I'm writing a research paper on press censorship - particularly dealing with printed press (books, newspapers, magizines). I just was curious about what people thought about banning books. Do you support this form of censorship? Why or why not?
2007-01-26 06:55:43 · 7 answers · asked by chandlerbing222001 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
"Every burned book enlightens the world"
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Absolutely not! Banning books is a barbaric way to control people and it often fails. When you ban a book, you advertise to read it. Also, it's like banning free thought, simply out of fear of what those thoughts maybe. On top of that, it insults my intelligence when someone like Laura Mallory for example says that a certain book shouldn't be available to the masses because I might believe every single word mindless, or I might form an opinion different than hers. Book banning should start at home and end there. You have the authority to tell your children what to read but that's it. Chances are they will take that as an invitation to read what you forbid them to anyway.
I would never ban anything from my kids out of fear that they might think differently than me, and I don't think anyone else has that authority either. The Nazis burned books, banning is the same thing and I'd rather not be associated with people like that.
"To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind for it."
~Michel de Montaigne, Essays, 1559
2007-01-26 08:03:10 · answer #1 · answered by Caitlin G 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I wrote a paper on censorship in high schools last semester for my English class. I totally don't agree with it, and usually it's the parents who end up thinking the books are unsuitable for their kids. But parents aren't really doing anything by keeping stuff from their kids because eventually they will hear those words or ideas somewhere else. When you're in high school, you're old enough to choose what books you should be allowed to read. Books like Harry Potter are no threat to high school aged kids, but I can see how elementary school age kids could be a little more vulnerable. Harry Potter is fiction. My mom doesn't like me and my younger sister reading them (we're 19 and 15) but I told her that some people actually just read for entertainment. Are you going to take away any movie with the idea of magic too? Doubt it...
If this helps you at all, here's the list American Library Association's 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm
2007-01-26 07:36:21 · answer #2 · answered by Kristie 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, because books are written to express thoughts and when people try to ban books the only reason is because they don't agree with those thoughts. When it coes down to it, they aren't letting people decide for theselves what to think. It is an indirect way of putting out only a few certain ideals to people and that is wrong.
2007-01-26 07:12:39 · answer #3 · answered by buttercup 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
whether one supports the banning of books or not,there are always groups who will ban what they don't like --for example Harry Potter books are banned in some countries or by some organizations....so its just a matter of why that particular group bans it...its foolish and narrow-minded on such occassions but might make make sense on others --like when a book condenming freedom fighters as selfish people was banned few years back...
2007-01-26 07:38:21 · answer #4 · answered by ali 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I believe that literature was written to be read. I can understand why parents wouldn't want their children reading some greusome books which could give them nightmares, but Goodnight Moon and Harry Potter? That is crazy.
I think if we continue banning books, especially children's books, our children's imaginations will shrivel away to nothing (which is already happening with the excessive amount of tv kids watch).
2007-01-26 07:19:53 · answer #5 · answered by bpbjess 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
maximum banned books are banned because of the fact they offend the particularly circumstances puritanical perspectives of the repressed yet very vocal minority. i decide to snicker and cry as quickly as I see books like Harry Potter on ban lists because of the fact "they cope with witchcraft". supply me a harm. They coach stable classes, and are not some anti-christian dogma.
2016-11-27 20:19:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think its a good idea to ban books. if a kid knows the bok is bad or something, they should have enough sense to not read it!
2007-01-26 07:26:34 · answer #7 · answered by reading rules! 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋