Banned Books | Teen Ink

Banned Books

March 28, 2023
By AdamD123 BRONZE, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
AdamD123 BRONZE, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Should books ever be banned? Books should never be banned because people have rights to every book in the world. If we ban books, we will never get to visit places and worlds we would never know. The government chooses if these books can be banned but if we persuade more people to think otherwise, we would have a better shot at getting more information. Some people think that books should be banned because of explicit content, telling false information, or even just the brutal truth. Banning books has downsides, such as potentially creating gaps in knowledge for young learners. Banning books is something that will happen but if we do something about it this could be less of a problem in our society. There are many reasons why banning books is not a good idea. Here are some of the key reasons.

Educational Value, many books that have been banned are frequently used in classrooms as teaching materials. Banning these books limits the educational value they can provide. These books often use important topics and themes that are relevant to students and help them develop critical thinking skills. It is important to have these skills at a young age because it can help many children better understand themself, and help kids avoid any kind of negative beliefs. Not getting to use the information in these books creates gaps in learning according to Maryvillepawprint titled “The Neg­a­tive Ef­fects Of Book Ban­ning In The Class­room ''. These gaps won't just affect a person in your school year, they could affect anybody long term with knowing basic educational values.

Historical Significance,  Many books that have been banned are significant because of their historical value. These books provide a glimpse into culture, time periods, or social issues. By banning these books, we limit our ability to learn from history and understand the perspectives of those who lived in the past. Some peoples' culture has been lost and forgotten about from significant events that happen in history such as WW2. The United States banned many books that informed us about what life actually looked like during the war. The Germans didn't quite ban books but they burned Jewish religion and cultural books in churches. The first book ban took place in 1637 in what is now known as Quincy, Massachusetts according to an article from  Oct 13, 2022, in the Harvard Gutman library titled “banning books in the united states and beyond”.There were also social issues with the widespread of books being banned in the United States And the main effect was on young learning children. This problem can undermine some primary functions of education such as teaching students how to think and learn for themselves.

Freedom of expression, Banning books violates our 1st amendment rights of freedom of expression. Every person has the right to access information, knowledge, and ideas that are presented in books. We lose so much knowledge and information by not being able to read and interpret these books. We lose more close minded or reinforce negative stereotypes about folks who aren't able to tell their own stories to a wider audience according to an article entitled “Books Week 2022: What Are We Losing When We Ban Books?” by By Tonya Fister And Cora Anderson Last Updated September 21, 2022. These books should have freedom of expression because these are subjects that people have to deal with in their daily lives and need something to get information out of. Book banning is a form of censorship. This occurs when individuals or government officials remove books from libraries, school reading lists, or bookstore shelves. We have the right to read all of these books even if someone doesn’t like them, it still could be beneficial to our lives. 

Personal Diversity, Books are a source of diverse ideas and perspectives. Banning books limits the range of personal diversity that is available to all people. One of the most famous books that have been banned is the little house on the prairie books. These books were banned because of cruel comments about Native Americans. There are so many different kinds of books that talk about religion and culture etc. I believe that we can make it possible to have all of these books back, maybe not all in the same words but the same concepts of history that children and adults need that they have been deprived of. By restricting access to books, we limit our ability to learn about different cultures and ways of thinking. Personal diversity is essential to creating critical thinking and building a healthy world. How are banned books different from normal books is one of the most frequently asked questions. These books are advocating a ban complain typically that the book in question contains graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family it may be sexually explicit or is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language according to mtsu.edu in an article in 2009 entitled “Book Banning" by Susan L. Webb.

In Conclusion, banning books is a violation of our personal rights. It limits our personal diversity, reduces educational value, and can determine historical significance. Instead of banning books, we should encourage open dialogue, critical thinking, and respect for different people's perspectives. Banning books is something that will happen but if we do something about it this could be less of a problem in our society. And we could all share information, work together more efficiently, open new doors, and make this world a better place.



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