The Policy of Censoring Books in School Library - Essay Example

English November 16, Censorship Censorship can be perceived as a system of “policy of restricting the public expression of ideas, opinions, conceptions, and impulses, which have or are believed to have the capacity to undermine the governing authority or the social and moral order which that authority considers itself bound to protect” (Abraham 357). It also involves the surveillance, supervision and control of information or ideas that are promulgated in the society. Censorship has always been a hot topic of debate all over the world. It has remained a topic of heated discussions over the course of history. There has always been a conflict regarding this issue as many people argue for and against drawing a protocol of guidelines on what can be said on the mass media. From the beginning of civilization, censorship has been used by groups as well as individuals to prevent and control artistic creations, information and ideas. The main causes of censorship are religion, politics and sex related issues. Censorship is particularly dominant in libraries, especially school libraries. The relationship between the libraries and censorship has always been tumultuous. The banning of certain ideas, thoughts and information in libraries as well as media is unconstitutional as the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. No individual or groups should forbid anyone from accessing information. As such, censorship should not be done in libraries as it restricts access to literature and is unconstitutional to limit the intellectual freedom of knowledge. Censorship is authoritarian and it hampers to the growth of literature. It is unjustifiable for libraries to limit the access to knowledge and dictate what is right and wrong in the works of literature. Censorship also undermines the faith of the intelligence of the readers and at the same time oppresses free thinking. It not only obstructs the growth of literature but also, the development of creativity in students. There are also many rationalizations that are used by people in favor of censorship in libraries. One of the common arguments in favor of censorship is that the information or a piece of literature which are deemed as dangerous or misleading by the standard of authorities must be suppressed as they can corrupt the youth. People who are in favor of censorship are also of the view that students should not be subjected to controversial issues in literature as these may lead them astray. Censorships are also solely motivated by morality and the belief that exposure to violence in literature causes students to behave in a destructive ways. All these arguments do make sense. However, in reality this is an attempt to put students inside a bubble where they are protected from the issues of the outside world. There is no evidence to prove that fictional violence causes students to be become violent or that students who are exposed to violence in literature are prone to act violently. If literature is censored solely on the base of the actions of unstable people, no work of literature or art can survive. Many works of literature are banned in schools in the 90s: Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye, The grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies etc are some examples. All these books are award winning classics and amazing literature in their own rights, which have the ability to influence people positively. Most frequently, books are censored by school libraries as they contain violence, sex, homosexuality and rebellious children. “Behind textbook controversies, are beliefs and values that encompass more than curriculum decision in classroom” (June 1). But, the real question is why should students be prohibited from reading books which have lesbians as the main character or about gay couples? It is not that students are not aware of such issues and the reality is that the libraries are just dictating a norm of regulated rules as to how an individual should behave in society. The libraries are acting as dictators, moral police and at the same time hampering the development of free thinking rather than encouraging literature by censoring books. There exist many reasons why censorship should not be allowed in school libraries and one of the substantial reasons is simply because of the fact that our constitution specifically proscribes it. The fundamental principles of the freedom of expressions are solely based on the interpretation of the first amendment and it is stated that “congress shall not make law…abridging the freedom of speech or the press” (Hubert & Blalock 269). This bill of rights clearly states that censorship is unconstitutional and it prevents the freedom of speech. The Censorship is nothing but the prohibition of accessing information. The censorship of books is unconstitutional as banning books violates the rights of the basic freedom that this country provides. The right to freedom of speech, the right of the people and the freedom of speech are provided in the First Amendment .They are most important rights of the great American constitution which protects our rights as the citizen of America. Students are also citizens and they should not be denied their rights provided in the First Amendment. The American Library Association Web site also states that “it is appropriate for parents to guide their children’s reading, television viewing, and exposure to media as they see fit. The public library can assist in this process by providing reader’s advisory services, booklists, and other related services in a positive, pro-active manner. What they library should not do is act in loco parentis — in the place of the parents — either by limiting access to materials or services solely on the basis of the user’s age or by attempting to enforce parentally dictated controls” (Kennedy). Censoring books in the library is unrealistic and a narrow outlook which cripples the students skills as well as leave them unprepared to face the realities of life. It is a dictatorial act that contradicts the concept of freedom which makes America the greatest country in the world. When school libraries censor books, students are denied of the opportunity to decide for themselves what is appropriate. This, in turn, limits the intellectual freedom of knowledge. Students should have the right to think for themselves and not let the school authority make decisions for them. Censoring books is an, unfair, hypocritical and arrogant act as school is a place for developing knowledge. It limits the intellectual freedom of knowledge by limiting information to the students. Education is an all around development opportunity and as such knowledge on any given issues should not be banned by the school libraries. Students should be encouraged to shape their own opinion in life and be given the rights to their own opinion. Censorship is like a controlling mechanism to suppress the knowledge of students. Education is a process in which children are taught to think critically for themselves, and “that this is best accomplished by exposing them to wide range of materials” (Amey 2). Censorship denies the resources for students to develop the critical thinking skill which is mandatory to succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex society. In other words, it renders them crippled by limiting their knowledge. Students should be given the rights to read books about society that depicts the reality of life, in order to give them the freedom of intellectual thinking or to provoke learning. “Education is a process in which children are taught to think critically for themselves, and that this is best accomplished by exposing them to wide range of materials” (Amey 2). Censorship denies the resources for students to develop the critical thinking skill which is mandatory to succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex society. In other words, it renders them crippled by limiting their knowledge. Students should be given the rights to read books about society that depicts the reality of life, in order to give them the freedom of intellectual thinking or to provoke learning. In conclusion, the policy of censoring books in school library outweighs the positive effects. Restricting students’ ability to reach their full potential cannot be justified at any cause. Students need guidance to shape up their life and handing them information based on the beliefs and standards of schools administration only limits their potential. Censorship not only violates the rights of the students but teaches students an unrealistic view of life which, in turn, their intellectual growth of knowledge and it also hinders the growth of literature. The very idea of restraining creativity and suppressing the students’ ability of intellectual freedom of knowledge is hypocritical and it stands against the concept of education. Work Cited Abraham. Censorship s. MegaEssays.com. 2001. Web. 16 Nov. Amey, Larry. School Libraries and Censorship. Salem Press. 1997. Print. June, Edwards. Textbooks and Censorship. Salem Press. 1997. Print. Kennedy, Elizabeth. Book Censorship and Banning of Children’s Book. About.com. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. < http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/censorship/a/censorship.htm> M. Hubert & Jr. Blalock. Censorship and the Regulation of Expression. Print. 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