Books are constantly being banned from all different places for all different reasons as well as from all age groups. Books are usually banned because of content such as profanity, sexual situations, or even witchcraft. But should they be banned to everyone just for these reasons? Books should not be banned to high school students and older. Student in high school are exposed to many different things, good and bad, as a part of growing up and maturing.
Dear Editor: Censorship in public libraries is inconsiderable, unreasonable, and absurd. It must be eliminated from the minds of our town council. If a book is not acceptable for patrons under eighteen, I feel either the patron’s parents or the patron himself should decide so. The town council and the public library have no idea whether a patron is responsible enough to read a book with possible adult themes. Censorship is also ridiculous because most classic novels involve questionable language, or somewhat violent material.
Books with artistic and cultural value are still challenged every day by those who want to control what others read. These people that put all their effort to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. By censoring school books in libraries, our basic freedoms that are guaranteed in the First Amendment are violated. In other words, to be told what is were allowed to read and what is not is a direct defilement of the First Amendment, which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”(Asato, 287). The quote clearly states that the congress will not take away our freedom of speech.
The Schools are destroying Freedom of Speech According to the article written by John W. Whitehead, “The Schools are Destroying Freedom of Speech,” John W. Whitehead stated that teachers are hindering students from learning or being allowed to exercise their constitutional rights. Schools don’t have the right or authority to hinder students from not offend or cause harm to others. There were two occasions documented and went as far as to the Supreme Court, how teachers and administrations pulled the plug on several valedictorian students during graduations; while sharing a censored speech on their religion and their feelings, (John W. Whitehead, 2009). On occasions, teachers and administrators reviewed and had students to take out what they thought would affect the audience or what was against certain regulations of the school. However, the students felt the need to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings in the way they felt.
No books should ever be banned because for each book that is banned, there possibly could be one life lesson that will not be learned by the next generation. Censorship of books in schools and libraries is wrong for it limits what students can potentially learn. Books such as To Kill a Mocking Bird, Of Mice and Men, and others teach valuable life lessons, which is why they are considered classics. Books such as these are being banned for they have questionable material. In the same book introduction as the opening quote, Judy Blume wrote, “Those who were most active in trying to ban books cam from the ‘religious right’ but the impulse to censor spread like a contagious disease.
The school system has no right to drug test anyone, due to what cause. There are many laws the school system is breaking by trying to take away our rights. Which
The “Darkness” of Children's Literature Darkness, brutality, violence, disillusionment, are these the words that come to mind when the topic of children’s literature arises? There is much debate today on whether or not children’s literature is too “dark” for its intended audience. Some define “dark” as those words mentioned above while others believe that anything that doesn’t leave a child happy and smiling signifies “darkness”. As Andrew Levy (2007) stated in his article “Campaigning parents plan to burn children’s books with grisly endings”, “Children’s books that don’t have happy endings should be banned, it was claimed yesterday”. Darkness is part of our everyday lives; while every child will react differently to “dark” stories they should not be protected from the realities of life; they should be exposed and educated about those realities.
Identify, isolate, Intimidate, Remove The school district has implemented no tolerance policies that simply do not investigate, determine cause, resolve and reinforce positive behaviors. Bullying by some students is rampant and the simple “no tolerance” policy enforces these behaviors by bullies. Bullying is taking place in front of teachers and administrators who pretend not see and say nothing. The student that is bullied is then victimized again by the school by being expelled or punished if situation comes to the attention of the school when he responds. The behavior by bullies then is virtually encouraged as students become afraid or feel that the administration will not react appropriately should they inform them of a bulling situation.
It should stay the way the author intended it to be. Racist language in old literature is very uncomfortable for many people to read. It can be offensive to African Americans. Many books are banned from schools just because of the racist language. We just need to understand that these books were written a long time ago and that was the language they used back then.
Sue Ahmad AML 2301 Professor Mitchell 21 Oct. 2013 Full of Moral Dilemmas At the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, right before the explanatory, Mark Twain writes a “notice” that suggests his book is not written to persuade or send a subliminal message of any kind and anyone who interprets it as such will be punished, so to speak. Is this message factual, or is the humor a way to get the audience to view the book as such? The novel contains many moral predicaments at almost every turn. Some would say that’s not the case or the only moral issue is indefinitely racism, but there is much more depth and meaning to why this book became one of the greatest American novels with universal meaning. Some specify the morality of Huckleberry Finn is in the instance of slavery being portrayed, and even claim that it was flawed and misinterpreted to the point where it was a mockery.