A huge topic of discussion recently has been about freedom of speech. People get very upset and offensive when it deals with their rights. In regards to banning certain books in public libraries, schools and other places, it takes away our right to be informed on a certain topic. The problem with book censorship is that it sets boundaries for our learning capacity. Which in return, limits our knowledge of a certain subject. And with certain books not being able to be read this limits how much were able to learn and communicate with others.
Censorship in schools has to be very complicated. There has to be many different aspects involved in order for a book to banned. Its all about what students learn and how the school is able to use education to teach. Teachers and parents play a huge role when deciding what book shall be banned. They are worried about exposing young students to certain topics that are not meant for that age group. These topics include social and religious issues.
Some people would say that censorship is important because some stuff is just better left unknown. But how can we possibly communicate and market a brand without knowing all the ins and outs of a topic?
Laurie Halse Anderson states, “Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” Many people believe that limiting the exploration of other topics is unfair and unjust. People want to have their freedom and their rights to do as they please.
Imagine if people were able to read books freely!
(Photos: giphy.com)
– Lauren Wilbun
IMC Hawks Blog 
Lauren, I totally agree with your point of view! I believe that in academic and professional settings, students/commoners should be able to learn and form opinions about things free of bias and restrictions. I feel like the best way to absorb and analyze information is through raw/untouched materials. Censoring really is a form of ignorance. Thanks for this!
Lauren, I also agree that by banning books it limits people to fully understanding different forms of thinking. I totally understand where the concern for the children comes from BUT with the internet being available to everyone so why can’t books be the same? Unfortunately, the internet is a place where there are no limits and it can be easily be edited without peer review or fact-checked, unlike books. This is why books should not be censored or banned because they are vital for the human knowledge and education.
I don’t think any reply could be better than this one. I thought I would never see the day where books are being shelved (pun intended) because it may be deemed “too sensitive.” As far as fearing if the wrong age group gets their hands on the wrong book, just separate books in a library by age group in addition to subject matter beyond books just for kids and everything else. If someone wants to read the Communist Manifesto or Mein Kampf to learn more about ideologies and how different they are to ours, I don’t see as something to be censored – how they take controversial readings like that in and whether they are susceptible to believing the information presented is valid or not is up to the reader.
I think that books shouldn’t be banned in the school system. These books that are inappropriate for an age group are usually above the reading level of that grade. And should a child come across a book that is controversial, I believe that having an open and welcoming environment where the student can talk to their teacher or to their parent is essential. Children need to be able to approach a trusted adult who can help answer their questions and guide them in a way to be active and informed members of society.