“Let the children read what they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and children could talk together, we wouldn't have so much censorship because we wouldn't have so much fear." (Judy Bloom) The main reason why books are banned is because parents request that they be removed from their children's school library because they believe that these books are not suitable for their children to read and that too much knowledge could be dangerous. I think books should not be banned or censored; I believe that books should not be banned or censored because the privilege of learning and acquiring new knowledge should not be taken away from a student who wishes to learn more about a certain topic. Education should be open to anyone. Reading books that people consider worthy of being banned could actually teach students important life values and help them be more tolerant of the opinions and decisions of others. Allowing students to read the books they like will help them develop greater maturity. Taking away students' right to read goes against students' First Amendment rights. A challenge to a book is an attempt to remove or restrict materials at the request of a person or group, while a ban is the actual removal of the book. Challenges are not simply an individual expressing a point of view and complaining about the content of a book, but rather are an effort to remove that book from the curriculum or school library. Books are contested or censored in cities and towns across the United States for many reasons, with sexually explicit material, offensive language and material unsuitable for children, homosexuality, questionable religious views, and more controversy. .. middle of paper ......the ideologies of school board members and the first amendment rights of the United States Constitution give students the right to receive information in a school setting. This right cannot be suppressed by school officials just because they politically disagree with what is written in the book. The district court ruled in favor of the school, the appeals court reversed the decision, and the school board petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision made clear that students had the “right to read” whatever might be located in the school library. In this case the decision should be considered narrow in scope. The Court ruled only that "deselecting" the books violated the students' rights. But the Court did not address the selection or deselection of “curricular materials,” thus avoiding the more difficult question of who judges which materials are “appropriate” for the public. school use.
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