Book banning is a terrible thing, and the first sign that totalitarianism is setting in. But I do acknowledge that some books are not appropriate for elementary school aged kids, Just like some are inappropriate for middle school aged kids! Some parents may even find some books, like cheap romance novels (which are basically just pornography in written form) inappropriate for high school students, under 18. My mom didn’t, and she even bought them for me, and although my mother allowed me to read them beginning in middle school, I still couldn’t take them TOO school, as it was against the rules to possess any porn on campus, even written! But it would be intellectually dishonest to just ignore the parents who do not want their 14, 15, 16 or 17yo daughters reading about how chad “thrust his steely manhood deep into the wet, hot, and willing velvet folds of Veronica’s newly turned 16 year old love nest!” (She often got me the “age appropriate” romance novels for teens! I dont know who decides what makes them more “age appropriate” coz they were filthy! There was sucking and fucking on every page… oh wait! There are lots of hand jobs in the teen versions, that I rarely see in the regular ones), I bet THAT’s the difference.
However… Just because you or I may not agree with them, if their community standards are such that a majority of parents do NOT want a certain book available for children in the school library… who are WE to say their beliefs are “wrong”? They merely differ from yours or mine. Would you be okay with your local CA middle school, being required to follow rules made in rural Alabama? Of course not, thats why governance of the schools is always local. Whenever this kind of thing happens, I always hear the phrase “book banning” but the books are not banned, they are still available in the public library, they can be bought at book stores, and most importantly most titles have same or next day delivery on Amazon! So any parents who disagree with the school’s policy, are absolutely free to just buy their child that book, or check it out of the local library and allow them to read it at home, and I would encourage any parent to do that if they disagree with the school on what books their child may or may not read!
Gr8 question, Laura 😘
I think it's generally stupid.
If they do not have something in their collection because it is a book catered to a higher grade level, so be it. That's about the only excusable reason to purposely not curate a certain piece of media in a school library.
Everyone is for having all books for public schools, until they really have to think about what they want their children having access to. Sounds good, but...
And here is the but. The Bible is being pulled by some districts. Other books like the Blueist Eyes are coming off because they hit too close to CRT, and some of the violence in these books, although real for some races is real, but many parents are against extreme violence that include murder and rape. This really sets the stage for these books to be more set for a college course.
Everyone has to remember that in most districts, the parents pay taxes to keep the schools running with some money coming from State and Federal monies. For that reason alone, if parents are paying, they should have some control over the available books at the public school library.
In districts that balk at any book bans for just public schools see many students to be homeschooled, placed in charter and private schools. There is a huge trust issue between parents and government right now, and some say who cares? Well people are dividing up. We are through our own personal agendas alienating the other half of the country. It's not going to lead to good things.
As with Public School Book bans, the ban is what is available on school library shelves. It does not include the public library and of course what can be purchased at a bookstore and online.
Psycho and "Fade" should both be banned. Nobody should read that except a crime scene investigator. I made the mistake of reading Psycho when I was in the 8th grade because the school librarian suggested it to me. It took several entire years to get the crap out of my head that the book is designed to put into your head.
Fade is similar to Psycho. I read that one a few years later, thought I could stomach horror and found out I couldn't. It's ridiculous that books like this are available in Jr. High libraries and High School libraries.
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This is a little tricky to me, cause schools have funding issues so to me they should only be stocking their libraries with books used in school and classes.
Let the cities have the huge libraries with everything.
If a teacher assigns work, then they should have the books for it... if it is part of the agenda. Schools don't need to have everything like the city libraries do.
Can't say they should ban anything but they shouldn't waste money on stuff not related to education.
Besides with e-readers books are getting more expensive to buy anyways.
No book is worth banning, every book should be available for anyone to read anytime. I'm personally buying copies of every book on the list for my son to read when he's able.
Ffs harry Potter was on the banned books list not too long ago because Christians don't like magic 🙄
I'm against banning novels just because they have outdated views in them. They were written in a different era and it's good that people can see how people thought back then.
But the type of book that wants to rewrite history such as those denying the holocaust or are clearly just political propaganda have no place in a school
Up to primary school it's fair that school libraries should have age-appropriate content. But from secondary school onwards, I don't think school administrators should dictate what books students can and can't access on school premises. Of course no school library can stock every book ever written, so somewhere along the way some librarian ends up making judgement calls to stock Book A when they could've stocked Book B in its place. But if schools are actively BANNING specific books because they don't like the ideas communicated therein, then that's a huge problem and a violation of young people's right to explore and freely communicate new ideas.
I think book banning is freaking stupid
Why don't they just kill 90% of us and who ever left. Force them to live in a big fake city. That can spy on you 100% of the time.
You can own land, houses even your own clothing
Everything is owned by the government
And here is the best part, you'll be forced to like it. Because they alter your brain though a bunch of vaccines
There that's a world with no freedom or books of your chosen choice.
So keep banning books and making stupid laws.
Banning books is wrong even if it's wrote by hitter himself.
Though I do admit whenever I see a book which is "How to become confident man every lady will want" with an obvious ignorant looking guy on the cover I do think best just to recycle this rubbish and not let someone get scammed.
But that's a separate issue than books tbf that's called having a problem with scams and pyramid schemes.
s I think it’s good in some aspects. Books like fifty shades of grey, or books that portray gruesome murders etc, should not be read by kids.
Although a lot of books were banned at the Christian school I went to as a kid. I brought a Percy Jackson book to school to read during my lunch break and it got confiscated because it had Greek mythology gods in it, and apparently reading books about other gods was a big no no. In that instance, it’s ridiculous.
Nobody is "banning" books hun. You can still order them on Amazon. Well ironically, Amazon has censored some stuff. But anyway, when it comes to public schools for CHILDREN, the community has the responsibility of setting the standard of what materials to provide to them.
This is still a free country, and you're still free to buy whatever degenerate filth you want, just don't pretend it's appropriate to put dildo instruction manuals on public school shelves.
I think it’s really really dumb especially in high schools where students are old enough to make their own decisions on what they wanna or don’t wanna read
Like if you find a book offensive or inappropriate then you don’t read it but don’t stop others
I'm gonna say it depends on the book? There have been instances where parents are finding pornographic books in their childrens library and are furious about it. One woman was reading the book to her school district I believe and these idiots turned her mic off cause it was too "adult" and there were children there. That was the whole freaking point! If it's too graphic to read in front of everyone at the meeting, then it's too graphic for kids to be reading in school.
Banning books is just another step closer to communism. Certainly books should be age appropriate as it wouldn’t make sense for say a 4 year old to be reading Lord Of The Flies. However, as they get older we should be introducing them to a wide array of books and topics. What happened to just common sense? A book written by a white supremist you don’t put on school shelves but something that has mention of slaves you certainly can. Why? It happened and children should most definitely read and learn. History is full of bad stuff that happened but it is important. You aren’t shielding kids by changing history or banning it.
B and C.
I actually advocated for the banning and blacklisting of certain books and authors from the library and schools of my jurisdiction.
The banning of books is a hallmark of controlling ideas, limiting knowledge and controlling what people think in order to suppress opposing ideas.
Every effective dictator regime had pushed for the banning of books, and usually for the "well-being of the children"
It's a long standing tradition
It in general a bad thing to ban books,
it shows a weakness in those banning the books ( especially when it is a Principle/School Board) that they cannot defend the position they have taken, they remove books that question that position so they having to answer those questions.
I mean, it depends on the type of book and that book's intended target demographic, particularly those targeting young children.
You probably wouldn't want your children reading something potentially indoctrinating and/or sending a confusing message.
Its a fine line. I think most of us would have a problem with Mein Kampf, The Turner Diaries, Anarchist cookbook and other extremists bkoks being in the childrens library. The problem lies with who decides and that can lead to many books with merit being banned. Its a tough call.
It's completely wrong and total BS. If a student or their parents doesn't like/agree with a book, simply don't read it. No student should be forced to read a book they don't agree with, while at the same time no student should be forced not to read a book cause some snowflake student or their parents don't agree with it.
What the hell? Aren't schools all about helping us broaden our knowledge and vocabulary or whatever?
I get it if books that are inappropriate or offensive are banned but why all? I love books.
Obviously, stuff like "Lolita" shouldn't be allowed ("teacher has a sexual relationship with his student". Sounds like something out of a porno, I know).
"Mein Kampf" is a bit of a touchy subject: on the one hand, NO, but if read in a historical context and knowing the author was the biggest POS who ever lived...
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