Should The Book Be Banned

When one hears about "banned books" you immediately assume there is a list filled with scandalous and provocative books. You think of the book equivalent of R rated movies. Imagine my surprise when the children 's book To Kill a Mockingbird is on the list. This classic teaches many different lessons, so it 's hard to believe that it is banned for things like race relations and rape. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee most often gets challenged on account of the discussion and issue of rape and profanity. Many parents were, and still are, uncomfortable with the subject of rape and did not want their children the be learning about it. Parents also felt that Scouts use of profanity in the novel would encourage their children to use it. If

Atticus is the one that teaches, not only Scout and Jem, but also the rest of us how to be good people. He is the kind of person that we all want to be like; he is the goal for the rest of us. In different ways throughout the book he teaches us to never judge a book by its cover, and to always be kind. Early on in the book when Scout first meets her new teacher Atticus explains how we can not really judge each other he says, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view [. . .] until you climb in his skin and walk around in it"(Lee, 33). Here Atticus preaches understanding of everyone and everything around us, and only then will you be able to judge. Later on in the book Atticus tell his children what real courage is, and what we. Should always strive for. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It 's when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what"(Lee, 128). These two lessons of understanding and courage and perseverance are some of the most important things for children to learn. If kids of all ages were able to read these books and learn these lessons along with the characters we would be raising a generation of good, kind, and intelligent children. To Kill a Mockingbird certainly has numerous strikes against it. With situations and questions that some might not be ready to learn about, and words that should never be said there are somewhat justifiable reasons to ban this book. However, in the end the lessons it teaches about understanding, courage, and moral duty greatly outweigh the bad. This book teaches a lesson about doing what is right, and not what is easy to all who read it no matter their