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The Pros And Cons Of Banning Books

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When most people hear about book banning, they think of libraries across the country clearing their shelves of books thought to be taboo or problematic. While that once was a problem in the United States, book banning has taken a tactical, less obvious form of censorship and it is mostly in schools.
It’s not a stranger to anyone that middle and high schools have required reading lists that name several books students will have to read for the academic school year. The books can range from anything to everything and are often stock packed with various themes, lessons, and messages. However, plenty of parents feel that certain ideas should not be taught to their children, especially when the ideas conflict with their own personal beliefs and …show more content…
Kate Messner states in “How Banning Books Marginalizes Children,” “When we say, ‘This book is inappropriate,’ we’re telling those children ‘your situation … your family … your life is inappropriate’” (qtd. in Ringel). Banning books sends the wrong message to those who share experiences with the topic of the book and shelters the themes from students who may need them. While parental concerns and opinions about the sort of books their children are reading, is important, protecting students from censorship, allowing them to make their own choices, and showing them realistic problems, is as well. An alternate solution to removing a book from a class’ reading list altogether would be to assign permission slips for parents to read and sign off on at the beginning of the school year with a detailed list of the books and their subject matter. Alternate reading assignments for those who choose not to read the books can be given as well. One outraged parent shouldn’t be enough for a required reading book to be removed, but …show more content…
Students who may not want to read sensitive and mature material and would prefer a more, G-rated subject matter, especially if the mature topics are a trigger for the student, would be able to have alternate stories to read that would still allow them to get the lesson they need for the class. Maya Angelou’s, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, for example, depicts a rape scene while simultaneously being a coming of age story about a little girl in the midst of racism. While the book contains many important themes and has a unique stylistic nature and an important plotline, reading about such a graphic and traumatizing experience can affect those who have also lived through the ordeal. The permission slips grant the child an “out” without having to personally explain their reasons, in a way that allows them an alternate reading solution that still depicts the struggle of growing up in a racist and discriminatory world, but without any graphic

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