Banned Books

759 Words4 Pages
Think of some of your favorite books. To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone With the Wind, and Of Mice and Men are just a few of the titles that come to mind. What do they all have in common? They are all award-winning classics, critically acclaimed, and ... frequently banned. Why would someone ban such beloved novels? Some believe that certain books may not be appropriate for certain ages. However, one person should not have the authority to restrict a book from others. Books should not be banned because people should have the freedom to read what they want. Supporters of banned books argue that some books may not be appropriate for certain children. For example, some children are not mature enough to handle certain topics. These topics may be…show more content…
Banned books violate our basic rights. The first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the the press.” This means that Americans are supposed to have freedom of expression and speech. In one situation, the Mississippi Textbook Purchasing Board refused to approve “Mississippi: Conflict and Change” because they believed the textbook was too controversial. The authors of the book filed a lawsuit and the federal court ruled that the authors had been denied their freedom of speech and the press. (Gould, “First Amendment Site) This is just one of the situations in which banning a book took away Americans’ freedom. In addition, books spread knowledge. Children learn important life lessons, major events, and other useful information from books. Many banned books are controversial and people misjudge or misunderstand them. They are usually controversial because they are fresh, new, and surprising to readers. This new information can be very beneficial to readers. Information or topics that seem socially unacceptable by some will probably become common in the future. Because of this, many books that have been banned have been dropped from banned books lists after they were no longer considered controversial. (“Banned Books: Reasons for Banning Books”) Banning books restricts the freedom and knowledge gained from books. Therefore, books
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