Why Books Should Not Be Banned Essay

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The Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and To Kill a Mockingbird. These are just some of the books that have been banned in certain schools, bookstores and libraries. The Grapes of Wrath because of profanity and sexual references. The Scarlet Letter because it is pornographic and obscene. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it is oppressive and racially insensitive. And To Kill a Mockingbird because it is degrading and racist. All of these books have shaped America and the world. Yet, the true meaning behind them have been overlooked by parents, administrators and sometimes even students. We need to realize that it is time to stand up and unban the books that are teaching us the history of the world. This situation is relevant to all of us because we are currently high school and college students who have learned about these books and learned from them. …show more content…
This is usually done to protect others- mostly children- from reading difficult ideas and information. Sex, racism, religion and language are the main reasons why books are banned. Banned Books Week states that “Many books have been banned or censored in one or more of these categories due to a misjudgment or misunderstanding about the book's contents and message.” People are looking past the true meaning and, instead, are misunderstanding that these books are teaching people a lot more than just racism, sex, religion and language. Which can also lead to people banning books that they haven’t even read. In a video posted by Arizona State University, James Blasingame states that “I have been to many book challenges where parents or a parent group or someone who was on a campaign across the nation stopped in to say “We’ve got to get this book out of the curriculum” only to find out they hadn’t even read

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