Many people may not realize it, but numerous books have been banned from being taught or even acquired by schools, including ours. I believe this is the result of the district being overly sensitive and giving in to the complaints of a few parents. Here’s why I think this.
First, let’s consider why these books are being banned. The main concerns often involve religion, race, society, and sexuality.
Starting with religion, parents may be worried about harsh language or controversial phrases in these books. However, students are mature enough to understand that these are just books. Middle schoolers are capable of approaching a book about religion with a critical mindset. We are no longer elementary school students.
Race has been a serious topic for many years. Some guardians may fear that books will contain racial slurs or jokes about racism. However, having these topics in books helps expose teens to the reality of what has been happening in society for so long. Instead of sheltering us, we should be allowed to learn about the truth and understand the world as it really is.
Many parents want their children to follow their political beliefs, and that’s their right. But restricting books that might encourage us to form our own opinions is a form of control. If a book discusses government issues and leads us to think differently from our parents, that should be fine. It’s important to have the freedom to think for ourselves.
Sexuality is another sensitive topic, but the reason it’s so sensitive is that people are often afraid to talk about it. The world is changing rapidly, and sexuality is an important topic. There’s no way to stop teenagers from feeling the way they do, so preventing them from reading about it does nothing. They will still encounter these topics in school and out in public.
In my view, banning books for these reasons is completely unnecessary. There’s no effective way to shield kids from learning about these topics, and even if there were, it would still be wrong.
Panther Press serves as the voice of the journalism students at Glen Edwards Middle School. The views on this site do not reflect the views of WPUSD or the admin at GEMS. Our goal is to promote student expression and provide a platform for diverse voices and viewpoints within our campus community.
