Stop banning books around the world
by Aubrey E.
Books have been banned for many years in public and school libraries, but this year it has increased a lot and is starting to affect South Carolina, including us here at AHS Recently, various community groups have been challenging certain books in our district’s media center, and results of these challenges have led to some mandates requiring certain titles be removed from the shelves.
On a general note, books are being banned from states including Florida, Indiana, Alabama and more. Groups of people, mostly parents, have come together to talk at board meetings to ban certain books like All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Lawn Boy by Johnathan Evison, and more. According to CNN, Florida had the highest number of cases at more than 1,400.
While books of a pornographic or graphic violence nature make sense to challenge, books are important to adults and kids and should not be banned because certain groups of people don’t like what the books are representing or the ideologies they contain.
Firstly, the book banning is racist and homophobic. Many books that are being banned have something to do with race, racism, and LGBTQ which is unconstitutional. Books with any aspect of race, racism, or LGBTQ are being taken off shelves due to certain groups of people like the Moms for Liberty, an organization that goes against school subjects that mention LGBTQ rights, race, and discrimination, are claiming to be harmful to kids in board meetings. In my opinion, these books are not harmful to kids and are actually educational to kids but with laws being passed it's harder to fight against some of the books being banned. According to CNN, Indiana has passed a law to ban books that are harmful to minors.
Secondly, these certain groups are trying to overpower authors and other parents by taking their rights away. They are taking away parents' rights to decide on what their children can read which some parents do not like. Parents believe they should decide on what their children can read but not in a way that affects other kids. Authors write stories to help people be more engaged in this world and to connect with others. They are also taking authors rights under the first amendment. The first amendment gives people the freedom of speech which allows authors to write what they want in their books. Authors want to educate and entertain people, not harm them.
Lastly, most of these banned books can provide important information and can be helpful learning tools. Books help people feel connected to the real world and connect with other people who struggle with the same things. They can help us discover who we are as a person and give us important life lessons that can be used as a guide. Books like The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas , Thirteen Reason Why, by Jay Asher, and The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood are popular books that are being banned. These stories are written with a life lesson that connects many people with the hardship of this world that we are facing. Certain groups of people are trying to control and silence people who love reading books.
Books are important to adults and kids and should not be banned because certain groups of people don’t like what they are representing. They are banning books with anything to do with racism, LGBTQ, and race along with taking parental and authors rights away. Books provide important information and can be helpful learning tools. Many celebrities and authors have made statements about these books being banned and will not allow these groups of people to silence them. Some students and parents are also taking a stand and, though not as vocal as the groups challenging certain books, will not let them control or take away their rights.