The Classification And Ratings Administration: The Role Of Rating Books In Schools

Imagine walking into English class one day with Just because some people’s opinions may differ about topics having to do with religion or beliefs, those opinions should not keep books and movies from being read or seen because books and movies on these topics can be historically educational; however, the standards for rating books and movies need to be updated. When you were in school, you probably read a bunch of books in school about history and about the cultures and lives of people that were different than yourself. Certain people are taking offense to books such as these because they are different than what they believe, but if these books about history are banned from schools and libraries, how are people supposed to learn about different

The Classification And Ratings Administration (CARA) Ratings Board was created in 1969 when movies first began being given a rating. When this organization was founded, the original members of this board created a list of criteria for each rating. This list of criteria is still being used today, with only minor changes having been made in the past forty-seven years. A quote from the PDF version of the rules and rating booklet made by the Motion Picture Association of America in 1969 reads “CARA assigns a rating to each motion picture. CARA assigns the rating the Rating Board Believes would best reflect the opinion of most American parents about the suitability of that motion picture for viewing by their children. When CARA assigns a rating, it also provides a rating descriptor for that rating in order to better inform parents of the elements of the motion picture to be given that rating.” (Classification 6) which shows how movies are rated by the Classification And Ratings Administration Ratings Board, but with that rating comes a detailed description of why it was given that rating to try and assure parents of its safety. The introductory paragraph of this PDF states that “It is not CARA’s purpose to prescribe socially-appropriate values or to

Chelsea Condren, the author of the article about “Banned Books Week” says “ Banning books is about individuals who believe they have the right to decide how we think what we see, and especially about individuals who believe they are protecting our children by attempting to bar them from reading certain books. The power and danger in book banning lies in someone’s ability to think their opinion is the only one that matters, and, thereby, the only one that is allowed.” (Condren 5). She points out that by parents trying to ban books for everyone, they are basically just telling the world that their opinion is the right opinion and that everyone else is wrong. One of the most common reasons that a books is challenged, or eventually banned, according to the Butler University Library is because the book contains racist or sexist comments. The most common books to be challenged under these categories are usually old book or books written about a time in history when racism and sexism played a major role in society (Banned 2). This site lists several other reasons that books are challenged and banned, such as sexual situations or dialog, political bias, religion, and violence, which all support the idea that