What Do You Think About Book Banning?

Question

I have to do this huge project on banning book sfor school. I think it would be interesting to see how people view this topic. Do you think some books (especially ones w/ racial issues) should be completely left out of schools? Or do you think that kids should be exposed to that sort or thing?

Answer 1

books are like movies. they have content, appropriate for children and inappropriate for children. Instead of banning books, we should have a rating system for books instead, just like any other media (T.V., Movies, Video games). Also, books should not be banned for any reason whatsoever, no matter how offensive, we need to uphold our 'freedom of speech' law.

Answer 2

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the verb "to ban" means: " to prohibit especially by legal means; also : to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of "

Most books that people speak of being "banned" are books that were challenged as inappropriate for elementary school libraries due to sexual content, mature themes, or language. Nobody stopped publication of those books, nor requested it. Nobody prohibited anyone from reading those books. Book removal from a library is not considered a legal matter unless someone sues for it to stay there under the 1st ammendment; its' considered part of a library's duties to balance service, budget, and public desires.

In an entire decade (1990-2000), 6,364 challenges were registered with the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom. That's a rate of a mere 636 requests (REQUESTS!) nationwide that a particular title be removed from a particular library's shelves, or slightly more than ten per state per year. Considering we have over 300 million people and billions of books, that's a remarkably low number!

Of those challenges, the vast majority were challenges regarding content made available to children.[1] Complaints focused primarily on sexually explicit content, offensive langugage, and age-inappropriateness. Dealing with racial themes doesn't even enter the top 10 reasons for book challenges.[2]

I believe that school libraries are community property, and should be subject to review and vote by a community. The community that sends their children to school should be allowed to control the topics to which their children are exposed. There are so many excellent books that deal with racial issues in a sensitive manner, why should vulgar books be taking up resources (money, shelf space etc?) just because someone "knows better" than the community? If those books are so important, put them in the adult section of the public library; or buy them yourself (books are cheap!). Generally, when a removal request is made, a school library will hold a review on the content that includes educators, librarians, psychologists, and the public to weigh the matter and find an appropriate action. It is not willy-nilly nor a weak response to any negative pressure.

Considering the vast censorship in publishing and distribution that has occurred worldwide and continues today, I find it offensive when people say that a book such as "Autobiography of My Mother" by Jamaica Kincaide has been "banned", only to mean that a school library board reviewed the book and decided it was inappropriate for children under 16 to read without parental consent. Such a definition would mean all PG-13 movies are "banned" as a theatre can't let a child in under the age of 13 without their parent there.

In some parts of the world they'll kill you for reading a copy of "The Gulag Archipelago" or the Bible. How then can we talk of "banning" books that are openly published and distributed, purchaseable by any individual in our society?

Answer 3

If this is for a school project, you should check out a book called Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It's about a future where books are banned in order to "keep the peace" and firemen, instead of putting out fires, start fires to burn books and houses where books are being kept.

You can check out some basic info. about it at pinkmonkey.com or cliffnotes.com if you don't have time to read the entire book. But, if you do have the time, I suggest you read the book. I hate reading, and even I enjoyed that book.

You might also want to point out that often times, the people wanting to ban certain books, like Harry Potter for example, are often times very religious people. What's ironic about this is that, when you really think about it, the Bible itself is a thousand times more gruesome, violent, and sexually explicit than any other book out there.

Overall, book banning is socially and educationally damaging. It surely didn't work the last time it was implemented (the Nazis during WW2) and wouldn't solve anything now.

I hope I was helpful, and good luck with your project.

Answer 4

It is a thorny issue. There are some books I feel are truly inappropriate for kids like the ones that explain how to make bombs, etc.
I do think it has gone too far when Huckleberry Finn is removed because of the alleged racism in it when it is really a great story that shows a young man can be friends with a black man.
Books that are propaganda for things that are tearing society apart like drugs, I am not impressed with.
Maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but I think if you really wanna read about smoking dope and that lifestyle, go buy a high times nagazine.

Answer 5

I think every book has its place in history. Even those textbooks that were blatantly racist can be saved for their historical perspective. We need to remember how people were viewed and lied about in the old days. Free speech forever. There is never a reason to ban a book.

Answer 6

The STATE cannot be trusted to decide such issues. If parents aren't smart enough, neither is the STATE the parents joined together to create.

I think it's more of a pity that schools still graduate kids that don't or can't read books.

Answer 7

By encouraging ignorance we just make the problems and issues we're trying to forget carry over into later generations. We can only progress by teaching children why difficult issues like racism are wrong, even if that means reading something that parents might consider "uncomfortable." Sheltering doesn't help anyone.

Answer 8

I find it is silly to ban books from schools because if kids want to they can just go to another library & check them out.

Answer 9

You have the right to free speech and the press, read the Constitution baby girl!

Answer 10

great topic...the best way i can answer this question is by telling you my favorite book which so happens to tie int this subject. "Fahrenheit 451"