Why Is Banning Books Banned

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Books being Banned: A Problem of the 21st Century. Book banning has been occurring since the 1600’s. A few hundred years later things have begun to get out of hand, with some school districts and libraries going as far as banning books such as Charlotte's Web and The Lorax. There are over 1,000 books banned in the United States; at least 300 of those titles are children's picture books. Through the act of banning books, children and teens are virtually stripped of the right to choose what they want to read, they lose access to content that has the potential to provide them with important insight into experiences outside of their own lives and that will help them to develop certain social-emotional skills. If parents initiate a ban on a book …show more content…
Banned books cover touchy topics and experiences. “These topics and experiences can assist in a student developing empathy for people in other situations.” (Banned Books-Top 3 Pros and Cons.”) Opening their eyes to these situations will help them to become more compassionate for the people around them and in their everyday lives. It will make it less likely that they make rash judgements about people. Also, by broadening their knowledge, they will be able to hold more intelligent and relatable conversations. However, parents, schools, and libraries might argue that children and teens should not be exposed to explicit subjects such as violence, drug and alcohol use, and sex, especially in a scholarly environment. “Parents should have some say in their children's education.” (Buck 2) This means that they get to choose what books are provided. Of course, there are going to be topics that young children should not yet be exposed to, though that is not to say that they just should not be read in school. In moderation and for learning purposes, reading about these topics can help them to become educated about them. “Banning literature based on a few excerpts doesn’t protect the children” (Kelley