Let me read — Books should not be banned

Here’s A Column by Kaitlin Clark, an Oyster River (Dover, NH) High School student.
She asks Is book banning necessary? Absolutely not. Even as students, the first amendment gives us the freedom to read what we want. So, why are some school boards in our country trying to restrict our reading materials? Is it because they believe things such as racism and offensive language, or wizardry and magic, aren’t appropriate for today’s youth?

June 21, 2005 by Uncategorized 4

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4 Responses

  1. Anonymous Patron says:
    June 21, 2005 at 7:14 pm

    Oyster River
    Oyster River High School is in Durham, not Dover.

    Reply
  2. gypsy librarian says:
    June 21, 2005 at 7:26 pm

    Re:Oyster River
    This is a good example of what good writing can do. She made some good points, and she provided some good facts and figures to support her position. This column should be read widely, and more students should be encouraged to write and express their desire to read what they wish without interference. Book banners are not doing young people any favors by trying to cover the sky with one hand. If anything, this column proves that readers like her are more intelligent than the book banners will ever be.

    Reply
  3. GregS* says:
    June 21, 2005 at 10:40 pm

    offensive language
    “Regarding offensive language, today’s youth has certainly heard it before. They may hear offensive language from an adult, parent, fellow classmates or an older sibling. School boards will not eliminate offensive language or the history of racism and slavery through book banning. Instead, they’re restricting a student’s right to read what they wish. A comment at barnsandnoble.com makes a good statement. “This book was written by Twain to deal with the moral and racial issues of the time.” If a person would rather not read about this time era (experiencing it as it was) they have the right not to read this book.”

    Twain is a straw man. The language in his book is consistent with the language of the time. The ‘N’ word wasn’t considered swearing then even though it is now. If a hundred years from now people pick up a YA novel from this era and it uses the ‘F’ word it will still be a swear word in the context of the book. Its not a word used in polite society. It doesn’t matter whether students hear it from other students or from movies or when they’re in the mall. Schools are meant to set certain standards of behavior and they shouldn’t be deliberately undermining them with the books required for students to read.

    Reply
  4. Redcardlibrarian says:
    June 25, 2005 at 8:29 pm

    Re:offensive language
    Not by whites it wasn’t considered swearing. But a 100 years ago, it certainly was by blacks.

    YA’s do not live soley in “polite society.” If you’re going to have a book that has some meaning and relevance for them, it is going to have to portray things in a realistic fashion. If a bunch of teens are alone, by themselves, they are not going to say “Oh Fudge….” At least the majority of them are not going to talk like that.

    You can require a certain level of behavior in schools. Consider the school “polite society”, and teach them how to conduct themselves.

    In literature classes, you read many things that you do not necessarily wish to encourage. I doubt that any school wishes to encourage incest by having a lit class read Oedipus Rex.

    Reply

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