Book Banning Research Paper

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According to the ALA, The American Library Association, over 5,000 books have been challenged since 2000. Some of the books on this lengthy list include a couple of the most well-known works of literature, including, Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. While many people support the idea of banning books that contain controversial ideas, they are not taking into consideration the harm that may be caused by this. Banning books is not only injurious and damaging to current students but, it will also have a negative effect on the children of generations to come. Without taking a deeper look into the consequence book banning may have, the adults of today may be limiting…show more content…
According to Mark Hemingway: to say that knowledge never hurts is to deny that books have any power to influence at all. (Hemingway) But, to assume that young adults will automatically begin partaking in these illegal or unethical activities themselves simply because they read about them is a hasty generalization. Books certainly do have the power to affect people but, according to a study done by Dr. James Farrow, children begin developing their sense of right and wrong by age six. (Kelly Konrad) So, by the time children would even come into contact with a book containing unscrupulous ideas or even be able to comprehend it, they would already have the conscience to decide whether or not the situations or activities presented were ethical to take part in. Added on, if children themselves lack the morals to distinguish between right and wrong they always have another barrier in place; their parents or guardians. In most cases, parents or guardians guide their children and teach them at a young age what they should think about certain subjects so, it is easy to assume that not all children will be raised with the same ethics. Not only does this support the idea that no one person or group should ban a book because they are personally offended but, also that reading about inappropriate and controversial topics will not corrupt the children of

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