By Taylor Greife Staff Writer
Book banning has been a continuous issue for centuries. It involves removing or restricting books from schools, libraries, and other public places. The books that are banned are considered objectionable based on their content, themes, or language. There is a wide variety of books that are banned but the most common books involve LGBTQ+, racial relations, and other social justice topics.
People who are against book banning believe it withholds access to information and diverse viewpoints. They believe that being exposed to topics with diversity and inclusion helps people develop an understanding of others in society. On the other hand, people who are for book banning believe that people, specifically children, need to be sheltered from certain ideologies and viewpoints for their own protection. They consider these topics to be inappropriate and harmful.
Literature is a powerful tool in shaping perspective and developing tolerance and empathy for situations and experiences we may not understand. The majority of the books that are banned include some form of minority group or social issue that society feels too uncomfortable to address, so they feel the necessary approach is to restrict the book from the public. However, banning these books only shields society from learning about real issues, topics, and points of concern in the world.
Banning books violates the fundamental right to free speech as well. Everyone has the right to express their thoughts and ideas, even if they are controversial and uncomfortable topics. Freedom of expression is so important for society because it gives people their voice. Book banning also limits intellectual growth and freedom of intellect. Being exposed to a variety of perspectives is crucial to creating an informed and intellectual opinion. This goes hand in hand with cultural and historical awareness too. Books often reflect the complexities of society and banning them leads to a sanitized version of reality that deprives people of understanding the full spectrum of human experience.
Education should also not be inflicted because of difficult topics. It’s important to learn about every aspect of society, difficult or not. The world is not perfect and never will be perfect so sheltering students from the harsh reality of our society will only hurt them in the long run. Not having exposure to diverse perspectives and ideas will only create a close-minded society. Not having access to specific topics also creates gaps in knowledge and the understanding of complex social issues.
The people who are for book banning believe that banning books is going to protect children from learning about explicit material at a young age. Parents that support book banning believe that they should have the right to decide on what their children are learning about so the content of what they are learning aligns with the beliefs and values inside their homes. Some people believe that certain books shouldn’t be used in educational settings and could distract students from their learning.
The debate over book banning is not solely based on the books themselves but the broader issue of censorship, intellectual freedom, and the role of education in society. Books are not being banned because it’s actually going to harm the people who read them, books are being banned because our society’s solution to handling uncomfortable topics is to run away from them or prohibit access to the material instead of educating our people and creating an inclusive and united environment.
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