...Censorship in Books Ever since they’ve been published, books like “Brave New World”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and many other classics have been loved and greatly appreciated for being such incredible works of literature. Along with a loveable plot, they also have a deeper meaning that is portrayed through their word choice. Some people wish to have these and many other books “censored” or “sanitized.” Specific censorship should not take place because not only would it be taking away from the beauty of the books, but it would also be depriving its beauty from society and future readers. There are some people who argue that some books should no longer be in the school curriculum. A teacher named John Foley stated “The time has arrived to update the literature we use in high school classrooms.” For years, the same classic books have been taught to students, and some teachers believe that it is time for something fresh, and more relevant to today’s society. John Foley also says “Barrack Obama is president-elect of the United States, and novels that use the ‘N-word’ need to go.” John Foley, along with other parents and teachers believe that with our presidents race, books that use the word “nigger” or other racial slurs are inappropriate and disrespectful, and should be censored. Although there are people who believe that some books should be censored, they are also failing to see why it is so important to leave the books to how they were originally written. By censoring certain...
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...The Censorship of Public School Books The imagination of children across the United States rests inside the hands of not only books within public schools, but books within the hands of the government controlling these public schools. Censorship of books in public schools has been a controversial issue for decades; in fact, governments have already gone so far as to ban certain books in public schools. While some believe that censorship is necessary to keep students from being exposed to explicit content, others believe that any content of any book is acceptable for students. However, the content provided within books should be considered with grade level. Even though there may be books that contain explicit or mature content, applying censorship...
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...Dec. 03, 2013 Censorship of Poetry There are many debates and arguments on the topic of Censorship. However, in this essay, I will focus on only one; Censorship's importance in books and, more specifically, poetry. Some say, to protect our children, censorship is needed; cutting out overly violent and gory scenes and or sexual content, along with other inappropriate types of media, is very important in the lives of parents and children alike. Others, however, wish that censorship was not so strict. Censorship has removed content from schools that are considered necessary; classics like Tom Sawyer are in a dangerous spot, as is the works of DH Lawrence, because of this law that has control of what we see, hear, and expose ourselves to. In some cases, this law is useful; however, there are limits to what it can do. Censorship can go from simply trying to keep our media and content clean for our children, to full censorship and banning of books because of one simple word. Even though censorship is needed in most parts of the media to control the inappropriate content, it should not be used when it comes to scholastic content, especially books and poetry. Poets, especially, few this law as a ball and chain of sorts; not just poets, but artists, musicians, creators; all do not like it when one wrongly put word would mean the destruction of their whole work. But, when it comes to books, knowledge, and poetry, censorship should never be used. Censorship has been around...
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...Problem is ********* The United States has promised its citizens the basic rights to speech and free press since the founding of our nation. But in 1821, our country took its first steps towards censorship when the 1748 novel Fanny Hill was banned for containing offensive and vulgar language as well as detailing the less than glamorous life of a prostitute. The tradition of removing books from schools for their questionable content has carried on into the twenty first century with the banning of several extremely popular books such as Harry Potter, for its use of witchcraft as a key plot point, The Hunger Games, for its graphic descriptions of children slaying one another on live television, and even the widespread elementary boy’s books Captain Underpants, for its use of bathroom humor frequently throughout the series. Not only these books, but also beloved classics such as The Scarlett Letter, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Great Gatsby have all been removed from the curriculum of many schools in order to shelter students from the taboo topics they discuss, such as racial prejudice, adultery, and alcoholism. Many concerned Americans have begun to wonder whether or not the government should have the power to control what students read and believe that censorship goes against the very foundations of our nation. While the United States Constitution does clearly state that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech or of the press”, does that...
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...book has been deemed indecent for many younger readers due to its lack of morals and failure to conform to today’s politically correct language. Most of the disapproval comes from the racist comments, words, and general feeling towards one of the main characters, Jim. The big controversy here is whether or not this book should be available for young readers in libraries, and if it should be used as a learning material in classrooms. The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in classrooms under certain conditions. One of the strongest reasons people believe that younger readers should not be subjected to this book is because of its racial undertones. Twain was writing to portray what happened at this time in history and what the social norms were. In fact if he didn’t include words such as the “N” word in his novel it would not have accurately portrayed the people during that time period. Using these racial terms is a sensitive Maze 2 thing to deal with. Although this book is accurate, younger readers aren’t educated enough to know the consequences of some of the terms used. Michiko Kakutani believed that “to censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on harsh historical realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist”. I think what Kakutani is saying is that by not letting people read the book is taking away a chance to learn about how their culture once was. Although this is true, students of a more...
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...Censorship a Contravention to Freedom of Speech During the 21st century, one of the most important concepts known to people around the world is the freedom of speech. People coming from different countries, having diverse religions and living in dissimilar backgrounds talk about it every day. In some countries people do solicit for it as their right. But the question is, “Is there something called freedom of speech in the first place? Or is it just a fantasy that can never be accomplished? Or are we even talked into thinking that we do possess it?” In the midst of all this bewilderment, the notion of censorship pops up to clarify the image. The word censorship is familiar to people, for everybody has heard about the governmental censorship...
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...and Health Experts Chris W. Williams and Kersti Strandqvist, around two billion women menstruate monthly. People should know about periods and what the body does during menstruation. This is sadly not the case. From my experience with periods, no one wants to talk about it. This is possibly due to misogynistic attitudes or because periods are so intimate. Advertisements for the products that women use during their periods -- pads, tampons, menstrual cups -- avoid the word “period.” Instead, they use euphemisms like “time of the month” to downplay the reality of the female body. Women are put on a pedestal of femininity. They are stereotyped and conditioned by media to be docile. This is one reason that we don’t talk about periods. In tampon and pad commercials, the actresses are often wearing smiles on their faces and white clothing on their bodies. They are model-like to perpetuate the idea that women are not real people with real problems. This pushes the “feminine female” stereotype and dehumanizes women. Pad commercials are also infamous for using blue liquid to simulate period blood. Since girls don’t leak blue liquid, how can they connect to those commercials? This censorship is outrageous, as blood is shown on television all the time. The televised blood may not be real, but the image is accurate. The reality of periods should be taught to all people. In addition, the hush surrounding periods poses a health risk. “Endometriosis” and “Premenstrual Dysphoric...
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...Morgen Waterbury Professor Judith Dancoff English 101 24 April 2024 Truth is a Human Right: Controversy in Curriculum A country is comprised of all it’s citizens, and thus its history is comprised of all of their histories. American history would be incomplete without including the histories of African Americans and American women. To pretend these stories and perspectives are not relevant is to pretend that all Americans are homogenous, and this is clearly not the case. African American and women’s histories must be taught in American classrooms because students have a right to learn the most accurate version of history possible. The trouble lies in how the objectivity of this history is determined. This is the central conflict which animates...
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...brought into question the legality of the government determining what can be taught in schools. 2. Why do you think the Supreme Court overturned the verdict on a technicality? I think the Supreme Court overturned the verdict on a technicality because the case was too controversial and divided people. So, the issue was not solved, but it was done before any further discussion on the matter could occur. So, the matter was overturned to avoid a public divide on the issue. 3. What are your...
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...If you listen to many high school or middle school students, if you tell them to be quiet, they will always say “I have freedom of speech I can talk all I want to. According the Santa Clara Law Review. “all communication and association for purposes of communication are protected by the first amendment.” Someone who is in violation of freedom of speech has to first meet three preliminary requirements. First, jurisdiction must be over the claim by the court, next, the claim must be justiciable, and lastly, the person giving rise to the claim must be by government action. If the three preliminary requirements are not met, a dismissal will take place. If all requirements are met, the court will proceed to the merits of its freedom of speech claim. In the case of the merits, the analysis has two components. The two components include the first one which must determine whether the first amendment is applicable, and then the second one determines if the respondent did infringe claimant’s free speech. This is why freedom of speech is so important and not just being able to talk when wanting...
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...communicate our ideas so that we can appeal to the views of the majority. Two authors explore how their attempt to compromise almost caused them to become detached from their roots. In "Mother Tongue," by Amy Tan, Tan talks about growing up as a young child in America and learning the English language. She speaks about growing up as a writer and her mother's imperfect diction which had a major influence on her. On the other hand, In her essay, "Censoring Myself," Betty Shamieh talks about being an American playwright and having to censor herself because of how her work was viewed. Both authors explore the influence that their background had on their ability to express themselves. As individuals we should not be afraid to express ourselves because of our differences, rather we should use our differences and show how our distinctions make us very unique. Firstly, In ""Mother Tongue," Tan talks about how her mother's limited English diction skewered her perception of her mother. Tan mentions how, "Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" or "fractured" English" (Tan 273). This shows how Tan viewed her mother's English speaking abilities. She describes it as if her mother spoke damaged English, which needed to be mended or repaired. For Tan it was imperative...
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...problematic. While that once was a problem in the United States, book banning has taken a tactical, less obvious form of censorship and it is mostly in schools. It’s not a stranger to anyone that middle and high schools have required reading lists that name several books students will have to read for the academic school year. The books can range from anything to everything and are often stock packed with various themes, lessons, and messages. However, plenty of parents feel that certain ideas should not be taught to their children, especially when the ideas conflict with their own personal beliefs and...
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...Some schools have banned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from their reading lists in hopes to protect their students from the chaos caused by one word. Unlike those who support censorship, these inviduals believe that replacing the word will not solve the conflict because it will demolish the significance of Jim’s character in the novel. However, they also do not want it to continue to be taught in classrooms because they categorize it as “inappropriate for children”(Lombardi). The racist language displayed in the novel could affect the young children, whom may not understand such a word or its impact. It is like a jack-in-the-box toy that jumps out of the novel everytime one comes across it. But the book itself provides a vluable lesson that all students should comprehend, so then why ban it? According to PBS, “every challenge purports that the book is racist… conflicted with the values of the community”(PBS). Those who want to ban the book argue that despite the novel’s popularity, its relevance is outdated and the racist language overruns the theme and values of the...
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...in Louisiana. This case is debated after a law in Louisiana was passed, the Balanced Treatment Act, that wherever evolutionary science was taught so must creationism science be taught. The court ruled this law unconstitutional on the primary basis that it violated the establishment clause under the first amendment of the constitution, and it failed the lemon test formed after a precedent case. The court's decision was seven to two, where Justice William J. Brennan wrote the majority opinion and the dissent was formed by Justice Antonin Scalia joined by Justice William Rehnquist. The first argument made by the majority was that it violated the establishment clause of the...
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...Censorship can be for the good of people, but as well for the worst. When censorishop comes into mind, many think of undemocratic or fascist regimes preventing any type of influence other than theirs. Most of the time, certain sensitive topics, phrases, or even words would be redacted to protect the public, but what happens when a famous piece of American literature was modified because of its choice of words that was purposely selected to convey its message? This is the case for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain and is a fiction book about a young boy facing moral dilemmas in the racially-biased South. The book, commonly known in high schools, used the word “nigger”, a word ridden with a dark history of African American...
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