An article in the News-Leader recently caught my eye as controversy has divided an area high school over whether or not to remove certain books from the school library. As our next unit covers a novel frequently banned, I thought I would ask your opinion about it. Please visit Mrs. Schreffler's blogsite http://schreffblog.blogspot.com/, read the entry entitled "Banning Books! Are You Crazy?!" Then post a comment here describing your opinion of book banning. BE SURE to come back here to post as I do not grade postings on Mrs. Schreffler's site! :)The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion. ~Henry Steele Commager
I think its wrong to ban books. All they are is access to knowledge and we're at school where we are supposed to learn. So if they ban books its depriving us of knowledge, just the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing. Right?
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutly ridiculous. Books should never be banned, no matter how graphic or discomforting they may be. Books are a window for high school students. They let you see another life that you can relate to, or they educate you about another culture. Take Ishmael Beah's book A Long Way Gone. After reading certain parts ofthat book, I wanted to literally puke. The way he wrote took you to Africa, it put you right beside him. The things he went through as a twelve year old were shocking and revolting. Now then, this was a book that I read fr my Modern World Literature class last year. Even though the book had severe language and imagery, our teacher still wanted us to read it. It really opened my eyes to war and the culture of Beah's people. Our superintendent did not approve, but we read it anyway. I'm glad we did. When I have, IF I have kids, no book will be banned for them. They'll be allowed to read what they want, when they want. Banning books is just crazy, why would anyone want to shut out entire world just because of some language or some other problem they have with it?
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with her. If you can not handel a book because of the scenes or languages used then you should just put the book down and move onto one more suitable to your age.
ReplyDeleteI love books! Why are they being banned!? Sure, they are books that are inapprotite but they shouldn't ban every book! They help us to read and learn. People need to try to read so they get better.
ReplyDeletei think that it all depends on what books they are taking out. if they are sexually referenced, then yes take them out. but if it just because of language or violence, then keep them. we teens need a good book every once and a while to ya know.
ReplyDeleteI think that banning books just because they have something that maybe bad to a certain person doesnt like. Doesnt mean they can ban it and not let the rest of us read it. If you dont like what is written just stop reading it and get a different book. I dont think the author who wrote it meant a nything bad they just wanted to describe the story better.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion, a book should only be banned if it has the F word or GD in it all the time, I think if a book has profanity in it, as in sexual acts and other things, then it must be there for a reason, and it is a part of society today, come on, 2 out of 10 people have sexual and other conflicts regarding such. Just because one person doesn't like the reading of a book, doesn't mean they have to ban it
ReplyDelete"Censorship is telling a man he cannot have a steak just because a baby can't chew it" -Mark Twain
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote by Mark Twain and on censorship. Just because a book may be dubbed offensive by some, doesn't mean others can't get something of a value from it.
i agree whole-heartedly with her opinion. It does not make sense to ban a book for EVERYONE if YOU don't like it. ....................................Freedom of press!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the bloggers stance on the subject. No one forces you to read THAT book in paticular, it's your own choice to pick the book up, open the book, and then read it! If you've gotten to a part where it is starting to get to mature for you then ok...put the book down and go read some Dr.Seuss!!! That's just my look on it.
ReplyDeleteI dont think any books should be banned. Books are suposed to help kids. So if we ban books that have bad stuff then we are never gonna know about that bad stuff that probably will show up in our lifes sooner or later. If their was a book I would ban it would be Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they should ban certain books. I agree that if a book disturbs it than you should put it down. People enjoy reader those books and learn a lot from those. Although, i do think they shouldnt be in certain buildings, like little kids. But we are highschoolers and I think we should be able to read what we like to.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that they should banned books because they are a great way to increase your vocabulary and are fun to just lay down and read. If the books are personal "about body parts" then you can put the book down if you don't like it and get another book that is in your interest.
ReplyDeleteI think that banning books is awful. if you dont like the book put it down it is that simple you do not have to go and make a big deal over nothing. most books that have suggestable content have a purpose and might want to teach the reader a lesson
ReplyDeleteThat's such an awful idea. Why would someone do that? They might as well ban internet, for you can see way worse things on there, and phones. Plus you can learn so much from books than you can from a screen. It's an awful idea.
ReplyDeleteI think it depamds in the book if it the book is like you in some way you will red it alot. But if you dont like it read something that you are insrasted in and that you will read and not get bord of the book.I have stuggle with some books because at first it get really boring and the end it does not make seants.
ReplyDeleteI agree with her when she says that if a book offends you then you should put it down. If you don't like the content, don't read it. Don't go complaining to someone else because you read an entire book that offends you. Who's fault is that? If you are offended, don't subject yourself to the content of a book but, at the same time, don't go and complain and make it where no one can read that book. We all have our own opinions and our own things that offend us so, if something offends you, don't read it.
ReplyDeleteI beleive banning books ins't exactly right. If a book is believed to be too serious for a certain age group make it to where only certain age groups can read the book. But you can't just ban the entire book, leave it for the ones who'd like to read it and that are age appropiate enough to read it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that they should banned books, Because they are a great way to increase your vocabulary and learn about new stuff. And are fun to just lay down and read. If the books are personal "about body parts" then you can put the book down if you don't like it and get another book that is in your interest.
ReplyDeleteI think that the banning of books is kinda ridiculous if someone doesn't like a book that they are reading cause fowl language or just something they don't think is right then they should just stop reading the book. They shouldn't banned books because of certain people cause what may be bad to one may be really interesting to another.
ReplyDeletewell i think that books shouldn't be banned because everyone likes different things. i mean like ever book does have good and bad things in it but that dont mean you get rid of it. a book is just another writting that someone wrote bout. its like a friend you may not really care bout what their saying but its still their feelings. you wouldn't banned your friends would you?
ReplyDeletei think that banning these kind of books until a later age would be ok. but banning other kinds of books would be bad because even tho i do not look like it i read alot and i would not know what i would do if i didnt have any kind or type of book to read. sincerley SLY COOPER.
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is wrong to remove a book from the library just because of its contents. To me a book can have any language or sexul reference as long as it is only in there to help the story and its intentions are not to hurt anyone who reads it. Reading a book, in a way, is the same as having a person tell you a story or make a comment. If you dont like what the person has to say what do you do? You tell them to change the subject or just dont listen. Thats what people should do when they dont like the book for whatever reason. Just dont read it! There is no reason for anyone to ban what another person might like.
ReplyDeleteYou'd have to be mentally impaired to ban books just because some find it offensive. Banning a book with a certain word or reference would deprive people from a lot potential education. Books are meant to entertain, or learn things, and it's really hard to learn something that you've never read an experience about. You'd also take anyway a lot of readers because in today's society, it's all about shock value, and it's really hard to shock someone with nothing shocking. So if that school had some books banned they are retarded and I'm certainly not gonna go to that school anytime soon, because I'm all about shock value.
ReplyDeleteBanning books is just unconstitutional. By banning a book you are censoring the author and his freedom of speech. In most cases, banned books open a lot of readers minds about a certain issue. By banning the book the reader will never be allowed to acquire that information. Well Hitler was the first to ban books and he was an all out dictator. We are a democracy with many freedoms, are we really going to censor authors like Hitler did?
ReplyDeleteI think it is very stupid to ban books. Why would you do this even if it has bad language or in a propreate thinks thats life and its how you learn life skills so no i dont agree.
ReplyDeleteas much as i hate book it is still wrong to get ride of them .Becuse they are and access to knowledge .And their is also people who enjoy to read the books .
ReplyDeletei think that book banning is wrong. many kids only read certain books and if they banned these books than it would effect many people. books should not be something that people will allow to be thrown away like yesterdays newspaper. they are important to most people
ReplyDeleteyou habe to b illiltateral to b an books
ReplyDeletewell i clicked on the link and its banned. How ironic your supposed to read about banning books and the site is banned!!!!! so how are we supposed to do this Mrs. Snow.
ReplyDeletei dont think any books should be removed from a library brcause it takes away the posobiity of learning about something
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it is right to ban any type of book simply because someone doesn't agree what is written in it.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like it just simply put it down. By banning it you are just taking something that could one day help another.
Books is knowledge and knowledge is power! Its not fair to ban books! Books helps us to choose the right path like the physiology or counselor books can save a person's life especially the Bible. The Bible can tell people right from wrong, the holy spirit, and how the earth was made, and how great God is. When i was five years old, I was in the car with my brother and my mom when suddenly i heard that I'm suppose to put my seat belt and tell everyone to put theirs on too. So minutes later another car hit us in the rear and damaged our car really bad. If i not have listened to the holy spirit and God my family and i could have been seriously hurt. My cousin had Asthma and was on so many medications but she went to church and got healed so she had no more problems, she can run, breathe and do things that she couldn't do before. I wanted to "speak in tongues" for so long but one day i did with my grandma so now when i get sick or not feeling good i "pray in tongues" its a language that the devil cannot understand so he thinks that's annoying and he hates that when you are standing up to him so he will just leave you alone. God is so good! He heals me and my family, He takes care of us and loves us for we are his children! "God is the father for the fatherless, and he is a husband for the husband less" Which means if you don't have a father then God will be your father, if you don't have a husband then he will be your husband! God made you special, He has a plan in your life God loves you no matter what! So that's why we should not ban books because they valuable information that will help you like the bible if you want to learn more about God then read the bible God wants nothing more than to be close to you, be your friend, protector, savior, father, husband, he will also provide a mother and wife for you because he loves you so much, so much that he send his son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins! Please accept Jesus in your heart! So you will be saved! I love all of you too! Love!
ReplyDeleteWell they shouldn't ban books. If you don't want to read the book then don't read it. They shouldn't be able to ban books.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big reader but if they banned books I would snap! If you don't want to read then don't.
ReplyDeletei dont read alot of books but for those who do they shouldnt ban books just for there content us kids have to learn about it somewhere
ReplyDeleteI fined it to be assinine that they even think to ban a book its a complete violation of our right as american citizens.
ReplyDeletei agree that some books dont belong in our schools....i mean if i'm walking around in my library and see some...."pornographic" books of course i would demand the school be rid of them. but when it comes to a book that is in some cases just speaking truth? no, thats definatly not right. to take a book from a school jsut because it tells the students something that might not be sunshines and rainbows. It's almost like the nazis taking things out of their history books that ever said the germans were bad people. If we have the odasity to make shame for ourselves then we ...damn well be able to answer for it.
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