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Controversy in censorship in schools
Controversy in censorship in schools
Controversy in censorship in schools
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Administrators should not have the right to ban books from school libraries. Banning books from libraries keeps students from their privileges of exploring new thoughts. Administrators should give alternative choices, so students still can explore new literature. Although some argue that administrators have the responsibility to protect their students from inappropriate material, they should not have the right to ban books from their school libraries because banning books is an affront to the first amendment and keeps students from gaining knowledge of the world around them. Nazis, communist governments, and extremist governments in the Middle East ban books from their citizens. As Americans we see this as an attempt to violate our First Amendment rights by giving the people little option on what they can legally read, and administrators banning books from students is no different. According to administrators, their responsibility is to keep their students from reading or viewing unsuitable material. John A. Miller gives his opinion in his article “Banning Books Is an Affront to the First Amendment” stating “I doubt that any teenager much above the age of 13 is unaware of the words and situations most frequently cited as that the evils in banned books” (Miller). Students already hear this violence or inappropriate language at home and even at school from other students. Also, students can choose whether or not they would like to check out a book from the library. Students are not forced to read any obscene material. Students take great offense to banning books because it takes away their freedom of speech. Banning books does not let the student feel like they have power or control in what they intake. In “Students Turn Book into C... ... middle of paper ... ...she would prefer to read, the parents should be required to give their approval. Works Cited Bowean, Lolly, and Kim Geiger. “Students Turn Book into Cause.” Chicago Tribune: 6 Mar. 17 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Nov. 2013 . DiBlasio, Natalie. “Schools Once Again Face Bind Over Censorship vs. Book Lists.” USA TODAY. 19 Aug. 2011: A. 1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Falk-Ross, Fran, and Jeanettea Caplan. “The Challenge of Censorship.” Reading Today. 30 Apr. 2008: 20. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Miller, John A. “Banning Books is an Affront to First Amendment.” Morning Call: A.21. Oct. 18 2012. SIRS Issue Researcher. Web. 12 Nov. 2013 Wordsworth, Matt. “Banned Books Pitched to Teens.” AM-Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 04 Feb. 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
The Constitution 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." Even though books may influence young minds with negative thinking, society shouldn’t ban books because it prohibits learning and it violates the First Amendment in the Constitution. Banning books takes away the author’s right, some books can be very educational, and it takes away the children’s choice of what they get to read.
First off, banning a book violates the Freedom of Speech, which is a part of the First Amendment. The First Amendment allows the people to have their thoughts and speech to be protected. If a book is banned, you are essentially prohibiting the exercise of free speech, which strangely contradicts the First Amendment. In The Catcher in the Rye, we the readers can see that J.D. Salinger supports the idea of Freedom of Speech with the statement, "And if the boy digresses at all, you 're supposed to yell 'Digression! ' at him as fast as you can. It just about drove me crazy. I got an F in it" (98). Utilizing the Freedom of Speech, the boy can say no to the teacher that forced him to read out loud in class. By banning the book, you are also violating the ideals for Freedom of Expression, which is also a part of the First Amendment. According to the Bill of Rights, the main concept of Freedom of Expression is that we individuals have the right to hold our own opinions without the consent of others (Bill Of Rights of the United States of America). J.D. Salinger also supports the ideals for Freedom of Expression with the quote, "In the first place, I
Ever since pen was first put to paper there has been some form of censorship surrounding it. The most current form of censorship is to ban the books which are viewed as inappropriate. Such an act not only violates the rights of American citizens, but it also violates the rights of the students to learn. Even if the government could manage to ban all of the books that it feels are inappropriate, the thirst to read such books would only grow. Too often is it forgotten that before the banning of books was an “at home issue,” (Book Banning 1) the federal government tried to cut the flow of inappropriate information off at the source
Trelease, Jim. "Book Banning Violates Children and Young Adult Freedoms." Book Banning. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from "Censorship and Children's Books." Trelease-on-Reading.com. 2006.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
McNamee, Gregory. "Absolutely True Tales Of Censorship." Kirkus Reviews 79.17 (2011): 1508. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do administrators and school boards have the right to ban books? Are we taking away the rights of children to read? In case of Island Trees Schools District V. Pico in New York, the Supreme Court gave the school board broad discretion to frame curriculum and teach civic and moral values. This case resulted in the school board removing ten books from the school library for being "anti-american, anti-christian, anti-semitic, and just plain filthy." Another case involving book banning was Hazelwood School District V. Kuhlmeier. In this case the Supreme Court again gave school officials the broad discretion to control curriculum. This time the court left open the question if this affects the school libraries. In Olathe, Kansas, the district's superintendent made the decision to remove all copies of Nancy Gardner's Annie On My Mind because of it imposing views for gay actions. This standpoint resulted in a public book burning by a homophobic community group. At Hempfield High School in Western Penn...
We live in an overprotective society, where people try to control other people’s lives from things that they find explicit. Many parents believe that by sheltering their kids from offensive things it will keep them safe. But, trying to live life as if there is always sunshine and no rain turns out to be a big disappointment. The banning of books has a negative effect on children and adults alike, as it can shelter children from real life situations, and revokes the rights of the people. Although people believe in banning books that contain vulgar language and profanity to help their children, it can actually hurt the child and can be considered unconstitutional.
Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law must reconcile conflicting claims of liberty and authority, as expressed by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 1940 in “Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries” by Herbert N. Foerstel (23).
Books teach people everything they need to know about a certain subject, historical event, or how to deal with certain situations in life. Students in school need these books in particular to develop, but it is occasionally difficult to acquire education books when parents are censoring books for their children. “That parent in Connecticut also declared the she is the best judge of what is acceptable for her children to read” (Gallo). Censorship over a child is hard because depending on the age, there could be multiple reasons. This mother dictating over a child that is fairly young then it is understandable. Younger children as they...
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) defines censorship as: “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials… of images, ideas, and information…on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of standards applied by the censor” (Miner 1998). In schools there are three types of censorship, one type is a “parent who doesn’t want their child to read a particular book. Another is a parent, teacher, administrator, or school board member who argues that no one in the class, or school should read the book in dispute. Lastly, there is censorship that involves someone who is part of an organized campaign, whether of a local or national group, and who goes in ready for a fight and wants to make a broader political point” (Miner 1998). Although there are many others ways that a piece of literature could get censored, most censored works are asked to be removed from classrooms and school libraries.
As a society we want our young people to be literate, thoughtful, and caring human beings, however we also attempt to control what they read, listen to, and see–and ultimately what they think and care about. One can understand the instinct to need to “protect" children from dangerous or disturbing ideas and information, but this combination of the multiplicity of values and the concern for young people’s minds keeps censorship alive in school, public libraries, and other common places.
Harry Potter should not be banned from school libraries. Taking it from schools would not stop students from reading it. Even though it was not at the school. It would be at the public library. They also could barrow it from a field of family members or friends. Finally, they could just go online and read or buy it.
Objectionable content found in challenged books across the country can range from some vulgar language, to rape and incest, and even to explicit sex scenes. However objectionable these topics may be, high schoolers are already exposed to them in some way, whether it be through listening to popular music on the radio, watching television, or browsing the internet. Many parents, and even board members of some schools, object certain books for a variety of reasons. What they have failed to realize is this: if they are so concerned about what their children read in school, are they as concerned about monitoring what they hear on the radio, see on television, and search online? Many schools across the country are now taking the technological route when it comes to teaching. This often means students can have access to the internet while in their classroom. This point goes back to the prior statement of ...
The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Isajlovic-Terry, Natasha, and Lynne Mckechnie. "An Exploratory Study of Children's Views of Censorship." Children and Libraries (Spring 2012): 38-43. Print.