Essay Sample on Censorship and Book Banning

Censoring books is brainless. It’s understandable that you want to protect the people around you from things that might harm them, but censoring books is not the way to go about it. Books are the most valuable teaching source. Whether it’s kids reading for themselves or using the books in the classroom, books and their knowledge are extremely important. Banning books seems to have a pattern of discriminating towards smaller groups. Books including LGBTQ+, people of color, “tough” topics, and so much more. One thing I've found in my research is that banning books is not for the safety of children, it’s a political play from right wing conservatives in the school system.

A great quote I find relates perfectly to this is from an Opinion Contributor from Education Week stating “Book banning is a weak response to ideas that scare us. Are the people banning books the same ones that yell from the rooftops that there should be less government involvement in decision making, and yet they want to ban books for others without giving those people a chance to choose for themselves?”(DeWitt). Why do we find the need to drag politics into school life? A school should be an educational place where you feel safe and comfortable, not an area for politicians to exercise their power and fight over nonsensical things. 

If people are so concerned about their children reading the “uncomfortable” material why don't they think about their child going through that in real life. Knowing someone else is like them, and that they are not alone. Things LGBTQ+, or historically uncomfortable, or that have cuss words should not be silenced. They are banning books with topics like divorse, sexual assult, bullying, harrasment, and more. These are real world situations and problems. Books teach lessons about empowerment and self confidence, they protect kids when others cannot.  

“Many, including myself, have taken comfort in knowing characters from stories that often feel the same way too. Overall, banning books is wrong for keeping children from the truth, using it as a fear tactic and giving the child no escape from the harsh realities of life.”(Divincenzo).