Censorship In Public Schools

Why should upcoming adults be silenced when they are standing up for something meaningful? Students have the right to freedom of speech. Students have the right to read whatever is beneficial to them in school. Students have the right to stand up against anyone who refuses to publish their work all for the wrong reasons. Students shouldn’t have to experience overwhelming censorship. Students are stripped of their natural right to freedom of speech when administrators control what they can or cannot say and wear. This is proven in the 1969 case where students “wear black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War” (Ross 2016). Due to the fact “individual rights must be respected” and the armbands “did not threaten to upend the school day” (Ross 2016); they were allowed to be worn. Some might say that censorship keeps the environment safe and appropriate; however there should be a “balance between administrative authority and student free speech rights” (Hiestand 2007). Therefore, the things that matter most to students should not be banned. Censorship also includes banning books because they are inappropriate. …show more content…
A survey was given to 655 media specialists on “Why librarians reject books with edgy content?” The study shows, “70 percent they won’t buy certain controversial titles because they’re terrified of how parents will respond” (Whelan 1997). Other reasons included “potential backlash from: administration, community, and students; also their own personal reasons” (Whelan 1997). However, this is “self-censorship” (Whelan 1997), because there is a difference from banning books due to it not best suiting a curriculum than intimidated by what someone might say because the librarian allowed the ignominious book to be on the shelf. For the most part, there should be a logical reason on why books are removed from its intended