This isn’t a far-fetched idea from a science fiction novel called Fahrenheit 451—Nope, book banning is happening right now in schools across the U.S. A recent victim—How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents written by Julia Alarez—one of the novels being read in our Honors class. To begin, I’d like for you to understand why this particular book has been banned at Johnston County, NC and what the author says about it by reading her interview with the National Coalition Against Censorship at: http://www.ncac.org/literature/20080129~USA~Interview_With_Julia_Alvarez.cfm
Because I want you to be aware of all viewpoints, before responding, I encourage you to find out more—what was it about the book that parents found offensive? What are the Johnston schools doing about it and other offensive books? Check out the following article from the newspaper: http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=93213&TM=56907.38
I particularly found the radio broadcast discussing this issue very interesting and enlightening: http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0104a08.mp3/view .
What are your thoughts? Should books be banned by schools and removed from their shelves? I wonder if there have been books banned by our district. Anyone willing to investigate?
Because I want you to be aware of all viewpoints, before responding, I encourage you to find out more—what was it about the book that parents found offensive? What are the Johnston schools doing about it and other offensive books? Check out the following article from the newspaper: http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=93213&TM=56907.38
I particularly found the radio broadcast discussing this issue very interesting and enlightening: http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0104a08.mp3/view .
What are your thoughts? Should books be banned by schools and removed from their shelves? I wonder if there have been books banned by our district. Anyone willing to investigate?
10 comments:
To me banning books in schools is totally ridiculous. How can someone fight against a certain book in schools yet almost every american today owns a tv or has access to one which things on tv are just as bad if not worse than many books. If someone cannot handle the content of a book they should put it back on the shelf and read something else im sure that's not the only book the teacher is allowing them to read.
In my opinion book banning are absurd. Book banning is only in the district and it doesn't mean that they can't get their hands on it later. It just means you can't read it in school. I think the district should offer banned book to other people who might want to read the novel. They should send a notice out like Mrs. Holloway, she sends out a letter, so that the parent can to sign to approve the book. If the parent didn’t approve, they would read another book instead. The schools that are banning books should do that instead of depriving their student from books. Kids today are exposed to profanity, drug use, and sexual content on TV, magazines, and sometimes just out during the weekend. Parents should know that they taught their kids right morals for them to be able to read a book. It's kind of like saying your health class is teaching about sex and drugs and you can't learn about sex and drugs be cause it was inappropriate. Would they ban the health books then? How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent does have some profanity and sexual content but it's not like it's all over the book. The book had rare occasions of the content. It’s adding details that others can relate to even if it doesn't relate to you. This type of material in books enhance the novel to make it more engaging. Also, some books may be offensive to you but others they may not. So banning books isn't right. Every book deserves it's place on the book shelf and not locked up.
I believe that banning books is not the way to get rid of the things that they are being bannned for. 'How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents' was banned just because one family was offended by it. Many of those things that they were offeneded by happenes in every day lives. So banning a book wont make these things go away. In South Africa the book 'Black Beauty' was banned for containing the word black. Taking away this book does not take efface this word from our vocabulary. In my opinion I dont think any books should be banned. If you have a problem with a book, then dont read it. It's really easy, and others can still learn and enjoy that book.
I think it is ridiculous to ban books! Just because a few people have a problem with a book doesn't mean that it should be banned for everyone! Like it was said before if you have problems with a book then, DON’T read it. That’s like saying just because one person had a bad reaction to a certain medicine we should ban it and no one should be able to take it. It may cost us millions of lives but hey this one person said we shouldn't use it. Was this a high school where it was banned? I think as a high school student they should be able to decide what they can and shouldn't read. Also they should be mature enough to read about a couple of sexual themes. There are worse things on T.V. and in the movies than in this book. You can't change wht kids have already read and if they have read it and have no problem with it why ban it. You can't shelter people from what goes on in real life so if it's in a book on just one or two pages why ban it when the rest of it has a great lesson to be learned.
While I don't think the banishment of books determined to be offensive is the perfect solution for parents looking to protect their children's innocence, I don't find it to be "ridiculous". I can see where parents are coming from, even if you say they have already been spoiled by other media. However, an out-right ban is probably not the right course of action. The district could urge teachers to use other books for full class reading, and to require permission slips and offer alternate assignments (as Cameron stated).
In the end, a full banishment probably wasn’t the right strategy, and probably could have been avoided, but you can't fault parents from wanting what is best for their children and wanting to keep them safe from harm...Even if it IS only a book.
Banning books is one of the most outragous things i have ever heard. Why should millions of lives be effected by one family's thought? the case is very simple. If you don't want your child to read that kind of book, dont read it. Teachers are very generous and im sure if parents just asked they could read somthing else. So many students can't learn from text books, but rather engage in books that teach them the same exact thing. I would never of thought this would become a problem in our society. They are taking away everything in schools now. Recess for the little ones is down to five minutes. The rules are getting so much stricter. Now we're banning books. What's next?
To me, this is a terrible idea and i dont think many students will be able to learn as well as they could without outside books. Not just text books.
Books shouldn't be banned from schools because sometimes the people with the authority to ban them have different views from parents on what's acceptable. "Harry Potter" was banned in some places because religious fanatics thought that the book would turn children into Damien from the Omen. I agree with samreynolds, parents should try to protect their children. (You guys are going to hate me for the following statement) Parents should also watch what movies, tv shows & video games their kids watch/play. Maybe if they did, less kids would bring weapons to school.
(Playing the antagonist here so...be nice)
It is our duty to ban these books. How is it possible that we're letting our childeren and students read such graphic things. Do you really want you're children to be reading about things like rape and abuse and death and things that have no place in students minds. Shouldn't we be protecting them from these things not encouraging them to fill their heads with things that should remain only in nightmeres.
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