Censorship by definition is the suppression of speech or the removal of communicative material that may be considered objectionable or repugnant. Censorship is nothing new and its effects are constantly felt throughout society. Many societies use censorship to protect the established moral and social order. Book censorship in Western cultures can be traced back to the early years of Christianity, when the Church began suppressing opposing views deemed unorthodox. In ancient times, before printing and the mass production of literature, book burning was an effective form of censorship. This process ensured that no one would ever read them. Although book burning used to be very efficient, it is now used more as a protest gesture to shock people rather than an actual method of destroying a book. In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of media including books, periodicals, plays, films, television programs, and radio programs for the purpose of altering or suppressing portions deemed offensive. Today's censorship occurs when some people manage to impose their personal or moral values ​​on others. The censure primarily concerns the First Constitutional Amendment. “The law provides that if you want to remove a book you must investigate the motivations and intentions of those who ask for its removal. If the party's intent is to deny students access to ideas with which the party does not agree, that constitutes a violation of the First Amendment” [First Amendment Center]. Although the First Amendment prevents government authorities from prohibiting free exercise, limiting free speech, or practicing religious censorship in the United States, individuals have successfully pushed to remove books from the public and… in between a la carte.... ...which some readers may find offensive. I certainly believe some of this information is age appropriate, and by withholding vital information from students, they are becoming naive to real world situations. References Allen, J. (1999). Item. CNN Book News [Banned Books Weeks spotlights censorship battle]. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.cnn.com/books/news/9909/27/banned.books/Bald, M. (2006). Banned Books, Literature Suppressed for Religious Reasons (2nd ed.). New York, New York: Facts on File. (Original work published 2004). Mullally, C. (2009). Item. In the First Amendment Center [Banned Books]. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/Speech/libraries/topic.aspx?topic=banned_books