For decades books have been challenged. While many are simply left alone, books are too often removed from libraries so people can no longer read them. Not only does this limit citizen’s choices, but their choices are limited by the thoughts of a minority. The banning of books causes censorship of author’s ideas, which is a right given to people in the Bill of Rights – the freedom of speech. Silencing authors results in a limited spread of new ideas and stories. In addition, when books are banned people’s right to express themselves and read what they want to read is stripped from them. Such censorship and rejection of rights should not be accepted in a country of democracy and freedom. Censorship by the banning of books should be ended by books remaining in libraries. This should be done because authors should have the freedom to share the stories they want to, the number of books available to people in public libraries should not be limited further, and people have the right to read what they want.
The best solution to end the censorship and freedom restriction caused by the banning of books is simple: keep challenged books available for people who want to read them.
One reason booking banning should not occur because authors should have the freedom to share the stories and information they want to share. In the Bill of Rights it states that citizens of the United States of America have the freedoms of speech and press. This means people can speak and write freely. An author does not deserve to have his or her work prohibited and unavailable to be read.
One argument that is often discussed is that banning these books from particular libraries does not mean people cannot find them. Books are able to be found on the Internet, in people’s homes, and in bookstores. While this is certainly true, the library system exists so all people can have access to books and material. Not all people have the money or resources to access books except through their public library. People should have access to these books through their libraries.
Authors have the right to have their work published and available. John Green made the sarcastic response to his book The Fault in Our Stars being banned in a California school library: "I am happy because apparently young people in Riverside, California will never experience or witness mortality since they won’t be reading my book, which is great for them. But I am also sad because I was really hoping I would be able to introduce the idea that human beings die to the children of Riverside, California and thereby crush their dreams of immortality."
Green brings up a valid point. Are issues like death, violence, homosexuality, sex, and swearing unknown to people before they read these books? No, death, violence, homosexuality, sex, and swearing are all heard about and discussed in everyday life in TV shows, movies, billboards, magazines, the news, radio programs, and newspapers regardless of who is listening or watching or reading. Removing books with these issues will not solve these problems.
Indeed, most of the reasons books are challenged and banned relate to these issues. According to the ALA from 2000-2009 1,577 challenges were filed due to sexually explicit material; 1,291 were because of offensive language; 989 were deemed unsuitable for the target age group; 619 were decided to be too violent and 361 were due to homosexuality out of the 5,099 challenges filed.
In fact, many of the books that are challenged are considered classics. The ALA lists 97 classics that have been challenged and/or banned.
The ALA says 17,700 books have been challenged since 1990. This number of challenges is astronomical. Imagine 17,700 books disappearing from public schools and libraries.
Not only does the number of threats against books continually increase the number of readers is continually decreasing. (People really should read. There's a blogger friend of mine - okay, it's me - who wrote about some of various reasons you should read. But I digress...) According to The Atlantic, from 1978 to 2014 the number of people who do not read has nearly tripled.
The freedoms to read and write should be preserved by books being kept on the shelves of public and school libraries because people should not be limited with the books they can choose from and should be able to choose books for themselves, and authors should have the freedom to share their opinions and ideas with the world. The silencing of authors and restrictions of readers is a hindrance of our rights and freedoms as citizens of the United States of America. If this problem continues, then censorship will continue to interfere with the freedoms of our country. Books that are created by authors for years and loved by thousands should not be taken off shelves because of a concerned few. If there is a book in a library someone finds offensive they simply should not read that book. If that person tries to ban the book because they are uncomfortable with it then they are forcing their feelings on others. There may be hundreds of people who want to read that book. In a democratic country the views of one or a small group does not dictate the group. One person or group should not have the power to take away a book from a much larger group. Those books are not for just anyone to take away. They belong to all of us and are a part of so many of us. As junior Elizabeth Johnson put it “books belong to their readers” (Sagebrush).
Want to know more about banned books and censorship?
Banned Books That Shaped America
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