Unconstitutional Book Banning Essay - 633 Words

Gabrielle Myers Dr. Juhala English 110 November 10, 2011 Unconstitutional Book Banning Imagine you’re in graduate school and you’re doing your doctorate on a controversial issue. You’ve done most of the research however there’s one book that has specific information that you need, and you can only find it in that particular book. You’ve looked on the online database and find out that the book is in your universities library. You go to the library and ask for some help finding the book you need, however the librarian informs you that the book was recently banned. How is it that in a country that prides itself in freedom of speech and self expression, a book on a controversial issue has been banned? Does it not contradict what the†¦show more content†¦The freedom to read and write freely is fundamentally American. It allows citizens to express themselves without fearing repercussions from the government, or fellow citizens. It allows readers to read freely and make their own decisions. Book banning would create a narrow minded population, who don’t know how to reason for themselves. Thinking again of the argument of preserving family values, it must be taken into consideration the kind of television that is currently airing. In many ways TV is more graphic, and explicit. Yet it is tolerated, whereas even just crude language is apparently cause enough to ban a book. Parents are also worried about when their children who are reading above grade level are assigned books intended for students three to four grades above them. This can expose younger readers to seemingly inappropriate material. However there are other options, parents can talk to teachers and ask for more age appropriate books for their younger readers. Banning books violates the rites that our founding fathers fought so hard for in the Revolutionary War. Works Cited Beatserfield, Suzanne M. â€Å"Parental Concerns About Book Content Should Not Be Dismissed.† English Journal 97.3 (2008). Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. Connelly, Deborah S. To Read Or Not To Read: Understanding Book Censorship. Community amp; Junior College Libraries 15.2 (2009): 83-90. ERIC. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Uncle Tom s Cabin 1058 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"It’s a free country, sir; the man’s mine, and I do what I please with him...† (Stowe 13). To challenge or ban a book means to censor information under the best intentions or try to prevent ‘inappropriate’ topics from being released to the public. Books are banned in America because of litigious topics such as drug use, homosexuality, cultural insensitivity, sexual content, political viewpoint, religion, or other controversial topics. Uncle Tom’s Cabin gives the reader an insight into the lives ofRead MoreBan Banning A Great Deal969 Words   |  4 Pages Book banning is something that should be done away with in schools. It hurts everyone, and the only time it is appropriate is if the book is deemed to be truly inappropriate for children by students, teachers, parents, and everyone else that deals with children for reasons related to obscenity and an imminent clear and present danger. In the outside world, public libraries and such cannot ban books. First amendment affects book banning a great deal. The US first amendment makes it very hard toRead MoreThe Catcher In the Rye Should Not be Banned Essay789 Words   |  4 Pagesof blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior. Such issues have supplemented the controversial nature of the book and in turn, have sparked the question of whether or not this book should be banned. The novel, The Catcher In the Rye, should not be banned from inclusion in the literature courses taught at the high school level. nbsp; Banning a book on the basis of profanity is merely a superficial reason of those who wish to limit beliefs that do not coincide with their ownRead MoreBanning Books : A Severe Prescription Mix Up1208 Words   |  5 PagesChris Wong Ms. Sommer Advanced English 9 08 September 2014 Banning Books: A Severe Prescription Mix-Up A thought that could make many Americans sick is the thought of losing the basic human rights outlined in the Bill of Rights. Others, however claim to feel queasy with the thought of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and its contents. One parent, Jennifer Andersen, who objects to the book says, â€Å"I began reading, and I started to cross out sections that I didn’t wantRead MoreBooks Like The Harry Potter Series, Go Ask Alice, Or The Hunger Games1417 Words   |  6 Pageswhat a banned book consist of, is it drugs, sex, racial issues, or witchcraft? The answer is it could be all of the above. Chances are, you have once read and maybe even declared a banned book your favorite book. Books like the Harry Potter series, Go Ask Alice, or The Hunger Games series are all on the banned book list. These books are often removed from schools or public library shelves. â€Å"For many years, American schools have been pressured to restrict or deny students access to books or periodicalsRead MoreIs Banning Books Constitutional?1208 Words   |  5 PagesIs banning books constitutional? The Catcher in the Rye. The Scarlet Letter. Huckleberry Finn. Harry Potter. The Diary of Anne Frank. Animal Farm. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Da Vinci Code. The Grapes of Wrath. These literary classics have been vital to the education of many, especially children and adolescents (Banned Books). These great novels both teach important values and educate children about world affairs and classic themes. Unfortunately, each of these novels has been banned at one pointRead MoreGun Control Laws Will NOT Reduce Crime Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesGun control laws aim to restrict or regulate firearms by selecting who can sell, buy and possess certain guns. Criminals do not obey laws and stricter gun control laws or banning guns will have little effect on reducing crimes. There are many myths about gun control reducing acts of gun violence, which are simply not true according to research. People are responsible for the crimes, not the guns themselves. Taking guns away from United States cit izens that use them for many reasons, shooting practiceRead MoreEssay on Is Censorship Unconstitutional?919 Words   |  4 Pages Censoring knowledge is unconstitutional. Censorship had been going on since the beginning of the written word. This means that is not hard to say that it has been used as a manipulation tactic since the first man, or woman, placed their coal to a piece of dried goat skin. So does this make it wrong? To understand censorship, you have to start at the beginning. Censorship, no matter the definition, is when people who have power, wish to limit the knowledge of what we are receiving, orRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Narnia 1679 Words   |  7 PagesBesides the personification present in the book and its supposed spread of mysticism to children, â€Å"Narnia† has also been challenged as to not offend non-Christians, similar to how â€Å"Charlotte s Web was challenged as to not offend Muslims. Because Aslan is a Christ-like figure and because of the strong presence of Christian teachings in the books, challengers said that making children read the book in school in unfair to non-Christians. In 2005, Florida Governor Jeb Bush included â€Å"The Lion, the WitchRead More Censorship of Print Media is Wrong Essay840 Words   |  4 Pagestopics that should not be allowed to be talked about. To control this violence, politicians and private distributors have set unconstituti onal standards on forms of media, censured certain materials, and banned several books due to their personal beliefs or morals.    There have been several types of media that have been banned from distribution in the United States. Books that express views in opposition of the norm have been banned. Magazines and articles promoting lifestyles that are considered