CENSORSHIP ARGUMENT ESSAY

Dear Ms. Berner,

Libraries across the country censor readers by banning books in fear of kids reading inappropriate content. So far over 11,000 books have been banned in many schools and libraries. I believe that banning books and censoring what kids can read is denying them of the right to an education, a place to expand their minds, and awareness on certain topics. We should not ban books at M.S. 51.

Censoring what kids and teens can read shelters them from learning about things that are going on in the world. Even if topics may be difficult or borderline, they still exist, and kids need to know about what’s happening in the world. Judy Blume a very popular young adult writer who has had some of her books banned, says that we should “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won’t have as much censorship because we won’t have as much fear.” Judy Blume brings up the critical point that censorship is a result of fear. People are afraid for their kids to know about certain topics, and afraid that their kids will have to deal with difficult, and complex things that might not always have happy endings. Henry Louis Gates a professor at Harvard says that “Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” This quotation brings up the idea that if we censor writing we are censoring the mind, and committing an injustice to the art of the mind. It also shows censorship as committing an injustice to the art of the writing. When we censor what people can read, we are preventing them from getting a good reading experience, and we are sheltering them from issues that exist and that they may already see in the world.

Young Adult books can give kids and teens a place where they’re not alone and where they can stand up to issues in their own lives. Sherman Alexie a Young Adult author of a New York Times best selling and commonly banned book remembers how reading Young Adult books helped him through his extremely rough child and teenager hood. “I read books with monsters, and monstrous things, often with monstrous language because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in my life.” This is a really moving statement, and it really helps us to see how Young Adult books can save and rescue someone, and help them through the hardships in their lives. Mr. Alexie also says that he writes “to give them weapons in the form of words and ideas- that will help them fight their monsters.” He “writes in blood because he remembers what it felt like to bleed.” I think that this is one of the core purposes of Young Adult books. Teens no matter what background will have some struggle. The burden on teens will be greatly lessened if they feel that there are other people that understand the pain they are feeling, and are going through similar struggles. Young Adult books are essential because they give struggling teenagers a place where they can have less of a hardship.

Some say that Young Adult books should be banned because of inappropriate content. Meghan Cox Gurdon a parent, and writer for the Wall Street Journal feels that “If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of funhouse mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is.” Ms. Gurdon also says that “Books focusing on pathologies help normalize them, and in the case of self harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.” While some may agree with this statement many believe that Young Adult literature has many benefits. Maureen Johnson of the Guardian wrote an article in response to Ms. Gurdon’s article which brings up some excellent points. Ms. Johnson replies to Ms. Gurdon by saying “The idea that darkness doesn’t belong in stories makes me wonder if the author if this article has read any Poe, Dickens, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Tolstoy… or almost any other author, ever.” This brings up a very critical point. The idea of dark subjects has always been in literature, even in texts such as the bible. In addition, Ms. Johnson continues to support Young Adult books when she says “The other night, after the Wall Street Journal Article [Ms. Gurdon’s article] was published, I suggested on Twitter that people share their stories of how YA has changed their lives by using the tag #YAsaves. Within hours there were over 15,000 responses. The topic itself became a worldwide trend.” This is really compelling and interesting. It shows that Young Adult literature has impacted many people and helped them through hard times. Despite what some may say, Young Adult books are important part of literature, and have helped, and brought joy to many people.

Censoring readers and banning books is taking away a huge outlet for teens. When teens read Young Adult books they are finding a community, strength, and they are arming themselves with weapons to fight the monsters that haunt them in their own life. So, with all due respect Ms. Berner, I would like you to think about what removing Young Adult books from our school would mean, and how it would affect the students. Oscar Wilde an Irish poet and writer in the 1800’s so nobly said “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” This statement truly reflects a big part of why books are banned. We cannot ban books out of fear of shaming our world, or fear of teens knowing about shameful things in our world. Books give people a safe space, and taking that space away will only cause more problems. Books are so important, they teach us, expand our minds, make us think, create communities, and do so much more. Banning Young Adult books will take those wonderful opportunities away. We should not ban Young Adult books in M.S.51.

Bibliography

Gurdon, Meghan Cox. "Darkness Too Visible." The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 4 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014

Johnson, Maureen. "Yes, Teen Fiction Can Be Dark - but It Shows Teenagers They Aren't Alone." The Guardian. N.p., 8 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

Alexie, Sherman. "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood." Wall Street Journal. N.p., 9 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

"Censorship Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2015.