Introduction

Over the years, people have been arguing about whether or not banning of books should be encouraged. This is a crucial debate since there are those who favor book censoring to protect the adolescents from unfavorable information. On the other hand, there are those people who are of the opinion that freedom to learn should be guaranteed, and thus book banning should be discouraged. The government should therefore not restrict publication or sale of any book to secure education freedom. According to them denying access to information is considered as hallmarks of authoritarianism. In this paper, we will explore the merits and demerits of book censoring.

Argument for

Those in support of banning books argue that these banned books have inappropriate material that can erode moral values essential to a society.  Some of these books touch on important societal issues such as homosexuality and teenage sex. These books can result in adverse effects especially on the young adolescents. For instance, the book “Heather Has Two Mommies,” by Leslea Newman was censored by the conservative groups on the premises that it would ruin the children’s behavior. The conservatives argued that the book attempted to educate children about homosexuality which they thought it was best taught to children by their parents.

Another point on why books are banned is because some are classified as irritating or capable of causing conflicts and political storms. This form of censorship is carried out by the government to protect its citizens from such materials. Conservatives argue that the government has the role of preventing its citizens from manipulation and negative influence through publications. For instance, some books have been banned to avoid tribal clashes and other unrests in different countries. Some of these books are said to have outlawed information that would have a negative impact on the lives of the people.

Counter argument

While I agree with some of the justifications by the conservatives, there are also important counter arguments on why we should not allow banning of books. People must be given utmost freedom to learn and explore the different challenges in life. Denying people information is authoritarianism which should be discouraged at all costs. For instance, banning a book just because it has some sensitive topics like homosexuality does not do any good to the adolescents. The children should be allowed to learn the positive and negative aspects of an issue. Instead of banning these books parents should take responsibility for guiding their children in filtering the contents from these books.  It would be unwise to deny fundamental freedom rights just because we intend to protect our children. Parents must take responsibility for preventing their children on what they consider wrong.

In addition, it is not right to censure an idea just because one has a different opinion. Most of the books are banned on the ground that they have offensive content to the cultural and societal setting. Nevertheless, offensive is a relative term which can be misused to settle personal differences. Some of the books censored before such as The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedman was banned for having inflammatory and offensive content to the conservatives. However, the topical issues in this book such as racism and women rights are essential topics in the modern society. It is sad to note that such valuable information had been hindered from access by the typical person.

It is also prudent to understand that banning books hinder children’s educational development. Banning denies children an opportunity to understand humans and the actual state of the world they live in. Books provide in-depth insights that help in making informed choices. By denying access to books, both children and the adults are likely to be narrowing minded and make uninformed decisions. Books are a reliable instrument that enables transfer of knowledge from one person to another.

Conclusion

To sum up, freedom to education is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to all citizens. It is for this reason that I am of the opinion that books should not be banned. Though some of the books may contain some controversial issues, parents should take responsibility for guiding their children accordingly. Choices on what book to read and which not to should be a personal choice and there should be no influence on such matters. Most of the proponents of banning books argue that some of the information in such books can have a negative impact and erode essential cultural values. However, this is not the case since one should make choices on what is important and discard what is not important in a book. Authors just express their views and do not force anybody to accept their opinions. We should not always agree with what we read, but rather we should learn from the contents of the books. Books have are very educative, and it is, therefore, wrong to ban them. People should be allowed to read whatever they want anywhere and make their own choices.

References

(2015). Retrieved from http://www.teenink.com/opinion/social_issues_civics/article/131038/Against-Banning-Books/

Books under fire: a hit list of banned and challenged children’s books. (2015). Choice Reviews Online, 52(07), 52-3405-52-3405. doi:10.5860/choice.187775

Colorado Springs Independent,. (2000). Banned Books Week Essay Contest Winners. Retrieved 21 June 2015, from http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/banned-books-week-essay-contest-winners/Content?oid=1109996

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