Students Weigh in on Banned Books and the Freedom to Read
Every year, for Banned Book Week, I prepare a lesson for our 8th graders. It was always teacher directed with discussion until last year. The English I teachers and I created a lesson for the students that included research and writing. I pulled the materials that I wanted them to read, and the students would write a very short essay declaring their belief in the need for teens to be able to exercise their freedom to read what they want to or the need for certain books to be taken off the shelves of the library or pulled from the English curriculum.
Dear English I students,
There are many people out there who would like to restrict what books you can read at school. There are also many people out there who believe that the constitution grants you the freedom to read whatever you want. Please decide if you believe either that censorship in school is necessary or that access to books should not be restricted in schools. Use the resources linked in the slide show for your research to back up your beliefs. Write in a paragraph why students should either have the option to read what they want or why schools should keep some books off the shelves of the library or out of the curriculum in English. You will need to support your stance with at least two concrete details. Please follow the rubric and post your paragraph anonymously in the comment section of this blog and follow the directions on how the teachers expect you to sign your paragraph.
Remember you are sharing your comments with the world! Have fun with this. Ms. Kahn
Books should not be banned from readers. In her interview, Laurie Halse Anderson explains that every novel is a “problem novel” (Laurie Halse Anderson on ‘Speak’ and ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’). By banning books people are stopping the readers, of the book, from seeing situations that can be confusing. These books can help people “understand their own lives through the minds of others” (Neil Gaiman on censorship). When a book is banned the information of that book is blocked from the public. By banning books companies are withholding information that can be useful to children who experience these problems.
ReplyDeleteN.A. English I Bordelon
10/8/16
Books should be banned from readers. Laurie Halse Anderson states otherwise saying that "Once there was a genre label that limited YA for teenagers, so many adults poo-pooed it. It’s another sign of the disrespect that a lot of our culture holds for adolescence." She thinks that book banning is going overboard and destroying some of the genres of books. Banning books is appropriate, however, since this can prevent children from learning things that adults do not want them to learn. The publishing companies and the ALA "puts itself in the position of defending lousy, substandard, second-rate writing that would probably not even be published in the first place" (Manning on "It’s not censorship, it’s parenting!"). I agree with this statement because it gives that company a bad name to produce a book that is rejected among a select group of people. I think books should be banned because they are not respected and many people discard the books and this would not do well for the company anyways. This would give the company bad publicity. In "You Have A Duty to 'Ban' Books," user DarwinCatholic states that if you publish a book for children it means "selecting books which are both age appropriate and which are not likely to damage their intended audience.' (DarwinCatholic). This I completely agree with. If you are banning a book you ought to at least have a strong reason. If you a publishing a children's book, you should take into account all of the controversy about certain topics and "age-appropriate" topics, so that adults will not complain about your book, and for me this is a good reason why you shouldn't publish a book. This is my point of view on banning books.
ReplyDeleteC.P.D. 3RD Ritter
I don't think that any books in schools should be censored because of controversial reasons that are ridiculous. Most books in schools that are borderline inappropriate have real meaning meant to reach a certain age level on a personal level. Authors like Laurie Halse Anderson uses a personal experiences in her book, The Impossible Knife of Memory, the character,Hayley, has to deal with her veteran father's dangerous demons from PTSD. This book connects to Anderson, because her dad was also an alcoholic. She put this book out into the YA age group but yet people are still challenging it when it is just giving a message. Like Ms. Kahn said, parents can always write a letter concerning their child but don't have to mind other people's business when trying to ban and challenge different books. I think that books should not be banned or challenged.
ReplyDeleteE.R.S. 3rd Ritter
spam
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDespite being a common tool used by schools, school districts, and even the government, the banning of books is wrong and, in the united states, unconstitutional. In US Supreme court case Board of Education vs Pico, the supreme court ruled that the first amendment “imposes limitations upon a local school board's exercise of its discretion to remove books” (Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico by Pico). Apart from being unconstitutional, the banning of books is wrong because of the purpose of it. Books are allowed in school to spread knowledge, but many books are banned to restrict said knowledge. Without the unrestricted flow of knowledge, how will people be exposed to new ideas and factors of life that will impact them in the future? Book banning is morally and constitutionally wrong.
ReplyDeleteA.H. English I Ritter
10/12/16
I believe that books should not be banned. In the article about the censorship of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson gives her opinion about the censorship of books. She says, “The difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them.” I agree with Anderson on this because there are real world problems that kids need to have knowledge of such as rape which had happened to Melinda in Speak. The article, “The Students’ Right to Read” by the National Council of Teachers of English, supports the freedom to read or “anti-censorship” of books. The article states, “The right of any individual not just to read but to read whatever he or she wants to read is basic to a democratic society.” Within our constitution, we have many rights. One of the rights we have is the right to read, and this article explains that kids should have the right to read whatever they want because it is part of our “democratic society.” This is why I think that books should not be banned or censored.
ReplyDeleteM.B. 3rd Bordelon
10/12/16
Book censorship is the banning of published literature from a public area and is something that I oppose in schools. According to the article “Censorship in Three Metaphors,” censorship is like a barbed wire fence. The desired books are on one side and the students wishing to read them are on the other side. With a barbed wire fence, a person is perfectly able to see through the mesh and into the other side but can’t get to the other side because of the sharp barbs at the top of the fence. Censorship allows students to see the book and order it online, but the book will not be available to read in the library. I believe censorship is unnecessary because kids need to be exposed to the real world in some sort of sense. They should have more of an option to find out about things that exist in the real world. Some people see censorship as protecting their child from certain things. I see it as holding kids back from seeing the real world. Besides, I would much rather my child read about some of these things and be aware of their existence instead of experimenting with it in the real world. In conclusion, book censorship is holding students back from things that exist in the real world, and that is the reason why I am against it.
ReplyDeleteMM 3rd Ritter
I do not like the idea of book censorship because I think people can set their own restrictions. For example, in Fenice B. Boyd and Nancy M. Bailey's "Censorship in Three Metaphors," one of the sections of the article was titled "Censorship as a barbed wire fence." This means that censorship is holding us back from books that we may want to read in the future. Parents should be able to take care of this instead of completely removing that certain book from all public libraries and other public places. All children should have the freedom to read a book that they want to read if their parents let them, but if it is banned completely from a library, then they wont have the opportunity to read that book. These books should not be removed from student curriculum or public libraries because students may want to read these books in the future, but they cannot get the chance to because it was censored. Censorship, if it was up to me, should be censored itself because this violates our freedoms.
ReplyDeleteEJS 3rd Ritter
Books should not be banned at all. The ALA states, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy. I strongly agree with this statement because I have the right to read whatever I want. The only people that can deny me that right should be my parents. If a parent deems a book inappropriate for their child, then that book should only be off limits for that child, not all children. Books are amazing and should not be restricted. The NCTE states, English teachers are better qualified to choose and recommend books for their classes than persons not prepared in the field. Just because a parent has a strong opinion about a book that doesn't mean that she is educated enough to decide to take a book from a library shelf or a class. Decisions like should be left up to school system representatives like teachers, librarians, and principals.
ReplyDeleteJTH 3rd Ritter
I believe that books shouldn't be banned in school. Students should be able to read what they want, but the biggest problem is from the parents. It is understandable when the parents don’t want their kid to read certain books, but that doesn't mean they should keep it from every other kid. If a parent doesn't want their kid to read a certain book, then they should tell their own kid to not read that book. According to Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes, “Authors typically have intended meanings for their work, but there will always be those who misunderstand a book's message.” Most books that are banned are usually banned because of “inappropriate” content. That content is authors trying to convey messages to young readers about real life problems that occur in the world. Also, according to the American Library Association, “private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label ‘controversial’ views, to distribute lists of ‘objectionable’ books or authors, and to purge libraries.” The topics in books can be controversial, but only to a limited amount of people; therefore, it's not right that others shouldn't be able to read something that they want to read and others don't.
ReplyDeleteH.L 3rd Ritter
Works Cited
“Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes.” Gale PowerSearch, Gale, 2 Feb. 2015, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA399815680&v=2.1&u=jeff53810&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=eacd759002c14a9679883dc3871f369b. Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.
“The Freedom to Read Statement.” American Library Association, ALA, 30 June 2004, www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/statementspols/freedomreadstatement. Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.
Banning books restricts and limits the knowledge students have access to. I am completely against banning books because I loath the idea of my exposure and knowledge being limited to a selection of information that someone else has deemed acceptable. When a book is banned, an opportunity to learn is lost. Everyone should have the choice to explore various cultures, religions and lifestyles. Without exposure and tolerance of differences, the world will become a very hateful and close-minded place. Everyone has the right to learn the facts and come to their own conclusion without anyone else’s judgement affecting that. Many of the controversial topics that are found in banned books are common in everyday life, so the book may help someone cope with a difficult situation. The books offer support and a point of view that may not be available in someone’s everyday life. Just because a book may not be helpful or influential to one person doesn’t mean that it won’t help another person. For example, Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel, Speak, helped a young girl cope with her sister’s rape. The girl had no prior knowledge of her sister’s current situation, and Speak gave her the information she needed to comprehend it. She started “‘crying because she didn't know that anybody could be okay after being raped’”(Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'). The controversial novel gave this young girl hope that her sister could recover. All types of books need to be available to anyone who wants to learn about something new. Adults “‘[are] trying to protect” children, when in reality, the best thing is for them to do is “to be honest with them about what [they’ve] been through... to help prepare them’” for the future (Anderson).
ReplyDeleteE.N.W. 3rd Ritter
Banned Books Reply
DeleteCMC 3rd Bordelon
I think that you did a great job! You had exquisite word choice, and I feel as if you could easily persuade someone to support your side of the argument. Your act of defending not only yourself, but everyone else’s rights was a great justification for your opinion.
In my opinion, there is no reason to ban a book from a library anywhere in America. America was founded on the belief that everyone had the right to say what they had to say, without fear of being attacked or censored by a higher power. In Laurie Halse Anderson (Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory), Anderson says that censorship “is most often a reflection of the fears of the censors,” but not any writer. If any book could be banned, even if there was some way to fight it, people would be too scared to ever write anything, for fear of being blacklisted. On a separate note, according to Lucia Pizzo (Banned Books, there are common themes to banning: “political, religious, sexual, and social.” Especially in the case of the first two, America left the U.K. for not being able to speak politically (no taxation without representation) and religiously (Pilgrims were Protestants). The solution for these issues, I think, is a rating system. Movies and video games have a system where they talk about the themes that parents may not approve of, and give it an overall rating. At some point, you have to have an adult with you to buy the book. This way, parents could make the choice for their kids, as Dav Pilkey had suggested it in (Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants, on banned books). Parents shouldn’t make any business withhold content, no matter the cause. In short, outright bans on books should not happen.
ReplyDeleteBordelon 1st Period, AJM.
I believe that books should not be banned. There are parents that don't want their child exposed to certain material, which is understandable. However, I don't think someone or a group of people should have a say in what a school or community is allowed to read. According to Erin Manning we can't trust "schools and libraries to support... the same values we ourselves held, and abide by community standards of morality and decency." As a student and someone who interacts with my community members, I know that there are people from different cultures with different beliefs all around. I cant just expect the school or a public library to get rid of something because I don't think its morally right or decent. There are people who may think that what I think is indecent is the right thing. Also I think by censoring what someone is allowed to read holds them back from knowledge they made need or what to know. As said by the PFAW, "almost every idea, at one point, has proven to be objectionable to someone." Living in such a diverse population, this is almost guaranteed. I think if you don't want your child or someone else to read something, take that up on your own. You shouldn't stop a group of people from having access to something just because you don't agree with it.
ReplyDeleteJL 1st Bordelon
I strongly think that books should not be banned. People should be able to pick what they want to read. I understand if parents do not want their kids to read a certain book, but that does not mean that they should take the privilege of reading that book away from other people. Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory' says, “Anderson's ‘tell the truth’ policy is commendable, but it's also landed her in hot water more than a few times.” The books that are challenged tell the truth to people. The book Speak bring a real life situation to it’s audience. People should not ban books like Speak just because they tell the “truth”. Sooner or Later everyone will know the truth of violence, racism, cursing, sexual content, and LGBT content. Kids will know about these thing no mater what. Most parents should not ruin books for other kids by banning them. Getting rid of the books takes away the freedom for others to read the some book.
ReplyDelete-KDN 3rd Ritter
Books should not be able to be banned from school curriculum, public libraries, and school libraries. Banning books from libraries actually violates the first amendment. According to the decision in the Supreme Court case, Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), school boards violate the first amendment when they limit the availability of books because they do not agree with the idea content of the book. That is not a valid reason to ban books. I do understand their reasoning because something in the book may be offensive or prejudice. However, everyone should be able to read what they want to read. If you do not like it, then do not read it. Do not make everyone else suffer and not be able to read it since you do not like the content of the book. Everyone is entitled to the right of giving out information and they are also entitled to the right of receiving information. People read books to get information about a topic, whether it is real or unreal. We read books in class most of the time to help us with real-life problems. For example, Speak is a book that was challenged and banned in some places because of its talk about rape, but it also opened people’s eyes to what could happen at just a regular party and its effects. It also opened some people’s minds in our class and people realized that the world is not such an innocent place. Laurie Anderson says, “The difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them.” These young adult books prepare us for the real world and teach us lessons we would not learn without these books. By banning these books, we are stripped of these lessons and go into the real world after school blind and innocent. We will not know how to handle some problems. Or worse, we will not understand them. In conclusion, books should be able to be banned from school curriculums or libraries.
ReplyDeleteC.R.B. 3rd Ritter
I don't think that any books in schools should be censored because of controversial reasons that are ridiculous. I believe censorship is unnecessary because kids need to be exposed to the real world in some sort of sense. Censorship is holding us back from books that we may want to read in the future. Parents should be able to take care of this instead of completely removing that certain book from all public libraries and other public places. Besides, I would much rather my child read about some of these things and be aware of their existence instead of experimenting with it in the real world. “Books are often challenged because they make readers uncomfortable, but I believe discomfort is necessary when discussing difficult subjects like abuse, mental illness or sexuality. Regardless of a reader's unease, important lessons such as empathy, compassion and respect for other lifestyles simply cannot be taught from textbooks”(gale). If a book or piece of text makes you uncomfortable then you should not read it, but do not try to get the book taken off of the shelf is you feel the book is inappropriate for you and/or your children.
ReplyDeleteR.B 3rd Ritter
Works Cited
“Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes.” Gale PowerSearch, Gale, 2 Feb. 2015,go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA399815680&v=2.1&u=jeff53810&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that books should not be banned because the United States Constitution says that we have the right of Freedom of Speech. In the article The Freedom To Read Statement by American Library Association, it states that banning books are being removed from public libraries. This article states that “Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label ‘controversial’ views, to distribute lists of ‘objectionable’ books or authors, and to purge libraries”. I think that this quote has a point. Banning books are taking away learning material for younger and older kids to learn with. Books being banned can affect the learning of children. Children, young and old, use books to learn, and the books are getting taken away one by one. In the article Censoring The Imagination, a librarian believes that banning book is basically the same as banning children’s imagination and discovery. The librarian states that “children should be given nothing but the unvarnished truth”. I agree with this statement. I think that children should be told the truth and nothing but the truth. Lastly, I think that books should not be banned because it is limiting children’s imagination, and that it is taking away our freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteEmily Schmidt 2nd Bordelon
I don’t think there should be a ban on books. I think this because as long as that book has “no profanity, no sex, no nudity, no drugs, no smoking, no alcohol, no guns and no more violence that a children’s superhero cartoon” (Dav Pilkey on Reading Choice) there’s not really a problem that needs to be fixed. In Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga at Sir Stinks-a-Lot”, there’s an unexpected twist at the end and the main character turns out to be gay. Parents didn’t like this because they didn’t want their child to be exposed to homosexuality at such a young age. In my opinion, that isn’t a fair reason to take a book off a shelf because no matter what they’re going to come across homosexuality at some point before they reach middle school. I believe that “reading should enable all people” (Censorship in Three Metaphors) and give people the freedom to explore other worlds and other lives. Banning certain books is like banning someone’s creativity to be shown. When a young child draws a picture nobody tells them that it isn’t good enough to be shown, so why are we taking books written by people off of shelves because of our personal prejudices?
ReplyDeleteD.S.L
Bordelon 3rd Period
10/14/16
I believe that books shouldn't be banned because of their content, even if it is strong content. According to Banned Books by Lucia Pizzo, banned books, by definition, are “published books deemed inappropriate and subsequently withheld.” Most of the time, books are banned because of high sexual content, inappropriate language, lgbtq+ actions/character(s), violence, and political views. If a child wants to read a book with suggestive content, it is their choice. Although this is true, I do believe that books read by certain grade levels should at least monitored, like Ms. Kahn does. Also the concept of banning a book violates the first amendment right, which, partly, is freedom to read. Based on Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes by UWIRE Text, “Books are often challenged because they make readers uncomfortable” but no matter if it makes a certain person comfortable or not, they can’t force everyone to just follow their personal beliefs. If they do not want their children to read a book because of certain topics discussed in said book, then don’t let them read it. If anyone personally wants a book banned, then they should take it upon themselves to make sure that them and their children don’t read it. It’s not ok to ban books because it jeopardizes other people’s rights and it infringes on other people’s experiences with said book.
ReplyDeleteK.F Bordelon 3rd
I personally don’t think that librarians or anyplace should ban books from a library, book fair, etc. In an article on the censorship of Speak, the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, talks about her opinion on her book that she wrote, Speak. Anderson states, "Censorship is most often a reflection of the fears of the censors, their fears that they are not up to the task of having conversations about these hard things." I agree with Laurie Halse Anderson because I think that parents don’t want to talk about these realistic things that are happening in our modern world with their children. I disagree with the parents thinking because their kids need to know about the things that are happening in our world sooner or later. In another article about censorship of books called It’s not Censorship, It’s Parenting!, the author, Erin Manning, talk about parents banning books in their local library because they don’t want their children to read it. He states,
ReplyDelete“The attitude of the ALA is that a parent only has the right to censor or control what his own children read. He doesn't have the right to request the removal from the school library or classroom shelf those books which he finds obscene or dangerous to morality, because someone else might prefer for his children to read those books.” I agree with his statement because I think that if the parents don’t want their children to read the certain book, then tell them not to read it, don’t make the whole library take it off the shelf not allowing others to read it. I don’t think that there should be banned books anywhere.
T.T 3rd Bordelon
Personally, I do not agree with banning books due to the lack of freedom it gives students. “Banned Books” in Gale Student Resources states that “specific content issues, such as sexual explicitness, the use of offensive language, political incorrectness, [and] violence” are reasons as to why parents and adults ban books. I disagree with banning books and believe books should contain these issues. Reading about the effects of real-world issues teaches students what not to do. Students should not be sheltered from real-world problems or else they will be lost when they enter adulthood. The author of “Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes” believes books “are often challenged because they make readers uncomfortable, but… discomfort is necessary when discussing difficult subjects like abuse, mental illness or sexuality.” I agree with this author, because I also believe discomfort is imperative when reading about controversial topics. Thus, students will be comfortable and use to these issues by the time they’re adults. In my opinion, I believe banning books shelters students from serious issues and negatively impacts their future.
ReplyDeleteSEA 3rd Bordelon
In my opinion, book should not be banned. First of all, every book has a purpose and is filled with knowledge. In Banned Books, Lucia Pizzo states, when you ban a book it is "barring readers from knowledge". I agree with Lucia Pizzo because every book has a purpose, and if you ban any book, someone who would've learned something valuable from reading the book might not to read that book.Secondly, I think parents should tell their kids what they can and cannot read. For example, in a different article, also called Banned Books, the author tells us that "most modern book bans are the result of efforts by concerned parents or school officials looking to protect children from exposure to certain themes or ideas". I do understand that most book bans are by concerned individuals, but I think the concerned individuals should just let the kid's parents decide what they can read for them. Overall, I think books shouldn't be banned at all.
ReplyDeleteJ.F. 2nd Bordelon
I think that you are right about banning books, because it does restrict knowledge from people, but you did have some grammer issues.
DeleteJ.B. 2nd Bordelon
I personally feel that books should not be banned, but they should be monitored for precaution. For example, in the video about Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks A Lot, the main character in the book went into his future, and come to find out that he is gay. Kids wanted to get the book not knowing that this was in the book. Parents started to complain saying that it was inappropriate for young kids. I think that their children are going to learn about that soon in their life, but I do understand why they didn’t want their kids reading the book; that doesn’t mean that they had to get the book banned from libraries. As well as that book being banned, some other books have been banned as well. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was banned because of the content of rape. A 2014 article by Rachel Simon explained Anderson’s view on the subject. She says that adults need to “suck it up and start being honest with their kids about what is the reality of the world… we have to have to help prepare them.” In the end, I think that books should not be banned because of a person’s particular feelings. Books are there for people to read and to explore their feelings. So I think that all people should be able to read what they want.
ReplyDeleteZ.B. 2nd Bordelon
Books should not be banned from readers for many reasons. If the reader may not agree with the book, they “can show [their] concerns while still allowing everyone else the freedom they deserve”(If we may not agree with the book, people). I agree with this quote because everyone has their own opinion and should have the freedom to read whatever they want. If one reader may not agree with the book, that does not mean everyone will also disagree. Parents have to be honest with their children ‘“because [they] have to help prepare”’ with everything that comes their way.(Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'). This is a good quote because parents should be honest with their children by letting them read about some real life situations. They should prepare their children with what can really happen in life and they can do so by letting them read many books. There are many reasons why books should not be banned from readers.
ReplyDeleteBIR Bordelon 1st
Books that authors make should not be banned from libraries and other places in school.We should let the children read all books to help them “prepare them”(Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship) to know more and know what to do.They should let children read to learn more rather than not learn at all.They also ban lot of books for the “ the use of offensive language”(Banned Books from Gale Student Resources)in them.This would not be a reason to ban books because they will one day hear the profanity in the streets anyway,why would it be a problem in a book?This is why I think they should not ban books in school and other places.
ReplyDeleteA.N. 1st. Bordelon
ReplyDeleteI think books should not be banned. According to Banned books written by Lucia Pizzo, “a democracy, ideas of freedom and censorship continually redefine each other”(Pizzo 44). In my opinion, I agree because parents should be the one who controls what their kids read. In the Laurie Anderson’s interview, ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’ written by Rachel Simon, Laurie said , “Anderson has spent the last 15 years both writing and crusading; through her books, speeches, and blogs, she has forged a deep, personal connection with her readers, talking with them about everything from their battles with anorexia to doling out her own best tips on writing”. I agree because books are a way for the author to express his/her thoughts or story. I also think that kids should just read any book even if there are a little inappropriate parts in there because books are supposed to be something fun to read and not needing to worry about the little parts. I just books should not be banned.
O.S 1st Bordelon
I believe that books should not be banned or censored. According to Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of the 1999 novel Speak states, “Adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world. We have to be honest with them about what we've been through, because we have to help prepare them." Anderson explains that the world can be a brutal place and without some help whether it’s from a book or an adult , most adolescents are too naive to survive. It’s better to apprise young adults about the perils of our world today so that they’re ready when calamity prevails. In addition, in the article “Censorship in Three Metaphors” by Nancy M. Bailey and Fenice B. Boyd it is stated that, “Although parents and guardians have the right to demand that their child will not read a particular book or view a specific film, no one parent or guardian has the right to demand that an entire classroom, school, or district should not read a particular book or view a film.” I could not agree more with this quote. In my opinion it’s okay if parents restrict what their children are exposed to at certain points in their lives; although, it is repugnant to prohibit any other child from reading a book they desire. No one should have the right to take away one’s freedom to read.
ReplyDeleteKAP Bordelon 3rd
I believe books should not be banned in public libraries or anywhere else in our free country. I believe books should not be banned because your limits don’t need to constraint anyone else’s freedom to read what they want. Many parents may have opinions on certain books being read by school children and as Susan Kuklin said “its dangerous knowledge, scary, because people don’t understand it” in the cbs YouTube video “The Latest “Banned Books”. Many books have been banned due to their content. The content in these books is rather mature for younger children but people can read what they want to read. The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a coming of age novel. This novel talks about how a teenage girl was raped and the symptoms of rape she went through. This is a main reason why this book is challenged so much due to its content. I think that parents should let their children explore the wonderful varieties of books there are to discover. As Dave Pilkey said in his video “One tiny adjective can make all of the difference”. He demonstrates people wanting to ban his book but him saying don’t ban it for everyone just don’t read it if you don’t like it.
ReplyDeleteJ.K.
Boredelon 2nd period
In my opinion, censorship/banning of books shouldn’t happen in school to an extent. Some books may have sexual content, drugs, or strong language, but these things are just the truth and these things come up in the real world. Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of Speak, talks about censorship in an article. She says, “The difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them.” I agree with Anderson’s standpoint because the things that happen in her book are things that can happen in real life and Anderson is warning or preparing kids for those things. Censors are trying to protect them, but in reality they are just preventing those kids from learning about the real world. This isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t the right thing. Also, in an article about censorship, author Neil Gaiman says that “reading banned books won’t traumatize you or change your life” in a negative way. People who read banned books aren’t traumatized because of what they read; instead, they are usually enlightened and are like “This is cool stuff! It’s the stuff they don’t want us to read!” Overall, I believe that banning bf books shouldn’t happen unless it’s a really gruesome book, or if the school is elementary.
ReplyDeleteJ.X. 3rd Bordelon
Based on my opinion, I believe that books should never be banned to anyone in the world. In the article “Censoring the Imagination: Challenges to Children’s Books” by Judith Saltman, the article discusses how adults want to ban books that they believe is inappropriate for children to read. However, others believe that banning such books with cruelty, violence, homosexuality, and other aspects “mandates a concomitant diversity of viewpoints, values and options in our children's books.” I think that banning books would take away different viewpoints of the world to the readers. I believe that people should not be hidden from the truths of the world. In “Censorship in Three Metaphors” by Nancy M. Bailey and Fenice B. Boyd, they explain the banning of books and how it is just a censorship. They say that “censorship is about restriction and control of intellectual” and it is “a violation of First Amendment right.” I personally think that it is not legal to ban books, based on the freedom of speech in the First Amendment. Even though others think that people should ban books, I believe that books should not be banned. People should not be limited to their knowledge of the world.
ReplyDeleteN.T.L. Bordelon 3rd Period
Books that authors make should not be banned from libraries and other places in school.We should let the children read all books to help them “prepare them”(Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship) to know more and know what to do.They should let children read to learn more rather than not learn at all.They also ban lot of books for the “ the use of offensive language”(Banned Books from Gale Student Resources)in them.This would not be a reason to ban books because they will one day hear the profanity in the streets anyway,why would it be a problem in a book?This is why I think they should not ban books in school and other places.
ReplyDeleteA.N. 1st. Bordelon
I agree with you that children should learn rather than not to learn at all. Children should learn and prepare for different situations that people think are "inappropriate". The "inappropriate" situations are happening in the real world, so children should not be hidden from them.
DeleteN.T.L. Bordelon 3rd Period
I personally feel that books should not be banned, but they should be monitored for precaution. For example, in the video about Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks A Lot, the main character in the book went into his future, and come to find out that he is gay. Kids wanted to get the book not knowing that this was in the book. Parents started to complain saying that it was inappropriate for young kids. I think that their children are going to learn about that soon in their life, but I do understand why they didn’t want their kids reading the book; that doesn’t mean that they had to get the book banned from libraries. As well as that book being banned, some other books have been banned as well. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was banned because of the content of rape. A 2014 article by Rachel Simon explained Anderson’s view on the subject. She says that adults need to “suck it up and start being honest with their kids about what is the reality of the world… we have to have to help prepare them.” In the end, I think that books should not be banned because of a person’s particular feelings. Books are there for people to read and to explore their feelings. So I think that all people should be able to read what they want.
ReplyDeleteZaria Brooks 2nd Bordelon
I believe that you should be free to read banned books in school. Like Laurie Anderson said in the article “Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory’” that “adults have to kind of suck it up,” and tell the kids how the world really is before they have to find out on their own (Anderson). If kids are not told this while they are young, then they will never truly understand the world and how it is. Another reason why books should be free to all people is because it’s our right in the first amendment. We, as citizens have the right of “freedom of speech” and “press,” and no law can be made to restrict these rights (“Schools and Censorship: Banned Books”). By people banning books, they are limiting the rights of citizens and breaking the constitution. Without the knowledge in books, we probably wouldn’t have excelled the way we have.
ReplyDeleteI.C 1st Bordelon
I think that book should not be banned because everybody should be able to read any book they want without having any restrictions. According to the Gale Database article “Neil Gaiman on Censorship,” Neil Gaiman is against banned books, and he gives us his personal experience with banned books. When he was eight years old, he read a book called the Harlem Horror that he “really wasn’t ready for”, but he hadn’t “been traumatized for life.” Although Neil Gaiman read a book that was very vivid and descriptive, he wasn’t completely traumatized for life, and he learned what types of books to read and not read. In the video “The Latest Banned Books: posted by CBS on Youtube, an author named Vinita Nair givers her opinion about why her book, Beyond Magenta, has been challenged. She says how “this is dangerous knowledge and once you get to understand it, it isn’t that frightening.” Vinita Nair explains that most adults and parents need to start to understand certain topics, like transgender and sexuality,and they need to be able to share this with their kids. Adults and companies are too quick to judge a book that they aren’t able to look at a book in a child’s perspective. Next time you think about banning a book, try to think about the other people you are taking away the right to read the book.
ReplyDeleteA.H.N 1st Period Ms. Bordelon
Brian Sasso
ReplyDelete10.14.2016
English: Banned Books
No, books should not be banned from a library’s shelves. In the YouTube video with David Pilkey, he explains how that one person can be concerned about a book and how that concern doesn’t have to trouble the freedom of others. He reminds people that “a simple change… can make all the difference” (Pilkey, 1:12). I think he is completely right in his words; you don’t have to punish the freedom of others because you have a concern over a particular book. You can have everyone you’re involved with hear your concerns, but not everyone should have to. In the article Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory', Laurie Anderson talks about how some parents do not want their children to read Speak because it is “inappropriate”. She says how parents today should start “preparing kids for the real world” (Anderson 5,1). I agree some of the things in speak can be a bit harsh, but that, unfortunate as it is, is the world that we live in. I believe you can’t just keep putting off telling your kids how the world really is because it will only hurt them if you don’t. Kids today must be prepared; not sheltered. A library, wherever it may be, should not have any of its books banned from its shelves.
Works Cited
Dav Pilkey, Creator of CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, on Banning Books. Dir. David Pilkey. Perf. David Pilkey. YouTube. YouTube, 21 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Simon, Rachel. "Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'" Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory' Bustle, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
BS, 2nd, Bordelon
Books at a school related place, like libraries or book fairs, shouldn’t be banned from every student. Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of ‘Speak,’ has the same point of view about banned books. In “'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'” by Rachel Simon, Anderson realizes that “‘adults have to kind of suck it up, and start being honest with kids about what we’ve (adults) been through, because we (adults) have to help prepare them.’” That is one of the main purposes of being a parent, to help their children grow up and mature. Anderson proves a strong point as to why children should be exposed to the banned books, like ‘Speak,’ because the parents shouldn’t ban books for everybody visiting a library, but rather banning the book in their house. Therefore, instead of just banning the book, the teachers should at least “require parental permission for children to read them,” stated in the article “Banned Books” and written by Lucia Pizzo. This can resolve their problem of the book, or books, parents are against. The parents against the book shouldn’t stop other children from reading it, for they shouldn’t ban the books in libraries or even in book fairs.
ReplyDeleteN.R 3rd Bordelon
I believe that books should not be banned. Books are a special way for people to express knowledge and feelings. With the banning of these books, you suppress everybody’s thoughts, which isn't good because who likes having no word in something? As said by Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of Speak, "the difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them," which states that kids shouldn't be shielded from the real world, if you're going to live life where there are such things as transgenders and over 42 genders, you might as well embrace reality. I know that sometimes parents don't like their kids to be exposed to this environment and this life, and I understand that;therefore, the parents should not request the banning of these books from public libraries, but instead should ban them from their household so as not to have their kids exposed. In the article, “The Students’ Right to Read” by the National Council of Teachers of English, they state that , “The right of any individual not just to read but to read whatever he or she wants to read is basic to a democratic society.” The first amendment of the United States Constitution gives the freedom of speech, so if you're taking away these rights from people, is it still constitutional? I think not. Now the real question here is: to ban or not to ban? I say not to ban.
ReplyDelete-M.A.R 3rd Bordelon
ReplyDeleteI believe that there should not be any banned books in America. First, there is this thing called the Bill of Rights. The first amendment states the freedom of speech and “the right to speak and worship freely”. This quote is from A Resource Guide. That means that any United States citizen can check out any book. Kids should not need to learn about homosexuals, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn about it. Kids could read about anything, as long as the parents give permission. Parents should know that hatred from some people would come. For example, Speak is a novel that is banned. It is about a girl named Melinda who was sexually assaulted/ raped by a guy. I do not believe that the book should be banned. If a parent wants their child to not read the book, then don’t have them read it. They shouldn’t ban a book just because they don’t want other people reading it. It’s their opinion. Don’t take it out on other people’s choices. Another example is that authors should not “censor ” their books. This was from “You Have A Duty To Ban.” I don’t believe that people should censor parts of the book that they created, because they created the book for a reason.That is why I believe that there should not be any banned books in America.
Borderlon 2nd Period
D.J.
I believe that there should not be any banned books in America. First, there is this thing called the Bill of Rights. The first amendment states the freedom of speech and “the right to speak and worship freely”. This quote is from A Resource Guide. That means that any United States citizen can check out any book. Kids should not need to learn about homosexuals, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn about it. Kids could read about anything, as long as the parents give permission. Parents should know that hatred from some people would come. For example, Speak is a novel that is banned. It is about a girl named Melinda who was sexually assaulted/ raped by a guy. I do not believe that the book should be banned. If a parent wants their child to not read the book, then don’t have them read it. They shouldn’t ban a book just because they don’t want other people reading it. It’s their opinion. Don’t take it out on other people’s choices. Another example is that authors should not “censor ” their books. This was from “You Have A Duty To Ban.” I don’t believe that people should censor parts of the book that they created, because they created the book for a reason.That is why I believe that there should not be any banned books in America.
ReplyDeleteBorderlon 2nd Period
D.J.
I believe that the banning of books is wrong. I also believe that parents or librarians shouldn't have the power to ban a book. Children should be able to read what they want without any restrictions on what they are about to read. As Laurie Halse Anderson states in the article her book Speak was used to help teenagers confess if they were sexually assaulted. If they banned Speak then those particular teens wouldn't have been able to confess. Anderson also states, "Censorship is most often a reflection of the fears of the censors, their fears that they are not up to the task of having conversations about these hard things." I personally agree with this because she has a point. That point being that children today have to learn how to deal with situations that they are not supposed to be facing at that age.
ReplyDeleteIn another article by Erin Manning he states, "The attitude of the ALA is that a parent only has the right to censor or control what his own children read. He doesn't have the right to request the removal from the school library or classroom shelf those books which he finds obscene or dangerous to morality, because someone else might prefer for his children to read those books." I also agree with and he has a point for saying this but just like Dav Pilkey says in the video, "Children have the right to choose what they want to read in order to learn." Sometimes parents may have a point for banning a book if it was too sexual or too graphic, but banning a book because it's just stating something that everyday people deal with, then that is just a step too far. I personally believe parents and librarians should not have the power to remove or ban a book from a library or a class.
C.N 3rd Bordelon
I personally believe that students/children should have the freedom to choose what they want to read. I understand that parents should be concerned on what their children are reading, but their children are going to need to know what is inside the books to understand reality and fully mature. In an article by Rachel Simon about Laurie Halse Anderson's input on banning books, Anderson says "We have to be honest with them about what we've been through, because we have to help prepare them." I agree with Anderson because banning books is not going to help the children, but letting them read it will help them prepare for what reality is going to be like. In a video by Dav Pilkey, the creator of "CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS", he talks about banning books and says, "We can show our concern while still allowing everyone else to experience the freedoms they deserve." I totally agree with what Pilkey said because adults should express their feelings on the content found in a book, but still let everyone have the choice to read it. So, I believe that just because someone may find a book that is not to their standards as "kid friendly", does not mean they should not restrict anyone else from reading it.
ReplyDeleteLJC 2nd Bordelon
DeleteBanned books are a good part of society because it shelters children from content they should not be seeing at that age. In the article written by BUSTLE about Laurie Halse Anderson, she is on a tour promoting her new book speak. When Anderson was speaking to a little girl she told her she had been raped, and the little girl,’ burst into tears, confessing to Anderson that her sister had been raped, and as a result of the trauma, was suffering from depression and drug use.” This book should be kept off the shelves of elementary school library because there could be more kids who could get upset by this book, and even are emotionally affected by it. In the video by local news outlet talking about the new captain underpants book Captain Underpants And The Sensational Saga Of Sir Stinks A-Lot. The news outlet talks about how the book was pulled off the shelves of a local school in Monroe’s book fair because of LGBT content. This was a good thing because, “kids from kindergarten on up shopped and read books without parental involvement.” Kids could be exposed to this content before they are even of the age to comprehend it this book could change the whole course of their lives. This why banned books are a good part of our society, and why banned books should stay a part of it. Daniel C VianaBordelon 1st
I believe that books should not be banned. Kids today should have the freedom to read whatever they want. The books they choose to read may or may not help them decide their future on whoever they become. According to the creator of Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey was very shocked when he heard that his book, Captain Underpants, was the “most banned book in 2012 and 2013”. I agree with Dav Pilkey’s reaction because his book is just a fun cartoon book for kids to read while enjoying their self and during their free time. Just because the main character in the book realized he was gay at the end, doesn’t mean it is “inappropriate” for children to read. This book did not include “profanity, sex, nudity, drugs, smoking, alcohol, guns, and violence as far as it should for a superhero cartoon”. Dav Pilkey states that “the freedom to choose for ourselves; what we read and to think about” are each person’s choice. The kids should be able to read whichever book they decide to buy at the book fair or in the library. The parents are not with the kids at school, therefore, the parents were not eligible to tell their kid or kids what they can and cannot buy or read. In the article that Laurie Halse Anderson wrote on her thoughts on the book Speak being banned, she states that “the difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them”. In reality, the parents who are not letting their child or children read these types of books is a shame because they will not be prepared for what is to come. The kids won’t know how to handle people who are gay or if someone had an issue that makes them look funny or bad. The children could make fun of that person and hurt their feelings without the child knowing so. For example, the book Speak, talks about a girl getting raped at a party she went to with her friends. When you read the book, it gradually helps you realize what you should and should not do with a person that tries to act okay but really isn’t. She tries to hide her feelings and emotions on what happened, by soon realizes that it’s better to talk about it than hold it all in. If kids didn’t read this, they wouldn’t know how to deal with situations like this because it happens all the time in the real world. Kids today should be able to read whatever they want to read to help them really find himself or herself and also in order to learn how to cope with stuff that they’re parents aren’t teaching them too. Therefore, books shouldn’t be banned in school at the library, during the book fairs, and etc. V.L. Bordelon 1st
ReplyDeleteBan or No Ban
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that there should not be banned books in schools and libraries. There are over 300 books that have been banned. According to Lucia Pizzo, “ smaller authorities generally ban books on the basis of specific content issues, such as sexual explicitness, the use of offensive language, political incorrectness, violence.” I presume that it is wrong to forbid books in an area where students should have the freedom to read. Parents think that there should be limitations to books to protect their child from society; unfortunately, non-fiction books use activities that can happen in the real-world. Youth and maturity play a big role on what is passionate to the reader. I believe that “censoring books are related to the appropriateness of various works... by the students or their interests.” Books should come with a disclaimer, such as television shows and a rating that should allow readers to know what type of content to expect. Instead of parents and librarians banning books; they could just prevent their child from reading it. Everyone around the world should be able to read what they want and there shouldn't be anyone restricting the options. RMF 3rd Bordelon
I believe that there is not enough valid reasoning to ban books from a library anywhere in the United States. The First Amendment tells us that we have the right to speak our minds and not have to worry about being censored. I understand if you don’t want your child specifically to be exposed to a subject brought up in a book. However, just because one parent feels certain material isn’t appropriate doesn’t mean that all parents have an issue with it. Perhaps they want their child to learn about how the world can really be. When his book was banned, Dav Pilkey, the author of the Captain Underpants series, said, “when it comes to books, we may not all agree on what makes for a good read – but I hope we can agree that letting children choose their own books is crucial to helping them learn to love reading” (From “Kids Book with ‘Gay’ Character Banned from School Book Fair” video). I agree with what he is saying, because not everyone likes the same thing. Just because you don’t like a book doesn’t mean somebody else doesn’t enjoy reading it - everybody’s opinion differs. James L., when on the subject of banned books, says, “It’s the outsider. It’s whatever part of our society that mainstream America still feels some discomfort with…when any one group steps forward and says ‘it needs to be like this’ well then there’s a push back” (From “the latest ‘banned books’” video). With such a variety of people in America there is bound to be some disagreements. Understanding that not everyone has the same view on a subject is crucial to banning books. The reason we have Freedom of Speech is so we can speak or mind without having any serious repercussions mostly. For these writers to write about what they want and to share it with the world is their right. By challenging their books and putting them on the banned book list contradicts what we built this country on and tightens the reign on what we can and cannot do. Overall, it may be said that not everyone has the same values as you and all you have to do, as Dav Pilkey puts it, is “Make a simple change!”
ReplyDeleteLCV 1st Bordelon
I think banning books from being read is unnecessary and we should be able to read what we want or let our parents decide what we can and can’t read. Laurie Halse Anderson was talking to a girl that has read the book over the phone. Anderson then realized that adults need “to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world”. I agree with this statement because everything in the world won’t be superheroes, fairy tales, and a good ending and we as kids should be prepared for reality. Dav Pilkey’s book was also banned and he talked about it on the news. Dav Pilkey understands that “letting children choose their own books is crucial to helping them learn how to love reading”. Pilkey’s statement is true because without letting us read various type of books we won’t learn how to read or understand those types of books as we get older. The government should not ban books because more people probably want to read a book than people that don’t.
ReplyDeleteD.B. Bordelon 2nd Bordelon
I strongly believe, as an author myself, that books should not be banned. If I ever found my book on a banned book list, I would feel distraught, out of place, and stressed. Authors should not have to go through this because of the blindsight of critics not noticing that books and the media are the only way to show people the dangers of the world.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Laurie Halse Anderson’s interview called Speak, Censorship, and the Impossible Knife of Memory, Anderson says, "The difference between the mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them.” I agree with Laurie here because it is true that those who want to ban a book think they are protecting kids and teens, but in reality, they are not getting the knowledge they need.
The American Library Association's Freedom To Read Statement explicitly states that “The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution”. So, if this is correct, then why are books being challenged for their content? I have no choice but to agree with ALA’s statement. They actually go on to say that “those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these right”. I strongly believe this statement because those of us who believe that books should not be banned would realize that we need to stand strong and again, exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights. I, along with many other people, KNOW that books should not be banned in order to bring knowledge to this generation and others to come.
JGG Bordelon 1st
Recently, parents have been worried about the books their children read. I personally agree with the parents being worried. From article “It’s not censorship, it’s parenting!”, parents are worried about their kids reading books that contain “Graphic language about sex, drinking, drugs; laced with profanity and written in "chat speak"”. I don’t disagree with the parents that are worried because kids pick up habits. If kids read or hear profanity, they will most likely use that language. Also, from article, “You Have a Duty To “Ban” Books”, Mark Hemingway says “I think that if advocates thought about this a bit, they would realize that their objection is not to book “banning” but rather to people with different standards than themselves being in charge of which books will and will not be in the collection of a given library.” I agree with this statement because the point of view shows that not every book should be available to kids. Banning books has a purpose, and I agree with that purpose.
ReplyDeleteE.J.K 1ST Bordelon
Books that have all sorts of topics like drug use, rape, or Gay/Lgbt are being banned or challenged because they are not appropriate for kids or the teach kids bad ways. In the video Dav Pilkey, Creator of CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, on Banning Books Dav Pilkey talks about how captain underpants has been the most banned/challenged book of 2012. Pilkey says the reason behind this is “Everybody doesn’t always like the same things”(0:31). I agree with this statement fully but there are other reasons behind it like homophobic or over protective parents. In the article Laurie Halse Anderson on ‘Speak, ‘Censorship , Impossible Knife of Memory’ Anderson talks about touring to different schools and meeting a girl who was raped like the main character in Speak. Anderson is talking about how it too fifteen years for her book to get in schools and she states the fact “ there's still a long road ahead before topics like sexual assault, eating disorders, and drug abuse can be read by teens without disruption from PTAs and administrators” (Paragraph 6). I agree with this statement as well because so many parents and teachers are banning books with drug abuse and sexual assault, because it is for mature audiences. Students should be able to read whatever they want or whatever they can because that is what growing up is about.
ReplyDeleteD.V.S. 2nd Bordelon
Recently, parents have been worried about the books their children read. I personally agree with the parents being worried. From article “It’s not censorship, it’s parenting!”, parents are worried about their kids reading books that contain “Graphic language about sex, drinking, drugs; laced with profanity and written in "chat speak"”. I don’t disagree with the parents that are worried because kids pick up habits. If kids read or hear profanity, they will most likely use that language. Also, from article, “You Have a Duty To “Ban” Books”, Mark Hemingway says “I think that if advocates thought about this a bit, they would realize that their objection is not to book “banning” but rather to people with different standards than themselves being in charge of which books will and will not be in the collection of a given library.” I agree with this statement because the point of view shows that not every book should be available to kids. Banning books has a purpose, and I agree with that purpose.
ReplyDeleteI believe that people should not be able to ban books in libraries, book fairs,etc. In the article, Laurie Halse Anderson on ‘Speak’, Censorship, and ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’, Laurie says, “.. that's when I realized — adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world. We have to be honest with them about what we've been through, because we have to help prepare them." I agree with this one-hundred percent because children should be able to read whatever they want to read. Parents should be honest with their children about the real world and not let them be indinal for too long. Andrew Richard Albanese felt the same way in his article A New Book Looks at Book Banning in America when he asked the readers, “Why does it matter that things that you might disagree with come up in books?”. He is saying that people should not be allowed to stop other kids from reading books because the book contains content they do not believe in. I agree with his statement because if a parent doesn’t want the book to be read by their child, then their child doesn’t have to read it, but they shouldn’t be able to stop other kids to read the book. I am confident that adults should not be able to take away children’s freedom to read. I say no ban to books!
ReplyDeleteV.M.S 3rd Bordelon
To ban a book is, in my opinion, an absolutely preposterous thing to do. By banning the book and denying someone their constitutional right to read whatever they want, you are limiting their learning and suffocating their imagination. Some of the most controversial topics are the ones that inspire better decision making and the ones people my age can learn most from. As an avid reader, I can confirm that one particularly controversial book series has never inspired me to do anything negative the book series has talked about. Harry Potter is honestly one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I certainly haven’t taken up the hobby of witchcraft. The article “Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes” even says “If the school board had read ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ they would have realized their mistake: The best way to make sure something is read is to ban it.” If someone was uncomfortable with a certain book or book series, there is something much more simple that can be done instead of getting it banned. Instead of protesting a book and having it removed from a library, the book could simply just be put on a list that require parent’s permission for the child to read it. Banning a book is a much more complicated solution to the problem. We should turn to events during times of struggle in distressing times to see why it’s such a bad idea, “...who burned books? Nazis. And crazy people in the middle ages who were afraid of progress” (‘You Have a Duty to ‘Ban’ Books”).
ReplyDelete10-14-16
JAH Bordelon 3rd
I strongly agree with your opinion. I believe that books shouldn't be banned because of just one element, that wasn't even causing problems, and in Harry Potter's case the topic is witchcraft. I believe that the adults should have put more time towards actually reading the book because if they did they would know that kids weren't actually going to take up the hobby of witchcraft if they read Harry Potter.
DeleteK.F. Bordelon 3rd
Books should not be ban in school libraries. Parents usually complain and challenge books that contain things that they think are inappropriate for their child. In the article, Censorship in Three Metaphor by Nancy M. Bailey and Fenice B. Boyd agrees that “no parent or guardian has the right to demand that an entire classroom, school, or district should not read a particular book”. All students should be able to read any book they want and a parent cannot stop them. The parent can tell their kids not read the book, but that parent cannot tell other children. Ban books should not stop students to read whatever they want. In the article, Neil Geiman on Censorship, Geiman believes that “Freedom of speech is a hugely important thing”. Students should have the right to read any book that interests them. Those books can make them be engaged in reading and can build their knowledge. No one should control want a child can and cannot read at school besides their own parent. ATN Bordelon 1st
ReplyDeleteBanning books have been going on for a long time and need to be stopped. According to go.galegroup.com, “A kid will bring home a book, often as part of either a curriculum or because one of the kids has gotten it from the library, and the parents will take a look at the book, and they'll be upset about something they find in it.” In fact, the parents will complain, because of what their child is reading which will lead to banning the book. Although this is unnecessary, because if they do not want their child to read that book then do not let them instead of stopping everyone else from reading that book. Next in the article Challenges to Children's Books the author quotes, “Are there any books that children should be prohibited from reading?” I think there are no books that children should be prohibited from reading because it is the parent's decision whether they want their child to read a certain book or not. These are the reasons why books should not be banned.
ReplyDeleteT.L 2nd Bordelon
I personally think that banning books is not a good idea. I honesty believe that people should be allowed to read what they choose to, as long as they have considered the content of the book. I do, however, believe that parents should be able to ban books from their own children if they believe the content of the book is not appropriate or acceptable for their children. As far as book fairs, libraries, and class rooms, I believe that people should be able to read what they want, especially for educational purposes. I don't think age matters as much as the maturity of the reader. I also think that it is with good reason that Ms. Kahn separates the books by grade level and asks for a parent's consent before allowing students to check out books for a higher age level. I believe this because, once again, the student's parents have the most control over them and what they think is right for them. I also don't believe that other people should be able to chose what you can and cannot read. It just isn't fair to the person who would like to read the book. A lot of books on the banned books list were books that I have read or wanted to read. I don't really understand what is wrong with some of them. Also, I think that just because some content is not appropriate for some readers, that it should be banned for all of them. As long as readers are informed about the types of mature content that the book may contain and their parents approve of the material they are reading, then books should no longer be banned.
ReplyDeleteC.M.D. 2nd Bordelon
Books should not be banned. According to Gale databases, banning books is done because of “specific content issues, such as sexual explicitness, the use of offensive language, political incorrectness, violence, and more”. When a human is a child, we try to make a world around them with no ‘harmful’ or ‘wrong’ things, which is not how the world is actually like. Some people think we should ban books when they have topics considered ‘wrong’ and ‘harmful’ from young children. The American Library Association mentions that “reading is among our greatest freedoms”. When books are banned, it stops readers from learning more about the world. Instead of someone worrying about all children, they should worry about their child, and their child only. It’s not their place to tell anyone what is wrong or what to read about. I think people shouldn’t be able to ban books.
ReplyDeleteC.A. 1st Bordelon
In my opinion, I think it is a terrible idea to ban certain books. One of the problems in our world is that people try to shelter children from issues going on instead of informing children about the issues. Neil Gaiman mentions in an article from Gale that when he was writing the comic Sandman he “wasn't putting the marginalised (gay people, transgender people) in to upset anybody; they were being put in because these were my friends...they didn't seem to be getting represented in most of the comics I was reading”, but when he did this many parents and associations panicked over the content of these type of people in his comics. If parents shelter their children from these important type of people who exist in our world today, the children have a higher chance of growing up to be ignorant, uneducated, and not as accepting of others culture because of their parents’ bias. Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of some books that have been considered “controversial,” says in the article “Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'” that “adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world. We have to be honest with them about what we've been through, because we have to help prepare them.” The article also mentions how Anderson’s “writing has allowed Anderson to become a pillar of support for her readers”, and her books have helped teenagers struggling with things such as depression and anorexia. Even though these books might contain subjects that some people consider graphic (drugs, rape, alcohol), they have helped many people get through tough times. This is just another great reason to not ban books like these. Banning books are overall wrong, and if parents truly want their child to not read a book, they can enforce that on their child and not everyone.
ReplyDeleteJ.K. 3rd Bordelon
I don't think that schools should ban books at the library. In the article Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory,' by Bustle says that, "We have to be honest with them about what we've been through, because we have to help prepare them." I agree with this statement because when teenagers grow up, they are going to have to know the reality of being raped and other bad things that happen in life. In the article "Banned Books," from Gale includes information about the ban books. Most banned books are banned because they are "related to the appropriateness of various works for classroom use by students or their consumption by young readers in general." These books are meant for teenagers and should know what happens in life how people are raped, transgender, or gay.Books that are in school libraries that are considered inappropriate for students should not be banned.
ReplyDeleteT.T.N. Bordelon 2nd
I believe that you should be free to read banned books in school. Like Laurie Anderson said in the article “Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory’” that “adults have to kind of suck it up,” and tell the kids how the world really is before they have to find out on their own (Anderson). If kids are not told this while they are young, then they will never truly understand the world and how it is. Another reason why books should be free to all people is because it’s our right in the first amendment. We, as citizens have the right of “freedom of speech” and “press,” and no law can be made to restrict these rights (“Schools and Censorship: Banned Books”). By people banning books, they are limiting the rights of citizens and breaking the constitution. Without the knowledge in books, we probably wouldn’t have exceled the way we have.
ReplyDeleteI.C 1st Bordelon
Books should have no restrictions from readers and places where books are bought or borrowed. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s interview, she says that she met a girl while promoting her book. She tells the readers that the girl came up to her, “confessing to Anderson that her sister had been raped,” just like Speak’s Melinda was. Anderson’s book helped a young girl confess a very harmful topic, so books, deemed appropriate or inappropriate, can help people. In National Coalition Against Censorship’s “The First Amendment in Schools: A Resource Guide”, one of the articles states that “the first provision of the Bill of Rights protects the rights… cherished by Americans: the right to speak and worship freely.” The First Amendment provides freedom of speech, so writers should be able to speak through their books to everyone. When books are banned, there are less readers for the author, who wrote the books for the others, so books should not be banned.
ReplyDeleteJ.B. Bordelon 2nd
Book banning should not occur. Neil Gaiman says in “Neil Gaiman: 'my parents didn't have any kind of rules about what I couldn't read'; Neil Gaiman is no stranger to having his books banned. Here the author of Coraline and The Graveyard Book talks about controversial books in libraries, censorship threats to graphic novels and why freedom of speech is not the freedom to harass”, “Mostly I don't think [Censorship is] good because it means people are having to not say what they think and the point of freedom of speech is that you should be able to say what you think, defend what you think, argue with people, disagree with people.” In other words, banning books is bad because it violates the freedom of speech of the authors. I agree with this because it is like the difference between free speech and the freedom to slap tape over someone’s mouth if they say a bad word in a speech. In a video, “Dav Pilkey on Reading Choice,” Dav Pilkey says that instead of saying, “‘I don’t want children to read this book,’ just make a simple change [changes ‘want children’ to ‘want my children’].” He is saying that you can regulate what your own kids read and stop them from reading books, but also that you shouldn’t be able to stop other kids from reading it. I agree with this because you have the right to say what your kids read, but not other people’s kids. Book banning is bad because it imposes your will upon other people’s and violates their rights.
ReplyDelete-This comment was made by jps
I believe that books shouldn’t be banned. In the article by Rachel Simon about Laurie Halse Anderson and censorship, Laurie says “censorship is most often a reflection of the fears of the censors, their fears that they are not up to the task of having conversations about these hard things.” I agree with what Laurie said. I think that the only reason people say no, is because they’re afraid to say yes. They’re afraid to talk about things like sexual assault and rape because they don’t want to believe the gross reality of things like that. However, Laurie wasn’t afraid to say no to talking about a subject like sexual assault. In another article, called “Banned Books” by Lucia Pizzo, it’s stated that “while books may occasionally be banned from all readers, young and old alike—particularly when governments feel threatened by texts—most book bans are partial, intended to protect children specifically.” I understand that the reason some books are banned is because parents want to protect their children. However, books shouldn’t be banned from everyone just because some parents are upset over the content of the book. Not everyone has the same opinions, and that’s okay. Books shouldn’t be taken away from everyone because some people don’t agree with them. Censorship is wrong, and books shouldn’t be banned.
ReplyDeleteTB Bordelon 1st
In my opinion, I believe that books should not be banned from shelves at schools, public libraries, and book fairs. In Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory', by Rachel Simon , Anderson stated “when speak first came out, nobody would put it in a school.” I disagree with this quote because I believe Speak should have been put in schools because kids eventually have to know and learn about this adult world, and the sooner they know it, the sooner they will know what is right and wrong. In Dav Pilkey, Creator of Captain Underpants, on Banning Books, Dav Pilkey states “How could people be so offended by a series that contains no profanity, no sex , no nudity, no drugs... ”. I agree with his statement; people are just stubborn because this has nothing close to anything that a child shouldn’t know in it. Any book that is put on a shelf shouldn’t be banned unless it is inappropriate for children. SJI Bordelon 3rd
ReplyDeleteFor what I believe, I think that books shouldn't be banned in some libraries, schools libraries, and the book fair. In the book, Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey starts to state of how his book was the number one banned book out of 2012 and 2013. He says that "everyone doesn't always like the same thing". I agree with this quote but if don't like the book that doesn't mean to complain about it and try to ban it from other people, when you can just ban it from your home. With Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory' by Rachel Simon, Laurie starts to talk about how her book was banned for sexual assault, eating disorders, and drug abuse and that it wouldn't get put in schools at all. With this book, she wants "to be honest with them about what we've been through because we have to help prepare them." I agree with this quote because we all got to learn it one point and so doing it early will help and prevent it happening in the future. So I think that books shouldn't be banned from school libraries and book fairs.
ReplyDeleteAB Bordelon 1st
I do not believe that books should be banned from public/school libraries. In a Bustle article were Laurie Halse Anderson, author of a frequently challenged book Speak, says that the “mindset of a censor and the mindset of someone like me is I believe in preparing kids for the real world, and the censors think they’re trying to protect them.” Her message is that hiding the bad things in the world by doing stuff like banning books is not helping children, but is hurting them. In a video were Dav Pilkey speaks, he says that “everybody doesn't always like the same things.” This statement means that somebody may like this book, but another person may think that the book is offensive. This means that we shouldn't ban books and let people who like the book like it. Because of these reasons, I disagree with banning books
ReplyDelete-TWH Bordelon 1st
Although banning books is a highly controversial topic, I believe that banning books shouldn’t be done in school or anywhere else. Reading books allow readers to learn new and diverse topics and maybe even something that relates to the actual readers. Banning novels completely would prohibit these curious readers to discover those interesting subjects. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog about censorship and banning books, she mentions that there were “kids on Tumblr who struggle with anorexia” and “tell Anderson their deepest fears.” These children who read her books realize that the main character’s situation is extremely accurate and similar to their own. If the library would have banned these books, they might have kept these feelings bottled up and put more stress and pressure on them. Dav Pilky, the author of the Captain Underpants series, said in his video about banning books, “All you have to do is make a simple change; one tiny adjective can make all the difference.” Even though he is mainly targeting parents and guardians in this video, he makes a great point of “banning books” at home freedom while letting others enjoy the freedom to read elsewhere, as explained later in the short video. Overall the reason why I think banning books shouldn’t be allowed is because the act would prevent and limit people’s rights to take pleasure in reading and assimilating new points of views.
ReplyDeleteCGN Bordelon 3rd
I think books should not be banned and people can read whatever they want. Captain Underpants is a book in which the main character does a lot of fun adventures and finds out he has a husband when he grows up. The book was banned from the school library because he grows up to be gay. I think this was unfair to the kids and they should be able to read what they want. According to Kimberly Rose, “You’re in the world. They should know about that regardless.” I agree with Kimberly and one day kids will be exposed to many different people in circumstances, so they should be able to read a book about any person of any sexual orientation. Books should be able to be read by anyone and it is unfair to limit a reader’s choice of book. According to Andrew Richard Albanese, “There’s just not much thought that different people can look at a book in different ways.” I agree with him and believe that kids are allowed to read a variety of books and interpret however they chose. In conclusion, books should not be banned and I think books should be read by anyone who wants to read.
ReplyDeleteMB Bordelon 1st
To Ban or Not to Ban
ReplyDeleteIf parents are okay with a child reading a certain book, why should school libraries be restrictive? No matter where you live, you’ll hear parents, teachers, and most adults preaching about how children should read more. The problem between kids and reading is that sometimes, finding an interesting book is a long, tedious process. Banning books that might sincerely interest kids of any age is not a very tactful response if the United States as a whole wants students more involved in reading. Everyone should strongly support the freedom to read.
When teachers, librarians, and/or state school-boards censor literary material, it limit’s the children. With the First Amendment rights, kids should be able to read any book they choose. According to “Censorship in Three Metaphors”, the children of the United States should have to choice to be exposed to “the power of literature” (Boyd and Bailey 653). Books have the capability to inspire adults, but if libraries or school-boards are restricting what kids can read, the children can’t get that same privilege. There’s no denying that today’s kids and teens are the future of our own country, so we should refuse withholding information from the youth, not sheltering them. Dav Pilkey, author of the famous children’s book series, “Captain Underpants,” offers a great alternative to banning books from whole school libraries by “making a simple change” (Pilkey). Pilkey suggests that instead of restricting everyone, only disallow the children of the parent(s) who complain about the book from reading that book. This is a great substitute for banning books because it doesn't limit anyone else’s kids.
Book banning can restrict U.S. citizen’s First Amendment rights. Lucia Pizzo, author of “The 2000’s in America”, has pointed out that “To the ALA, censorship includes not only an outright ban on a book but also any denial of access through the decision not to purchase a certain book or the intentional withholding of information from a library patron. Each of these actions leads to the same result: barring readers from knowledge” (Pizzo 45). Banning books restricts the accessibility to knowledge, which every child and adult needs in order to be well-rounded and successful. Before the Internet, literature was all that was available to anyone who thrived on learning something new or even being a little entertained, yet parents have the audacity to complain about the lack of censorship on certain books, knowing good and well that the removal of the book would affect more than just their own child(ren). In Judith Saltman’s, “Emergency Librarian”, she points out the fact that “imagination cannot serve utilitarian purposes, that the best literature for children cannot be ideology or propaganda. Children grow in maturity, intellect and imagination through exposure to stories of emotional realism, stories with a diversity of concepts, beliefs, truths. Reading nurtures the child's first steps in self-individuation toward becoming an adult who can think critically, make informed decisions, develop personal value systems and enter into empathetic relationships with other human beings” (Saltman 12). If kids can’t constantly develop their imaginations, they become literature zombies; they can’t think up their own prose. Children grow both in intelligence and maturity by learning commodities that they have never experienced before. Banning books should be done; supporting the freedom to read is the way to go.
CMC 3rd Bordelon
I think that books should not be banned. I think that for many reasons but mainly for one reason. That reason is kids need to get exposed to the real world while they are young. Learning things while you are young helps you function better when you get older. Parents do not understand that because they are afraid. They need to “suck it up.” For example Laurie Halse Anderson once spoke to a girl, and that girl confessed to not knowing that “someone could be okay after being raped.” This is just an example of many other cases. Another reason books should not be banned is because there is a solution that could help both arguments. If someone does not want children to read a book, make sure it is just your children. “I do not want my children to read this book.” Someone whole perspective can be changed with a single verb(my). This helps both sides because the side that wants to ban books just does not have their children read the book instead of affecting many more children. This helps the other side because this makes sure they their children still has a “free book world” you could say. There are solutions and problems to the ban book situation.
ReplyDeleteW.H. 3rd Bordelon
Many libraries happen to ban books that are seen as inappropriate for kids. I think that this idea is filled with bigotry. Many of these banned books are about the subject of being part of the LGBTQIA community. The reason I think the ban on these types of books is wrong is because it is denying a big part of lots of children. According to The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, about nine million Americans identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. By banning these books, the government is practically telling these people that who they are is wrong. A lot of these people are children too. This means that they are raising children up to avoid being who they really are.
ReplyDeleteThere are other books that I can understand why they are inappropriate. The most common reason of why these books are banned is because of their mature content. However, there is a way to put these books on shelves while also keeping them away from kids that have parents that don’t want them to read these books. The school library could simply just give kids a permission slip asking their parents if they are alright with their kids seeing these books. The books could go in a booth somewhere in the library. The student would just show his form to enter the booth. This idea is a lot like gambling booths in restaurants. You must meet specific requirements to enter the booth. And those who do not meet the requirements will be shut out of the booth. This solution could give both sides of the argument exactly what they want.
C.P. 1st Bordelon
I personally think that books shouldn’t be banned anywhere. Children should be able to read whatever book they want to because reading is important. According to Laurie Halse Anderson,
ReplyDelete“adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world.” (Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and 'The Impossible Knife of Memory'). I agree with this statement entirely because most things that books are banned for are things that happen in the real world, so instead of hiding those things from your children, tell them about it. Judith Saltman says, “Conservatives object to frank language and profanity, images of nudity, references to sexuality, especially homosexuality, ideas that threaten their values, such as the undermining of authority and content believed too mature or inappropriate for children's understanding,” (Censoring the imagination: challenges to children's books). All of these things happen in the real world, and I feel that people shouldn’t ban books just because there’s content that may seem inappropriate or too mature because parents should sit down and have a talk with their child to discuss what actually happens in the real world, and not everything is as it seems. I would prefer that I talk to my child about what happens, so they can read what they want to read, and not be shut out from everything that truly happens in this world like some kids are.
OA Bordelon 3rd
Books should not be banned from libraries because the information that is in those books is being taken away from people that might be going through the same thing in their daily life. In her interview, Laurie Halse Anderson explains that parents wouldn’t tell their kids about rape or drug use and that book writers “have to help prepare them” (Laurie Halse Anderson on ‘Speak’ Censorship, and ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’). I agree with what Laurie Halse Anderson says in this interview because book writers have to teach the people that read their books about what is happening in this modern society. When books become banned the information inside of those books is taken away from the people that might be going through the same thing. Erin Manning states that if a book gets challenged by parents and most challenges are about explicit language or other things that may not be suitable for certain people in an age group that then it isn’t “book-banning or censorship. I think we're talking about parenting” (It’s not censorship, its parenting!). I strongly disagree with Erin Manning because if books were being challenged by parents who don’t want their children to read a specific book then they can just tell their son/daughter to not get the book, instead of challenging and making it unavailable for other people to read the book.
ReplyDeleteE. I. S. 2nd Bordelon
In my opinion, we shouldn't ban books from people just based on their parent's concern because maybe the child wants to read the book and if the book isn't on the shelf how will an adult read it. Dav Pikey the author of "Captain Underpants" had trouble with his book being banned in 2012 and 2013 because of the parent's concern. However, Dav Pikey doesn't agree with this and says," Next time if you think I don't want children to read this book just make a simple change so its I don't MY children to read this book." I agree with Dav Pikey on this because without banning books we get the best of both worlds if the parent decided they can't read it they can't but others can if they wish.
ReplyDeleteMany people also agree with me on not banning books. On of them is the author of the Gale article "Book Banning: Learning from our past mistakes." In this article they made a statement I really agree with. It is "Books are often challenged because they make readers uncomfortable, but I believe discomfort is necessary when discussing difficult subjects like abuse, mental illness or sexuality. " I agree with this statement because how else will children learn the dangers of the world if not in a book where people aren't afraid to express their emotions.
C.L Borderlon 1st
Books should be banned from public libraries and school book fairs. As an author of many challenged and banned books, Laurie Halse Anderson states on her website post that "adults have to kind of suck it up", even admitting she met a girl who admitted she was raped by somebody. In Anderson's case, her book had helped a girl who was going through mental troubles from rape at the same time. Young people should know what kind of bad things are out there and banning books isn't helping them to know how to prevent them from happening. Another author, Dav Pilkey who has had one of his books challenged, states that "people have different opinions" and censored books are usually a parental or family dealt issue. People hate and like different things, and one person or a group should not stop everybody from reading a book they want. Censored books could be dealt by parents or adult figures convincing them to stay away from them and why they should. Libraries, schools, and other book holding places should not have some books be banned or censored.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, there shouldn’t be any “banned books,” because we have the freedom of press which allows us to publicize information without being punished. Therefore, I believe that they should not ban others from reading a book, and that it’s up to them and their parents to decide. According to the article “Banned Books”, “most modern book bans are the result of efforts by concerned parents or school officials looking to protect children from exposure to certain themes or ideas contained within targeted books that they view as objectionable.” I believe that no books should be banned because some parents want their children to learn about things at a certain age, and not be sheltered from what’s going on in the world around them. However, other families want their children to keep their innocence-- I respect that, too-- so they don’t want a certain topic to be revealed until later in their life. Hence, I think that the parent should keep only their child away from what they don’t want them to learn about, not every other child in the school. “Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes”, an article from Gale, makes a good point by saying that “lessons such as empathy, compassion and respect for other lifestyles simply cannot be taught from textbooks.” and therefore, books shouldn’t be banned for that reason and more. I agree with this opinion because I like to think that each family is different and has different rules. For example, some families are pro-equality, while others aren’t and would want to keep their children away from learning about it at an early age. In my opinion, we need to respect other’s opinions, but just because some families don’t want their children to loose their innocence too early, that doesn’t mean that all of the other students shouldn’t be able to learn about a specific subject. All in all, I think that books shouldn’t be banned from the public.
ReplyDeleteIGF 3rd Bordelon
I feel that books shouldn’t be banned from libraries. From Dav Pilkey’s, the author of Captain Underpants, video he says that “everybody doesn’t always like the same things”. This means that different people would want to read different things and I feel that they should be allowed to do that. Plus, sometimes the only access to a library that some student have is their school library, which is why they shouldn’t ban the books because people should be able to read what they want, with a parent’s permission. Also from Laurie Halse Anderson on Speak, she says that she has “realized — adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world. I agree with this because even though parents feel that the books that the children read aren’t the best or aren’t age appropriate, they still have important lessons about life hidden in the pages that all kids should learn about. This is why I think that books shouldn’t be banned.
ReplyDeleteGMH Bordelon 1st
Banning books from school libraries is an issue going on and people must speak out to stop the issue. I, personally, don’t think that a parent should make a book banned from a whole school library. Instead I think a parent should “only have the right to censor or control what his own children read.” The parents should only be able to ban a book from their child and their child only because there are other kids in that school whose parents may allow their child to read whatever they want. If the child wanted to read that book they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do so because of a parent removing it completely just for the sake of their child. I think that is quite selfish. Another option to do instead of completely banning a book from a library is to work out a compromise. “In many situations you may be able to reach a compromise with the teacher, such as an alternative reading assignment.” In this case, nobody will be missing out. The child/reader will simply get a different book to read or just a complete different assignment while the rest can continue on reading that book.
ReplyDeleteD.C.--English l Bordelon 2nd
"There's been an incredible censorship in America and throughout the world, but particularly in America where students aren't even allowed to critically think about evolution, the issue of origins; they are not allowed to hear other points of view; they are taught incorrectly about science and taught that evolution is fact." (Ken Ham)
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion books should not be banned from school libraries, but have restrictions about which age group are allowed to read them. I guess you could call me a moderate on this subject. In Freedom's defense, if we ban books on homosexual basis, shouldn't we also ban science textbooks that validate global warming and evolution. Also, if you don't want people reading the book, don't ban it. Susan Kuklin, the author of Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, she found that after her book was challenged, sales increased. While yes I agree that books containing prolific language, drug abuse, sexual content, and other dangerous acts shouldn't be given to a 4th grader, there is no need to restrict a 17 year old attempting to write a college essay about the dangers of smoking. Robert Cormier once said, "You seldom get a censorship attempt from a 14-year-old boy. It's the adults who get upset." This is true in many aspects. much like Islamophobia or Homophobia, an adults ideals fosters from their fear implanted by the society around them. Books containing homosexual aspects will be challenged not because they "are poison", but because they contradict a parent's teachings of their child, resulting in the fear that their child will somehow be influenced and become homosexual. In conclusion, banning books is an intrusion into the mind of another, if you don't like something, don't read it.
ARC ---English I Ritter 3rd
I truly believe that books should not be band form libraries or book fairs. We all have the right to think and speak freely states the First Amendment, and I found that out from http://ncac.org/resource/first-amendment-in-schools. If we have the right to freedom of speak and thought, then we surely should have the right to choose what we read. We should not to take [a] precious democratic freedom for granted" the freedom of "unrestricted access to information" I found this from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA200558550&v=2.1&u=jeff53810&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=80969f5fc8ae2dd5fdd93d02a2be4538 .If you band books it's like your trying to band our education, and I would like to keep getting smarter each day. I do believe books shouldn't be band I hope you agree too.
ReplyDeleteDMD
1st
Bordelon
10/15/16
I personally think that we should ban only the books that are inappropriate to kids between a certain age because kids should not be learning about things that are not appropriate for their age. An article called ‘It’s Not Censorship, It's Parenting’ is about how parents are trying to censor what that their children read by, “The attitude of the ALA is that a parent only has the right to censor or control what his own children read. He doesn't have the right to request the removal from the school library or classroom shelf those books which he finds obscene or dangerous to morality, because someone else might prefer for his children to read those books.“ I do not really think that you should remove a book, but I feel that parents should be able to decide whether they will allow their child to read about a certain book. I also believe that books should not be removed from a library, only banned from children under a certain age. A passage called ‘Harris Poll Shows Growing Support for Book Banning’ is about how statistics show that parents want to not ban what the children watch but censor books, “The fact that people are concerned about books speaks to the fact that people still believe in books and words as powerful things, that they have the power to change hearts and minds.” People really believe in books so much that they want books that are inappropriate for children within a certain age to be banned. The people care so much about books that they would ban certain books so that books are not perverted for kids. I personally think that books should be read only by kids that can handle what happens in the book because some parents might not want their kids to read a particular book. I think that books should not be banned for all ages but only banned for kids that can not handle what is in the book. The parents should decide whether or not they want their kids to read a certain book or not.
ReplyDeleteJTW- Bordelon 1st
I do not think that it is fair to ban books. Books hold knowledge and people should not have that taken away from them. Most books on the banned list either have topics some people may thing is ‘too far’ or they just may not like it. Either way it is censorship and it is wrong to ban books just for these simple reasons. People don’t have to ruin everybody’s fun, they can simply just not purchase the book or not care; however it is uncalled for when they make it so that it’s not accessible in some ways. Pizzo even explains that, “Typically, banned books fall into four categories of offense: political, religious, sexual, or social” (Pizzo Banned books). It’s not right to complain to the point of a book being taken out of a book fair just because it has some controversial topics, again there is a simple solution, and that is not to buy the book. Another concern is that the violence is a big problem, but the author of the General OneFile post feels “as someone who thrived on reading banned books in high school, I can proudly say I have no desire to become an assassin, psychopath, revolutionary or Satanist after reading books like Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" or John Steinbeck's ‘The Grapes of Wrath’” (General OneFile BookBanning). Nothing should prohibit somebody from getting a book because the good should not have to suffer for the bad. It is just a matter a principle because it isn’t fair or right.
ReplyDeleteFM 2nd Bordelon
For some reason, people have the tendency to think that whatever they think is what everyone else should think, too. Obviously, this is not true, but some people fail to realise this and take things too far. Books are a perfect example. Everyone has different opinions on books and has the freedom to read whatever they desire. During a video in which Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series, talks about this issue of different opinions on books, he says, “Everybody doesn’t always like the same things.” People will complain about books and fight to ban them from the shelves, all because they can’t respect each other's opinions and freedoms. An interview with Susan Kuklin brought up an interesting point about why some people want books to be banned in the first place. During the interview, Kuklin says, “This is dangerous knowledge. I mean, it’s scary to people because they don’t understand it. Once you get to understand it, it’s no longer frightening.” So many whiny adults complain about books because it simply contains content that they are unfamiliar with and don’t like personally, but don’t even consider that the mass majority might love and understand every last letter in the book. It’s time that grown adults open their eyes and realise that their thoughts about something is just a tiny little speck in the majority of everyone else, and no one wants their book to be banned because someone doesn’t like it. There are so many books to read, so many genres, so many authors, and countless books in the world, but all it takes is a group of angry adults to destroy it all. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Don’t ban books, ban selfish cry babies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. People are afraid of what they don't understand, and try to ban the books that introduce it.I also agree with you on that banning books completely is absurd. Books allow people to express their ideas and opinions, and banning books you don't agree with is too extreme.
DeleteJAR Bordelon 2nd
Dave Pickley, the author of the book “Captain Underpants” was speaking in the video I watched. He stated that, “ Everybody doesn't always like the same things”. I do agree with this quote because although some people may not agree with things, we need to exercise our right of the freedom of speech. Another thing he said in the video was,”by changing ourselves we can show our concern while still allowing everyone else the freedom they deserve.”. I agree with this because others may want to read the book even though you don't, and if it gets banned then they might not ever get to read that book. I think that they should not ban books from schools, or anywhere.
ReplyDeleteACL Bordelon 2nd
For some people, they can go through a big portion of their life not being educated about certain topics because they were not allowed to read/see/talk about those things. In my opinion, I think that banning books is completely limiting children and students from information that they might be interested. I also don't see how this is a problem because the child personally chose to read the book/information, and it was because they were personally interested in the topic and learning about it. But censorship is taking away their First Amendment right. From an article called The First Amendment in Schools: A Resource Guide, it states that, “The First Amendment protects educators’ ability to exercise their judgment in accordance with professional standards and provides the ... learning environments that effectively help young people acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become productive, self-sufficient, and contributing members of society.” Because if the child wants to learn about things in society, but their parents or guardians are censoring them from it, then they might never have another chance to learn about it let alone understand it when their older. Parents and teachers are always pushing educating children and expanding their minds but when they pick up a book maybe on the LGBT community and people changing their gender to the one that they truly are, parents will call it dangerous information when a kid might be interested. I personally think that banning books is hiding information that might be valuable to some people in the future.
ReplyDeleteSFA Ritter 3rd
I think that reading a book that some people think should be banned is difficult to predict the outcome of no matter the reason people would ban it because there are so many different groups of people who perceive different content in such different ways and we should trust in the integrity of readers and not ban books. I believe that deciding whether a book is suitable for accessibility to all people is the job of not only the reader, but also the author, I think with a fair amount of common sense any book can be narrowed down to its intended or circumstantial audience. “The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church” This quote from the American Library Association shows that not only schools or librarians can wrongfully regulate what people read, but also governments and churches which can differ no matter where someone goes and it's the same thing with books, in one place a certain book might be fine, but just across the street it might be banned.”It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous”. Sometimes the situation is not that a book is not allowed, but instead it is forced on an audience based on political orientation, religious beliefs or lack thereof, mental state, etc. This is just as unfair as banning books, freedom to read includes being able to choose what to or not to read.
ReplyDeleteD.A.B. Ritter 3rd
I agree that there should be banned books in some cases. In the Dave Pickley incident, I can understand why the parents and/or legal gaurdian would need to and/or want to ban books that they do not want their children to read, but that does not mean I am against it. But in other cases, such as if "Fifty Shades of Gray" was on the shelves of the library, I would want that book banned definitely because tons of people believe it is not appropriate for school. That is all I have to say.
ReplyDeleteAMP Ritter 3rd
I believe that no book should be banned from libraries because no matter what anyone says, they cannot stop you from reading something you want to read. To deny a child the ability to read any book he/she wishes to read, is like denying that child their rights as a citizen of the United States. I could not live in a world where I could not read what I wanted nor should anyone else which is why there should not be a ban on any book in public libraries. Now, age is an issue when it comes to books. Some books are much to graphic and vulgar for younger readers; this is why I believe that with the explicit permission from a parent or guardian, a child may check out or buy any book from public libraries. This is my view on the banning of books from public libraries.
ReplyDeleteR C-L Ritter 3rd
Whether books should be banned and the criteria for their banning has conflict more often than one may think. Most of the time, people want a book to be banned because of: sexual content, violence, sensitive information, and strong language, or in the case of Harry Potter, witchcraft. In my opinion, no book should be banned, unless it causes real actual damage to people, like a propaganda book calling for genocide. One video from Local 4 News that my class watched talked on how a Captain Underpants book was pulled off the shelves of a book fair because a character happened to be homosexual. Although some may argue that a gay character may disturb a child, one woman in the video said that pulling the book off would be unwise, that “this is the real world” and that keeping children away from this would be unrealistic. I think that this is true because keeping sensitive or political media away from children would be coddling them from the real world, which is full of such things. Another instance would be a video from CBS of a book called Beyond Magenta: Transgender Kids Speak Out, written by Susan Kuklin, which was very challenged after it was published. It was believed that this was the case because humans are naturally afraid, more than people would think that they are and that this possibly “dangerous knowledge” would receive less belligerence over time. I believe that this is also true, as is the case of the heliocentric theory, people were scared of it as it greatly contradicted the Bible’s literal sayings, but people began to believe and build upon this theory as it was turned out to be true. Over several hundred years, people now accept this theory and are no longer afraid of it. In order for this to happen, books like these should not be banned. Again, banning books for sensitive or uncomfortable content is unreasonable and illogical, those who want to ban them may slowly appease. Even more, banning books just because someone does not like it intrudes on our natural human rights, and not banning them helps our hard won first amendment to be fulfilled.
ReplyDeletePAY Bordelon 2nd
Banning books seems like a wrong action to me. The reader shouldn’t be shielded from the adult world. Instead, they should be able to learn the knowledge they want to learn. Banning books may also separate the reader from major issues in the world, such as various crimes involving sexually explicit content. An example of this roots from the book Speak, where the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, has a presentation to an audience and then promptly causes a member of the audience, a small child, to speak out to Anderson, telling Anderson that her “sister had been raped” and then breaks into tears. If the book was banned, this child wouldn’t have spoken out; the issue would have stayed hidden from the reader’s eyes, which is why I do not support book banning as it censors the reader’s mind and body from the outside world.
ReplyDeleteA.T. English I Bordelon 3rd
10/8/16
Whether books should be banned and the criteria for their banning has conflict more often than one may think. Most of the time, people want a book to be banned because of: sexual content, violence, sensitive information, and strong language, or in the case of Harry Potter, witchcraft. In my opinion, no book should be banned, unless it causes real actual damage to people, like a propaganda book calling for genocide. One video from Local 4 News that my class watched talked on how a Captain Underpants book was pulled off the shelves of a book fair because a character happened to be homosexual. Although some may argue that a gay character may disturb a child, one woman in the video said that pulling the book off would be unwise, that “this is the real world” and that keeping children away from this would be unrealistic. I think that this is true because keeping sensitive or political media away from children would be coddling them from the real world, which is full of such things. Another instance would be a video from CBS of a book called Beyond Magenta: Transgender Kids Speak Out, written by Susan Kuklin, which was very challenged after it was published. It was believed that this was the case because humans are naturally afraid, more than people would think that they are and that this possibly “dangerous knowledge” would receive less belligerence over time. I believe that this is also true, as is the case of the heliocentric theory, people were scared of it as it greatly contradicted the Bible’s literal sayings, but people began to believe and build upon this theory as it was turned out to be true. Over several hundred years, people now accept this theory and are no longer afraid of it. In order for this to happen, books like these should not be banned. Again, banning books for sensitive or uncomfortable content is unreasonable and illogical, those who want to ban them may slowly appease. Even more, banning books just because someone does not like it intrudes on our natural human rights, and not banning them helps our hard won first amendment to be fulfilled.
ReplyDeletePAY Bordelon 2nd
I believe that censorship against books is morally unjust. Censorship is a practice that China, Russia, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy. I think we all can agree we don't want to be under the influence of tyrants. Cencorship is "the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts". However, we must ask ourselves, what is exactly unacceptable. Is it the drugs, rape, sex, alcohol, and smoking that are "poisoning the minds of young readers"? To pro-censorship people, it is a school's responsibility to keep readers from witnessing certain materials that parents, faculty, or others do not approve of in school libraries. First, shouldn't the parents just tell the librarian that they do not want their child to read that material, instead of ruining a learning experience for all? This should be the way things were formed in the beginning of the United States, with freedom of information for all(don't think about the women and minorities). In conclusion, censorship is an unconstitutional act and should not be in activity in the United States.
ReplyDeleteKP Bordelon 2nd
I’m opposed the idea of banning books in schools and school libraries.Reading books can allow children to be exposed to diversity, unique perspectives, and real world problems. I agree with Laurie Halse Anderson when she says “Adults have to suck it up, about what is the reality of the world” in the Bustle article “Laurie Halse Anderson on ‘speak’ censorship, and ‘The impossible Knife of Memory”. Even though some books may not seem school appropriate, they shouldn’t be banned entirely so that no one can pick it up off the shelf. For example, “Beyond Magenta” by Susan Kuklin is on the banned books list, because it features something related to LGBT. Personally, I don’t see a problem with letting kids read about this, but other people might try to get it banned because they do. It seems very absurd to me, to limit variety and diversity in a library of all places. I think it’s important to encourage kids to read the books that interest them, and to not be limited to what the general public, teachers, or parents want them to. “Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-lot” by Dav Pilkey was banned from a book fair at a school in monroe, because the main character grew up to be gay.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it isn’t right to ban books having to do with LGBT, mental illness,or real world issues, because it might be affect kids who are dealing with it in their everyday lives. I don’t like the idea of banning books.
JAR- Bordelon 2nd
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should not ban books from schools and libraries. One of the arguments defending the right to ban books is that they don’t “abide community standards of morality and decency” as said in the article It’s not censorship, its parenting! I believe that this is unfair and should not be a factor because children should have the right to have their brain challenged by things that are deemed mature. Also, in the video Dav Pilkey on Reading Choice, Pilkey states how parents shouldn’t ban books all together in a library; but in their household or family. I agree that parents and families should do this because banning books from a library refuses anyone from doing this when there are other parents who think that it’s okay if their children read the book being banned since the parents banning books speak for everyone, which is not fair. So, I believe that banning books is unfair to everyone and should not happen.
TJR Bordelon 2nd
Ban or Don’t Ban Books
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should not ban books from schools and libraries. One of the arguments defending the right to ban books is that they don’t “abide community standards of morality and decency” as said in the article It’s not censorship, its parenting! I believe that this is unfair and should not be a factor because children should have the right to have their brain challenged by things that are deemed mature. Also, in the video Dav Pilkey on Reading Choice, Pilkey states how parents shouldn’t ban books all together in a library; but in their household or family. I agree that parents and families should do this because banning books from a library refuses anyone from doing this when there are other parents who think that it’s okay if their children read the book being banned since the parents banning books speak for everyone, which is not fair. So, I believe that banning books is unfair to everyone and should not happen.
TJR 2nd Bordelon
I believe that we should not ban books from schools and libraries. One of the arguments defending the right to ban books is that they don’t “abide community standards of morality and decency” as said in the article It’s not censorship, its parenting! I believe that this is unfair and should not be a factor because children should have the right to have their brain challenged by things that are deemed mature. Also, in the video Dav Pilkey on Reading Choice, Pilkey states how parents shouldn’t ban books all together in a library; but in their household or family. I agree that parents and families should do this because banning books from a library refuses anyone from doing this when there are other parents who think that it’s okay if their children read the book being banned since the parents banning books speak for everyone, which is not fair. So, I believe that banning books is unfair to everyone and should not happen.
ReplyDeleteTJR Bordelon 2nd
I don’t think that these books deserved to be banned. In the video about Captain Under pants they say that it was banned from the scholastic book fair. I think that it doesn’t need to be banned because the kids are eventually going to learn it later in their lives. Then with the video about the book Beyond Magenta they say that this was one of the top ten books challenged. Kids are going to know about this sooner or later and if the want to change genders then they should be aloud to.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Bordelon
I don’t think that these books deserved to be banned. In the video about Captain Under pants they say that it was banned from the scholastic book fair. I think that it doesn’t need to be banned because the kids are eventually going to learn it later in their lives. Then with the video about the book Beyond Magenta they say that this was one of the top ten books challenged. Kids are going to know about this sooner or later and if the want to change genders then they should be aloud to.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Bordelon
I think that they should not ban book from anyplace for any reason. If someone doesn't like a book then they simply do not have to read it; but if someone does enjoy that book then they should be able to get it from a library or public place. Parents did not like the “Captain Underpants” and they didn’t want it in the book fair. “Authors typically have intended meanings for their work, but there will always be those who misunderstand a book's message.” (Book banning: Learning from our past mistakes) I believe this is what happened with the book “Captain Underpants”; parents focused on something that wasn't the message and protested the book’s availability at the book fair. Fenice B. Boyd and Nancy M. Bailey's "Censorship in Three Metaphors," a section of the article was named "Censorship as a Barbed Wire Fence." which made me think of people being restricted from what they want to read. I strongly disagree with banning books because if people want to read a certain book then they should be able to do so. If someone doesn't like a book then they don’t have to read it.
ReplyDeleteJHS - Bordelon 2nd
Though books can be harmless, there are different books that parents seem to think shouldn’t be in reach of children. I disagree. Parents should be responsible for what their children read. The idea of banning books is unnecessary because children must know how to face reality. Books like “Captain Underpants” are one of ALA’s most banned books due to the fact that, according to Emily Knox, “-the behavior of the kids who read it—that little boys will read it and then they start doing diaper jokes, fart jokes, that sort of thing” (Gale), though the book is mainly for entertainment purposes, not to influence children to do such behavior. I think that “Captain Underpants” should not be banned because the parent has the right to allow or not allow the child to read the content. The book causes no harm for it is meant to entertain children, not influence them. However, there are readers who do not like the idea or moral of the book itself. This quote, “-there’s people who would be very very happy to have books and ideas removed” stated by Neil Gaiman, shows that there are people who honestly do not like the idea of reading. Reading is a way to learn about the world in your hands. Reading allows the reader to express their creativity and not captivate it. Books should not be banned. Although there are books that may be extreme, the reader will soon have to realize that that’s the part of growing up and gaining knowledge.
ReplyDeleteL.T. Bordelon, 1st
I think books should not be banned from school or libraries. Parents should have a choice whether or not their kids can read it,because “while books may occasionally be banned from all readers, young and old alike—particularly when governments feel threatened by texts—most book bans are partial, intended to protect children specifically.” Parents should be able to prevent their child from reading a certain book because they don’t like the content, but other parents might have a different opinion. Students should be able to read whatever they want to freely as long as their parents agree with it. Because, “The school alone has the final say in what books are appropriate for the children under its care to read, and if a child reads at school a book or books which his parents absolutely forbid at home--well, then, perhaps the parents' values are too narrow and restrictive to begin with.” then I think the books should be not to ban. Parents should have the final say in what their kid reads, but also they can’t limi what their chi8ld does at school. This can be controlled by writing a note to the teacher or the librarian. Although some students or parents don’t agree with some content their kids are reading, some parents do, therefore books should be not to ban.
ReplyDeleteK.H. Bordelon 3rd
I believe that books should not be banned from a library or a book fair.When I read the article "Laurie Halse Anderson on speak, censorship,and The Impossible Knife of Memory," I noticed that Anderson gets a lot of challenges on her book Speak. She said that "adults have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world." She is basically saying that parents need to stop trying to protect their children from actual events that happen in society today. There was a book that was banned from a school book fair because it has a gay character in its. The book was “Captain Underpants.” Now I don't know about you, but I loved reading these books when I was younger.In the video, Kids Book with “Gay” Character Banned from School Book Fair, the author of the book said that “letting children choose their own books is crucial to helping them learn to love reading.” I agree with this author because children need to learn what type of books they like and what they don't like, their parents shouldn't decide for them. Just because one parent doesn't like the book doesn't mean they have to take it from other kids.
ReplyDeleteA.J Bordelon 1st
I think that books should not be banned. I say this because kids are going to learn about adult content later in their life, so why not learn now. According to Laurie Halse Anderson on 'Speak,' Censorship, and The Impossible Knife of Memory she also thinks that parents should “ have to kind of suck it up, and to start being honest with kids about what is the reality of the world.” Anderson doesn’t like the fact that parents aren’t telling their kids about certain content and that is restricting what they can read, I also think this. Furthermore in Censoring The Imagination by Judith Saltman also thinks “children should be given nothing but the unvarnished truth.“ I agree with this because the earlier you learn things the more you will learn about it. To wrap things up I support the idea that kids should have the freedom to read whatever they want because they are going to learn about it regardless, and it will teach kids about the content.
ReplyDeleteL.D.S 2nd Bordelon
I do not think that it is fair to ban books. Books hold knowledge and people should not have that taken away from them. Most books on the banned list either have topics some people may thing is ‘too far’ or they just may not like it. Either way it is censorship and it is wrong to ban books just for these simple reasons. People don’t have to ruin everybody’s fun, they can simply just not purchase the book or not care; however it is uncalled for when they make it so that it’s not accessible in some ways. Pizzo even explains that, “Typically, banned books fall into four categories of offense: political, religious, sexual, or social” (Pizzo Banned books). It’s not right to complain to the point of a book being taken out of a book fair just because it has some controversial topics, again there is a simple solution, and that is not to buy the book. Another concern is that the violence is a big problem, but the author of the General OneFile post feels “as someone who thrived on reading banned books in high school, I can proudly say I have no desire to become an assassin, psychopath, revolutionary or Satanist after reading books like Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" or John Steinbeck's ‘The Grapes of Wrath’” (General OneFile BookBanning). Nothing should prohibit somebody from getting a book because the good should not have to suffer for the bad. It is just a matter a principle because it isn’t fair or right.
ReplyDeleteF.M. Bordelon 2nd
I believe that books should not be banned because parents can restrict their own children from certain books while allowing other people to freely read them. The author of Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey, made a video about how to show concern without undermining the freedoms of others around you, all you would have to do is “make a simple change.” Instead of completely banning a book for everyone, just ban it for who you really don't want to,for example your children or family members. Laurie Anderson’s book, Speak, has faced difficulties as other banned books have. Anderson had a tough childhood living with a father who had PTSD and was an alcoholic. She said it would have been easier if she had someone to talk to, and her writing has allowed “[her] to become a pillar of support for her readers.” These banned books can help readers through tough times and aren't just harmful. These books shouldn't be banned because they can be blocked by parents or guardians from their children, and if the children do read them, it could help them instead of harm them.
ReplyDeleteQQ Bordelon 3rd
I believe that books should not be banned for
ReplyDeleteSchool libarys. In the article, You Have a Duty To
“Ban” Books by Mark Hemingway he says, ”Huck
Fin is sometimes removed from school libraries
because of it’s constant use of the word “nigger”. I
don’t think they should have did this because, they
could easily not read that book instead of banning
the book. In the video, The latest “banned books”
by CBS This Morning they discuss a book about a
transgender teen that was banned. While the
author of the banned book is getting interviewed
she says, “ I think what were learning is the
country’s is more frightening than we thought it
was. Were afraid of going forward”. I agree
because at this age you and your child should have
a talk about transgender and bisexual people already.