 Words | 2 Pages

Banning books discourages the freedom of thought. Books are one of the main sources of learning. A few authors believe their books are being targeted. For example, black authors' books are being challenged because some contain racial history and a few parents believe those books

Read More
826 Words | 4 Pages

There is a famous quote by James Howe that goes “Banning books gives us silence when we need speech”. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight” (Howe). Who cares, though, about that? It's just an irrelevant quote that no one cares about.

Read More
1119 Words | 5 Pages

Either way those are all to teach us something. When you ban and censor books inside those books are the fears you hold and that you don’t want to see. It is because of that reason why today there are so many social problems in our world. Not banning books wouldn’t solve all the social problems in the world but it would take us into the right direction. Keep people from the truth of banned books is the same as lying to them.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

Many books are being banned, censored and challenged daily. When these books are banned it is sometimes not always a good thing. Many students and authors are getting their rights taken away, students are losing opportunities to learn and authors' freedom of speech is being violated. As a result, books should not be banned because of bias, students’ freedom, and parents rights. Books should not be censored from only one person's opinions and views because it restricts access to people who want to read it.

Read More
634 Words | 3 Pages

Censoring Books In Public Schools Is Necessary To Protect The Children Books have been censored for decades, mostly for secular and religious reasons. With the invention of the printing press in 1450, it became harder to eliminate offensive books, however a study conducted at the American Library Association (ALA), says that most books have been challenged by parents followed by patrons, a board or administration, librarians or teachers, political and religious groups, and the government. The same study showed that “sexually explicit content, offensive language, and "unsuited to any age group" are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book to be removed” (“Banned Books”). Books in public schools should continue to be censored for the protection of children and the improvement of society.

Read More
1068 Words | 5 Pages

Censorship is a controversial issue that involves the suppression of information, ideas, or artistic expression. One form of censorship is the banning of books, which can have a discriminatory impact on certain groups. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, "Banning books silences voices and divides our communities" (American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.). Banned books are often deemed inappropriate or offensive by specific individuals or groups, removing access to these materials. Such censorship sends the message that specific ideas or viewpoints are unacceptable, which can lead to discrimination toward those with such beliefs.

Read More
1361 Words | 6 Pages

Banning Books Throughout Education Parents everywhere are concerned about what their child is doing, playing, listening to, and now learning about. Parents are causing uproars at schools about books that they feel need not be in the school curriculum or even in the school library. Parents are causing censorship—restrictions on books and education over controversial books and topics. In the United States, censorship has challenged education by impacting educators and students, thus forcing teachers to be cautious about what they are teaching, therefore, causing students to lose their first amendment rights, and forcing students to lose control of their personal world views.

Read More
603 Words | 3 Pages

(Needs a thesis) There are many reasons why banning books is not okay. People feel that if books are banned; they are getting their personal rights taken away from them. In the United States, people are given the freedom to read whatever they want. When the government bans a book because the information in the books is not appropriate for the people; they end up getting their personal rights taken away from them.

Read More
709 Words | 3 Pages

“American citizens who care about the improvement of education are urged to join students, teachers, librarians, administrators, boards of education, and professional and scholarly organizations in support of the students’ right to read” (The Students Right to Read). Citizens should be allowed to stand up if they believe books should not be banned. It is important that writers should be able to have their books out to the public without getting banned. “Challengers often employ a definition that maintains that banning materials is the only true form of censorship,”(Knox 740). Censorship of books is common and a real problem.

Read More
1383 Words | 6 Pages

It is evident that censorship is widely common in school. Some books are banned from school libraries due to content, while others are banned from being read in English classes. "Censorship is particularly harmful in the schools because it prevents students with inquiring minds from exploring the world, seeking truth and reason, and stretching their intellectual capacities, and becoming

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

At one point in time, over 7,220 books have been challenged to be banned. Though these books have been removed for the safety of children, not all books should be banned for many reasons. These include the fact that banning books is infringing on the First Amendment, keeping children from understanding the real world, and, even though there are many reasons for book banning, not banning books could help a student’s education and can even work against itself. Banning a book from a school or public library could go against a person’s First Amendment of the freedom of press.

Read More

More about Censorship: The Pros And Cons Of Banning Books

Open Document