Book Censorship

[author_by_night]

I know it's a bit after Banned Books Week by now, but I'm posting a speech I did on book censorship anyway, at the request of ladyaelfwynn. I gave this speech for a class last year. :)

How many of you have read To Kill A Mockingbird?  How about at least one of the Harry Potter books?  Who in here giggled to Where the Sidewalk Ends as a young child?

            It may surprise you that each of these books has been banned for a variety of reasons. They have been marked as “unfit” for children – and, in some cases, even adults.

            Today, I am going to discuss with you what book censorship is, why censorship does not work, and the other options. I have spoken against censorship before, and have therefore studied the issue for years. Also, as an avid reader, I have found out some of my own favorite books have been censored.

            The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of censorship is “the action of a censor especially in stopping the transmission or publication of matter considered objectionable.” In other words, the goal of censorship is to keep material considered inappropriate out of public libraries and schools.

      You may be wondering what the problem with that is. Why is censorship such a bad idea? After all, doesn’t it stop students from reading bad books?

Well, there are four major problems. One problem is that book censorship goes against the first amendment. According to the Bill of Rights, American citizens have the right to freedom of speech and the press. We have an unalienable right to convey and take in information and opinions, regardless of “superior” opinion. Do children not count as citizens of the United States?

      Another problem is that book censorship can be based on misconceptions. Take Harry Potter; the books have gotten criticized for a line in the first of the series:

      “There is no good or evil. There is only power.”

      Yes, that line is disturbing. But it is supposed to be, as the speaker of the line is the villain. The reader shouldn’t approve.

      One other instance is To Kill A Mockingbird. Again, people misunderstand the authorial intent, and therefore censor. Harper Lee writes racism as cold, up front, and unapologetic. If she didn’t write bigots as horrible people, that would be racist.

Then there is the fact that not only are we depriving students of their first amendment rights; we are depriving them of a chance to learn about the world. Racism happened; it was awful that it did, but if we give children rose colored glasses instead of books, they might end up ignorant because they never knew what ignorance was. They never know that there is a major problem in this world as far as prejudice goes, and that almost a century later, little has changed. Considering these same children are the future of America, that’s scary.

      Then there’s Where The Sidewalk Ends, banned for being too mischievous and “promoting bad behavior.” Do we not want children to laugh when they see that other children sometimes make silly mistakes too? Do we want them to feel they have to be perfect?

      Finally, it is not up to the schools, library committee, or government what a child reads. It is up to the caregiver. And the caregiver can do a lot; he or she can read the book with the child and express what themes he or she doesn’t agree with, tell his or her child to show what books he or she is reading, and even ask teachers in a classroom to provide an alternative assignment.

            Take a stand against book censorship. Find out what books are censored at local school and public libraries, and defend at least one. Buy a banned book. Donate money to the American Library Association, which is against book censorship.

            I am going to end with a quote from a letter a child sent Judy Blume, a Young Adult author:

Dear Judy, 
I don't know where I stand in the world.  I don't know who I am.    That's why I read, to find myself.

            This could have been any of you years ago, and it could be a child you care about tomorrow.

            Books are, for many children, a way to face the world. Let’s not take that away from them.

Comments

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

Excellent speech! Hope you got good marks on it!

My vague plan for next year's banned book week is to collect banned books all this next year and hand them out, free, during next year's banned books week.

Book banning is insidious. The people who try to ban books often do so very quietly or they just go into libraries, check the books out and then "loose" them.

The best way to fight it, is to be loud about it and call them on it. My least favorite are those that try to ban books they have not read! Grrrr!

It's cool that you're in B'more! I'm in Gaithersburg in Mont. Co.

Take care!

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

You should totally hand out free banned books. :)

Yeah, I'm actually not in Baltimore, it's just my rough location I give. But Baltimore really is a half hour to an hour drive. *Shrugs* So it's close enough that I don't feel like I'm lying. ;)

[airriphlyer.livejournal.com]

This is awesome! *wub*

[aggiebell90]

I'm here via kelleypen, although I've seen you around on ofmythandlegend's lj, too.

Anyway...that's why Where the Sidewalk Ends was banned? Seriously?

Good grief.

I can understand why some parent might not want their child to read a particular book. I'm a parent myself (13, 6, almost 2, 5 months), and there are things I keep my kids from seeing and/or reading. I vividly remember my senior year in high school when one of my friend's parents protested us reading Ordinary People in English (they were offended by the language). And I don't have a problem with them telling her that she shouldn't read it. But they have NO RIGHT to make that decision for me.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that I sat down and read (because it was banned and removed from my high school library, actually. heh.), and it taught me so much! I certainly didn't finish that book and say, "Oh, wow. Those racists sure have the right of things. Let me go be just like them!" No, I finished it and thought, "Holy cow, these people are stupid!"

They insult my intelligence when they think I can't decide things like that for myself.

*grumble* These people make me so angry (if you couldn't tell :P). So the icon's for them.

Ahem. Sorry for the rant!

~Julie

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

*Waves* Hi!

And don't worry, I agree with your rant 100%. It's completely fine to not let your kids read certain books - it's not fine to decide Maggie Smith's kids shouldn't read those books either. That's what I have a problem with.

And love that you read TKAM because it was banned.

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

I often tell people I'm from D.C. for the same reason. If they aren't local and don't know the area, telling them where I'm really from isn't going to mean anything. ;-P

[talimeeka.livejournal.com]

*claps* Yeah! Brilliant!

I wish I had the time to celebrate banned books week this year. :)

[kasuchi]

Hey! I liked this! (It's been a busy couple of days, so I'm replying late to some of the entries on the flist.) I hope the class you gave this for enjoyed / appreciated it; I know how hard public speaking can be in the first place, but this was well-written and impassioned. Very nicely done.

Um, I just realized that you don't actually have me friended on this account. *g* Would you mind terribly adding me back?

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Came across this, and wow, this part of your comment:

I'm a parent myself (13, 6, almost 2, 5 months),

Time flies! O_o