Arguments Against Banning Books

Emily Moore
Mrs. Johnson
English 11
10 January 2018
The Right to Read The Diary of Anne Frank, The Scarlet Letter, and To Kill a Mockingbird all have something in common. These books not only have been staples in english curriculum across the nation for many years, but they also have been banned and challenged time after time for their content. Although theses novels teach valuable lessons, some people cannot seem to look past certain parts of their plots. Many groups have taken action to ban an abundance of books that they personally feel people should not be exposed to. Banning books prevents a well rounded education, takes away the right to choose what to read, and will ultimately have no real purpose because people will be exposed to

Colete Bancroft tells a story in her article Ban a Book, Draw Readers about how one of her college professors told her students not to read one chapter of a book. Due to natural curiosity, everyone read that chapter of the book, even people who had not read one other word of the book read that part just to see why she told them not too (Bancroft 2). Telling students not to read a book is more effective getting students to read it than telling them they have to read it. (Bancroft 2). Censorship is unnecessary because students will explore the bounds of life anyways (Lopez 2). Banning books is an ineffective solution to a nonexistent problem that is ultimately a waste of time because kids will read regardless of who tells them what (Lopez 3). Also, reading gives students a safe way to explore the world, instead of having to find out about these difficult topics the hard way (McNeil 2). After reading about these tough topics, students would be more prepared to deal with difficult events in their own life (Bancroft 3). Most students need to be exposed to these difficult topics so they can talk about them with others (McNeil 2). Depriving students from exploring life situations damages growth and worsens their impact on society (McNeil 2). Overall, the banishment of some books only causes more damage because it limits exposure to inevitable situations that ultimately shape a person. Students will be exposed to bad things eventually, so why ban a book about it with a theme and lesson from the