Should we have a ban on banning? February 2, 2007

In my search for articles which present a clear argument on censorship, related to the author’s belief, I came across an article by Jeff Jeffery.  It was titled “Banning Books Destroys Thought” and it was obvious that Jeff does not agree with any type of banning on books.  I will work from the bottom up on the article, because the most poignant expression of his attitude comes at the end with this final comment,

“And if fighting for the right of novelists to publish whatever they wish without fear of being banned means I’m going to hell. . .
All right ‘den, I’ll go to hell.”

I am sure that this was meant as a figure of speech, but it is a strong statement of belief.  Jeff discusses the notion that authors work to write books, and they do not have any intentions of having their material banned in any venue, whether it is at a school or public library.  Jeff feels that this is unfair.  The truth is, there are certain settings in which some books just are not appropriate.  I am not saying that “To Kill A Mockingbird” should not be taught in the public school system, and as Jeff points out it is number 51 on the most banned books list.  I do not see any reason that this great American classic would not be taught in schools.  I thought that it brought up issues that were very real in the time period of the novel.  Rascism was dealt with from day to day.  Even today there are rascism issues that can relate to the same issues of the past that students in our schools go through regularly. 

Jeff’s main argument against banning any books is that whether or not the content of the book is harsh or possibly inappropriate, the students are still gaining knowledge through reading.  He states,

“Reading and studying the written word is an inherently beautiful process. It exposes a person to a broad spectrum of ideas that would otherwise remain hidden and allows for the development of analytical reasoning. A child who reads, even when tackling books that may be difficult or contain harsh ideas, will inevitably become a more intelligent and more well-rounded person than one who does not.”

I would not disagree with this statement.  Reading is a wonderful process and it is crucial and I hope the future generation realizes how important and valuable the written word is. But I think that there are certain books that it would not be a sin to keep out of student’s hands.  Yes, they can learn a wealth of information from books that may be controversial, but there are numerous books that are not labeled this way that can help teach the same lessons.  Later in the article there was a statement made by the author that I did find slightly confrontational for me personally.  He said,

“I respect parents who choose, after careful consideration, to keep their children from reading something that may cause them to grow up more quickly than they prefer. But I disagree with them. “

I am glad that he respects the parents right, but I guess, who is this author to disagree with a particular parents decision?  I think that generally parents know what is best for their individual children and if they want to prevent them from any early maturity or exposure to situations that could cause them to grow up too fast than so be it.  Who are we to disagree with it?  Making parental decisions is a very tough job and it demands more respect than our author gives.  Jeff also seemed to place the decision of censorship in schools in the librarians hands.

“Censorship in all forms is a dangerous proposition, and one that must be guarded against. When librarians attempt to stifle students’ access to literature, they are essentially unraveling his educational outlook and teaching him that it is OK for someone outside of their family to control their thoughts. “

As many people know, it is not just one particular librarian or media specialist who makes the decisions.  These decisions are generally handed down from a higher authority, and can be generated from parent complaints.  And that is besides the fact that I do not think that censorship in all forms is horrible.  There are certain things that some high schoolers can not handle, notice I did not say all high schools.  As any teacher knows, the classes are so diverse and there are so many different levels of maturity and mental capabilities within one classroom that it may be difficult to find a “one book suits all”. 

I do believe that there needs to be some screening before books are chosen for classroom reads. The difficult part is knowing what is acceptable and unacceptable.  I would not say that I go as far as this author does with his stance against banning books.  I will leave you with this last quote as some food for thought.

“The power of words cannot be underestimated, and yes, they have the ability to destroy as well as create. But banning books, a collection of words by definition, only tears away at the edifice of knowledge. “

So, by banning books we are “tearing away at the edifice of knowledge”?

Book Banning Destroys Thought

Jeff Jeffery

1/24/07

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