In the United States, citizens have the right to speak freely. However, this has not always been the case due to literary censorship. Censorship happens when a person or a group of people find words, images or ideas to be offensive or harmful. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional but private censorship campaigns are protected by the First Amendment, according to www.aclu.org. Many American citizens attempt to censor the words and ideas of others by banning or challenging literary works. A challenge is an attempt to remove materials based on content and a ban is the successful removal of materials based on content, according to www.ala.org.
Literary Censorship: The Problem By: Starla Farmer Staff Writer
According to the American Library Association, “273 books were affected by censorship attempts in 2020.” These books were banned or challenged for many reasons including LGBTQIA+ content, anti-police content, religious or political viewpoints and more. People challenge these books at public libraries, schools, school libraries and other academic environments. In 2020, fifty percent of censorship attempts were made by parents says www.ala.org. This raises the question of whether children’s books should be censored. Children are young and impressionable and can easily be affected by the content they read. USF student Lexi explains that censorship can “...inhibit growth and education in the younger years, especially if parents censor a lot of information that does not line up with their ideals.” If a parent censors what their children read, watch and listen to, they are making sure that the content that their child is consuming fits their worldview. This can become problematic if the children are unable to view concepts and information differently than their parents. On the other hand, some works of literature are censored because the content causes discomfort for those reading it. For example, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is challenged because of its racial language and stereotypes. USF student Jasmine believes that “We must read and teach our young folks the wrongdoing of our past.” She further notes that, “Censorship will not help us create a more inclusive environment in the future.” Reading different and uncomfortable perspectives allow us to see things in different ways and grow intellectually. Although people may disagree about what is offensive, uncomfortable or inappropriate, we must all agree that censorship does not help anyone. It must be nonexistent and it is up to us to ensure its end. Let freedom ring!
30
September 27, 2021
