Censorship in Schools: Protect or Restrict

Censorship in American Schools Essay
Censorship in American Schools
You may not realize this but our government plays a large role in governing what sort of information
America's children are exposed to. The average American child receives the majority of their
knowledge and education from school, so the information that is allowed to be taught is a very
delicate and controversial issue. Literature is often altered or banned from public schools and
libraries because they contain of vulgar language, excessive violence, or connotations of drugs and
sex. The reasoning behind this is that these are potentially dangerous ideas, and if children were to
be exposed to them that they would be corrupted and manipulated by them. There is a contradictory
school of thought on the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The parents of our communities tend to fall on either side of the issue, divided into pro and anti–
censorship groups. The big question that everyone is asking is if a student were to open a book and
read about drugs, sex, or violence will this make a child more susceptible to this kind of behavior?
Our United States board of education believes so, and has installed censorship safety precautions in
the literature that is available in public schools and libraries. According to the American Library
Association between 1990 and 2000 6,364 challenges against books were brought to Office of
Intellectual Freedom by parents, teachers, and different pro–censorship organizations. The grounds
for these challenges were that the books contained sexually explicit material, offensive language,
satanic references, violence, homosexuality, or promotion of a religious belief. Some books that
were on this list include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (for incessant use of the n word), The
Catcher and the Rye (Depicts teenage depression, prostitution and use of the f word) and Go Ask
Alice (Instances of Drug Use, sex, and suicide. People that are pro censorship argue that no books
are being banned. That, in fact, you can buy those same books in many bookstores or other places.
They argue that is their right, as taxpayers to decide what their children should have
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Write An Essay On Censorship In Schools
Modern culture and all throughout time books have majorly impacted civilizations across the world
with their influential and thought– provoking words and content known in schools. Opinions have
spur the intellect of the young creating many of the revolutionaries we have come to love and praise.
Literature has been an important aspect of human life. It is the way we keep records of past events
and it is the process in which we convey our feelings through pen and paper. The practice of burning
books has long stopped but everyday there are new paperbacks being challenged and taken off
shelves in schools or public libraries deemed too inappropriate to showcase to children decided by a
group of people. A multitudinous of men and women have come to regard government as some sort
of liberator for censoring what they consider incorrect, while others view it as a corrupt system that
supports the idea of keeping the eyes of the world shut to the truth and blinded to mankind's past and
present mistakes. Censorship has always been prevalent, it has let a small crowd of people dictate
what the masses can or can't see as well as what they can and can't read in schools. It is the
suppression of speech: the careful evaluation of each and every book and the censoring of
unacceptable parts. Censorship has been one of the world's most controversial topics. It has been
around since before 399 BCE and has affected societies in one way or another. There are different
forms of implementing

Why Do We Need Censorship In Schools
There is a book out there that talks about a topic that you do not agree with. While you may find the
book offensive, others may find it inspiring or a reflection of their life. These varying points of view
are what often lead to people calling for a ban of a certain book in a school or public library. This
brings to light a topic that impacts all of us in one way or another, censorship in the form of book
bans. This leads to a topic that can be the center of debate for many, whether or not we should allow
the censorship of books, or other forms of media, in our libraries. And by censoring books, we are
referring to taking them off of the shelves. Of course, many people have strong opinions on this.
Coincidentally, I also have an opinion. My opinion is that we should not censor books, while
making you understand why the idea of censorship in our school and public libraries goes against
the fundamental values and freedoms that we hold dearly as citizens of the United States. ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example, some people can find certain works offensive, usually due to reasons such as language,
violence, sexual content, or the lifestyles portrayed in the pages. However, I would like to point out
that if someone does not agree with something, or if they find it offensive, they can exercise their
freedom of choice and choose not to read the book. It should not be up to a portion of the public to
decide what is acceptable for others. If we start denying this freedom of choice as it related to books
that are available in our libraries, what will the next step in denying our freedom of choice? If one
stops to think of why we love to live in the United States, freedom has to be at the top of this

Censorship In Schools Essay
Old School Censorship
Censorship has been around for hundreds of years. From 213 BC to now it has had a large part in
everyday life. Censorship will unfortunately be a part of our lives for a long time in the future. The
AASA defines censorship as the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary,artistic,or
educational materials––of images, ideas, and information––on the grounds that these are morally or
otherwise in light of standards applied by the censor. That means that when you suppress
information you take away the information that people need to not discriminate. Therefor,
censorship is harmful because it controls people's education and knowledge of the real world.
Censorship has been around for so long people use it to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
That evolved into blacklists to minimize the shipping of spam. Now we have a phenomenon called
fake news,which propagates the notion that some websites are making up stories and should be
blacklisted as fake news sites"(john dvorak) Censorship started as a way to keep children from
seeing things their parents didn't want them to see, now censorship has become an excuse to pick
out things that one person doesn't like and make it not available to the rest of the world. According
to john dvorak, currently facebook wants to make a play for china and has reportedly developed a
tool that will allow for content censorship. In other words, it won't pass along information the
chinese government doesn't want to spread. Facebook has become a social media platform for
businesses and people to share pictures of their family and friends but they also are flooded with
ads. It is very believable that facebook can censor things because they control what goes on the site.
"The future of the internet is grim. It wall consist of facebook and its own censorship police with an
agenda." the world is seeing censorship more and more and in the future it will probably be a known
thing to

The Importance Of Censorship In Schools
Censorship, is the suppression or prohibit of any books that deal with difficult topics. In 2015 there
was 320 books banned in America. Some of them were the classics but, because of the topics that
were in them, they got banned. One problem about Censorship is Censorship in schools, and
libraries. Those are both public places and people should be allowed any book they want. There is
no reason for Censorship because: Responsibility of the reader, Reading older context of books
doesn't make it wrong, and people's personal freedom. If a child goes to their parent and asks them if
they can read a book that be a little mature for their age, and the parent says that's okay then the
child should be allowed to read it. Age shouldn't matter when it comes to reading books. Whether or
not the reader is responsible for the book they want matter. Some kids and teenagers have mature
minds and can read books with really tough topics. Censorship in schools causes conflict with some
students who want to read harder challenging books. In public libraries they should have any book
and allow any to read them. The library should expect the reader to be responsible with the book and
return it after they are done. If a child gets a book that is way to old for them then their parent
should tell them to bring it back if they aren't mature enough for it. Responsibility of the reader is
important; however the next topic is just as equally important. If you read a book that is older it
doesn't

Arguments Against Censorship In Schools
I believe parents shouldn't censor textbooks and other literature because it takes away from the
child's learning experience. It restricts the child from having a opinion of some individual or group
on moral, political, religious, ethnic, racial, or theoretical grounds. "We can safely make two
statements about censorship: first, any work is potentially open to attack by someone, somewhere,
sometime, for some reason; second, censorship is often arbitrary and irrational. Literature about
ethnic or racial minorities remains "controversial" or "objectionable" to many adults. As long as
groups such as African Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Asian Americans, and
Latinos." ("Students' Right to Read"). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They are short–changed by censorship because the ideas, thoughts and messages of writers are being
kept from them. Readers are being controlled by censorship. It forces the views of an individual or
group upon a reader; what is offensive to one might not be to another. The first amendment protects
our rights as Americans to receive information and ideas so our rights are infringed upon with
literary censorship. Censorship effects readers from seeing things from a different perspective and
different from the way they think. It limits what readers are exposed to. All of this is very negative
for readers." ("Effects of Censorship – Censorship & Judy Blume"). "In this age of censorship I
mourn the loss of books that will never be written, I mourn the voices that will be silenced ––
writers' voices, teachers' voices, students' voices –– and all because of fear. How many have resorted
to self–censorship? How many are saying to themselves, "Nope...can't write about that. Can't teach
that book. Can't have that book in our collection. Can't let my student write that editorial in the
school paper." ("Judy Blume on the Web: Places I Never Meant to

What Is Censorship In Schools
The worst type of problems are the ones that lead to a chain reaction of detrimental happenings.
These situations are most common in school or home, where the instruction is rudimentary. The next
generation is mostly influenced by and how they are taught and what they are exposed to during
their early years. This can have immense ramifications in who they develop into later on. There are
countless numbers of infractions and corruptions waged upon today's youth.
One of the worst injustices done in the classroom is the censorship of novels, especially teen novels.
Amongst the censored and banned books lay: The Catcher in the Rye, The Scarlet Letter,
Huckleberry Finn, Harry Potter, The Diary of Anne Frank, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird,
and The Grapes of Wrath. In high school ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The government should not be able to infringe First Amendment rights. The First Amendment states
"citizens must be free to seek out any media, regardless of content, that they deem appropriate for
entertainment, information, or education." Another case is that parents should ultimately have the
final say over what books their child may read, but they should not have the ability to interfere in
what every child reads. The most important aspect that makes censorship so terrible is invalidation
of the best pieces of literature. While this is an offense on both ends. Censoring and editing of a
novel is an assault on its author, disrespecting their writing, altering their intentions, and suffocating
their thoughts and opinions. On the receiving end, it is an equally threatening on the reader's behalf,
because censorship does deprive them of a certain reality. This reality is more of a perception of the
world and humanity. Deprivation of novels like Huckleberry Finn, which certainly does not
advocate for racism as some think, but Twain uses his writing skills to prove that race does not
define a person's intelligence or capability for

"The Diary of Anne Frank", "The Catcher and the Rye" and "Gone With The Wind" are examples of
some famous books that have been made unavailable to students in public schools. These books,
along with many others have culturally shaped America. Future students will now grow up without
the knowledge these books have given past generations. This is due to censorship. According to
Vocabulary.com "To censor is to review something and to choose to remove or hide parts of it that
are considered unacceptable." In public schools censorship is a big problem. The schools district
will take a book out of students education because the books themes does not fit in with their ideals.
Other times, a parent will complain because a book is being taught that does not support their
religious beliefs. Public Schools should not censor literature based on intolerance for other
viewpoints, because it disadvantages students education by not exposing them to world issues.
Books are censored in public schools for many reasons. Sometimes because of language, themes and
religious viewpoints that the school district may not want to teach or expose their students to. The
NCAC (National Coalition Against Censorship) talks about how " individual sensitivities and
concerns, restricts the world of knowledge available to students . . ." ("First Amendment in
Schools"). Without necessary information about what is happening in the world students will be left
bewildered about other ways of life. Crystal

Persuasive Essay On Censorship In Schools
"When you tear out a man's tongue. You are not proving him a liar, you are only telling the world
that you fear what he might say." Proclaims George R. R. Martian. There is the never ending
argument of censorship in high schools. Censorship is the act of controlling what one writes or does
in order to maintain a false sense of control. This means in a high school such as our very own
Haysville High School students are not at liberty to write about controversial issues such as the
legalization of marijuana, abortion, gay rights, and immigration. To some censoring these topics is a
way of protecting their children. Others believe that most high school students are not mature or
intelligent enough to handle these topics. The First Amendment of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
First of all, According to Niki Fritz, a journalist for the Chicago Tribe, states "We want to protect
our kids as long as possible, but also we need to educate and empower them." For example, I agree
with this statement because of the fact that when students are allowed to research the topics that are
"forbidden" to write about they are becoming informed and conversant. Secondly, according to USA
Today when students are not constrained by censorship young writers understand journalism for its
accuracy, objectivity, and they learn that they are responsible for their own decisions. For example,
when a student writer takes on the challenge of writing about a topic that is arguable they are taking
a risk and are taking responsibility for any positive or negative judgment that they will receive from
anyone who reads their paper. Finally, Charles C. Haynes shares his concern about student
censorship by saying "It is bother strange and troubling that in the "land of the free" so many school
officials are afraid of freedom." For example, Haynes goes on to say that schools that give students
the right to exercise their right in the first amendment have more successful learning. In summary,
giving student journalists and writers the right to research debatable topics the students become
abreast with the facts and

According to "Oxford Dictionaries," censorship is "the suppression or prohibition of any parts of
books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security."
Censorship is therefore objective. An individual's interpretation of what should and should not be
public information may be completely different from the next, meaning that the smallest opposition
to academic materials could lead to a ban. Students' abilities to learn are hindered due to excessive
censorship in educational environments. By censoring textbooks and other educational resources,
pupils are not exposed to real–world topics and conflicts. They also create an intolerance for a
variety of opinions, limiting the amount of intelligent conversations and exchange of ideas.
Adolescents are sheltered from the world because controversial topics and issues are withheld from
them; this begins in schools. Through the amount of censorship present in academic institutions, a
pupil's comprehension of realities are skewed, and they do not possess the abilities to properly
handle situations as adults. According to "About Education; Censorship Found of the Increase" by
Fred M. Hechinger, the oppression of books, textbooks, documentaries, etc. in academies does more
harm than good for scholars. The article states, "He added that educators trying to combat drug
abuse find themselves under pressure to eliminate drug education programs; in the face of an
epidemic of teenage

Censorship in Public Schools Essay
because he thinks they might contain "obscenities or offensive sexual references"
(Berger
59).
–A Vermont high school librarian is forced to resign because she fought the school board's decision
to remove Richard Price's The Wanderers, and to "restrict" the use of
Stephen King's Carrie and Patrick Mann's Dog Day Afternoon (Jones 33).
–An Indiana school board takes action that leads to the burning of many copies of a textbook that
deals with drugs and the sexual behavior of teenagers (Berger 61).
These cases of censorship in public schools are not unusual and there is evidence that such
challenges are increasing (Woods 2). These challenges are actually typical of the ones being leveled
against school libraries today. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The courts have time and again ruled that the Constitution prohibits
Congress from censorship of any form.
These two opposing sides have butted heads again and again leaving behind landmark cases for
future legal actions. One of the most famous of those cases was Pico vs. Board of Education, Island
Trees Union Free School District No. 26, which was the first school library censorship case to reach
the Supreme Court (Jones 35). In March
1976, the Island Trees School Board in New York removed eleven books that they deemed
"anti–American, anti–Christian, anti–Semitic, and just plain filthy" (Berger 59) from the
high school library shelves. Among these books were Slaughterhouse Five by
Kurt Vonnegut, A Hero Ain't Nothing but a Sandwich by Alice Childress, and Soul on Ice by
Eldridge Cleaver (Jones 37). The board felt that it had "a moral obligation to protect the
children in our schools from this moral danger" (Berger 60). Five students then sued the
school board on grounds that their decision violated their First Amendment rights.
The suit was passed around the courts until June 1982 when the Supreme Court took up the cause
and ruled that the school board would have to defend its removal of the books.
The Supreme Court decided that since the library is used voluntarily, they can choose books there
freely and that, as Justice Brennan stated, "the First Amendment rights of students may be
directly and sharply

Essay on Censorship in Schools is not Justifiable
Censorship in School is Not Justifiable Walt Whitman once said, "The dirtiest book of all is the
expurgated book." Between the years 2000 and 2009 a total of 3200 books were challenged in
school libraries in an attempt to expurgate, or censor, the content in books provided to students.
Today the trend of censorship continues as popular novels such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in
Our Stars, and Captain Underpants are censored from schools across the nation (Challenges by
Reason).Censorship in regards to literature refers to the examination and suppressing of a book
because of objectionable material. The process of censorship in school libraries often begins with an
outspoken parent, teacher, student, or administrator and ends in the ... Show more content on
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Heinrich Heine states, "Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings."
Restricting the discussion of new and controversial ideas rather than tolerating and acknowledging
the presence of new and controversial ideas is causing more pain than it is worth in the school
setting. The idea of censoring reality from school libraries is unreasoned, yet that is exactly what
pro–censorship individuals advocate. The discussion and knowledge of new, controversial, and
necessary ideas among students is restricted due to censorship.
Censorship in school libraries allows teachers, administrators, peers and their parents to decide what
a student may or may not read based on their opinion. Opinion is variable between different groups
of people within the school; therefore, a single person or a small group of people cannot be trusted
to make decisions on the behalf of a larger group. Kekla Magoon argues, "That no one person can be
trusted to censor material, individuals can choose to be exposed to." Expurgation, banning, and
abridgement of books are not allowing students to learn how to guard themselves from topics they
do not personally believe in. Students would benefit much more if they practiced self–censorship
rather than depending on adults to make decisions for them. A

Persuasive Essay On Censorship In Schools
In todayś society we face many objections, as to how things are and how it will effect others.
Essentially, we can see censorship and other objections occuring more often throughtout our history.
Movies, books, Plays, etc. are currently and continuously being revised and looked over for the
reason of censorships that happen throughout the school in thus nation. This comenly is occuring
more throughtout schools. As parents, and teachers don´t want to obeject there kids or students to
things that ¨need¨ or should be censored; such as bad language, vulgur meanings/saying and more
often sex and drugs. Which under many advisments could be a nessesarry thing. Overall I do not
agree to the censorship in school to an extent. Essentially, Schools should not conduct censorship
unless it is a school that holds younger students. Heres the reasoning behind that; most students will
be subjected to all of those properties that are being censored in one way or another and even at
some point in there life. It is not our duty to hide away the real world. It is the saying ¨the more you
know the more you grow¨ that is when pretaining to knowledge. If we were to censor everything bad
thing, we would be putting off, and procrastinating the fact that they will learn and see these things
anyway. Isn´t important to fill children and students up with as much knowledge as possible? Yes
because the more they know the smarter they are, as well as being more equiped when facing life
towards there future. Some may say, well students don´t need to be hearing or even reading vuglar
language? But have we stopped to ask ourselves; is it perhaps that our children, students, children
are already being subjected to these kids of things? At school there is a plentiful amount of students
that already know and show the things that society is trying to mask. Therefore showing that not
matter how much you censor something it will always still be there and seen in one way or another.
Futhermore, another reason that items shouldn´t be censored in libraries, is simply based off of the
fact that, parents and teachers should have trust and faith in there children. Thus meaning that if
students are to pick up something that has bad and or vulgar things,

What Is the Objective of Internet Censorship in Public...
Shawn Nephi Klaxx
What is the objective of internet censorship in public schools? Is it effective and does it do more
good than bad? When talking about internet censorship in schools, heated debates are always bound
to arise on what they should block, how strict they should be, and if they should even be there. The
topic of fettered or unfettered internet is a hot topic and can be both good and bad for education.
When talking about something that sounds like such a small topic it is important to remember that
everyday our lives and the internet are becoming more and more intertwined. Now phones and
computers are almost always linked to the internet. In this ever evolving world that is becoming
more and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Just like everything else there are laws that are placed on the internet and these laws are expected to
be followed. When these laws are broken they can be punishable under two categories, Federal or
International (being that it is a World Wide Web database(No one owns it)). It is important to teach
students these laws and the consequences of breaking these laws. Because it is easier to teach a child
something then to teach them as a grown adult. Teachers and parents alike argue that Internet filters
should be applied but no one can come to an agreement on to what extent the strictness of these
filters should be. "Congress, in 2000 enacted the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) as part of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The act provides three different types of funding; 1) aid to
elementary and secondary schools; 2) Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants to States
for support of public libraries; and 3) the E–rate program that provides technology discounts to
schools and public libraries." ("Children and the Internet" National Conference of State Legislation).
This is a good way to protect children from harmful threats on the Internet. There is lots of harmful
material on the Internet though, "Perhaps most troubling is the role Internet has come to play in
bullying and harassment,highlighted by the series of high–profile suicides in the last few

Should Censorship Be Allowed In Schools
Censorship in schools should not be allowed. If parents want their children to have a firm
grasp on real–world issues with the help of school, then schools should be allowed to include
"real–world language" such as "curse" words and others words that may make people
uncomfortable. First, the children may not get the full effect of what they are learning whether it
be in a novel in English class or a textbook in History class if the works are censored. Second,
books that children may enjoy that have profanity in them being outlawed in certain towns or
school districts goes against their elders saying that they should read more. How does taking
certain books away from the kids institute a love of reading? Third, the profanity and ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
What more do
these other board members want?
In conclusion, censorship should not be allowed in schools. First, the children may not
get the full effect of what they are learning whether it be in a novel in English class or a textbook
in History class if the works are censored. The children may be losing out on learning about
valuable life lessons and real–world issues. Second, books that children may enjoy that have
profanity in them being outlawed in certain towns or school districts goes against their elders
saying that they should read more. A teen's enjoyment of a book that may include explicit
language or profanity, but at the end teaches the teen a valuable life lesson should not be
outlawed. How does taking certain books away from the kids institute a love of reading?

Third, the profanity and language found in some school texts is heard everywhere around these
kids, so I doubt that seeing it in literature should affect their psyche. From music, to TV shows,
to films, profanity/language/nudity is heard and seen just about everyone and is hard to avoid,

Is Censorship Harmful For School
Censorship is keeping knowledge or information away from any person. Just think if a community
was completely censored, everything and everyone would be the same, like in the book The Giver
by Lois Lowry. Nobody wants to the the same as someone else, us as people of the U.S. should be
able to be unique and different. Censorship is harmful to the community because it, restricts
children's learning experience, and restricts them from what the real world is really like. Some
people say censorship may be good for schools to some extent because it restricts students from
certain concepts that are inappropriate to teach. Although, that may be almost true, it is not. Many
people can argue that censorship is bad because it does not give students the full conception of
education (Censorship in the schools). Students could also learn how to discriminate and make
unthought decisions. If students were not growing intellectually, they could be controlled by many
people smarter than them because they do not know any better. "Censorship is harmful because it
results in the opposite of true education and learning" (Censorship in the schools). Just think if
parents, teachers, and school boards ban or restrict books from the students, is it good or bad? Many
people would say it is good because they do not want their children to read a book about violence,
that have cursing, or defacing of their religion. Also, many may say it is bad because it could keep
children from reading about

Censorship In Schools
Should students in public high schools have the right to access uncensored internet on the campus
computers or electronic devices? In an article by Occupytheory.org, Internet Censorship Pros and
Cons List, they believe that controlling students' access to the internet will keep students safe from
dangerous situations and unethical content. For example, filtering the internet in high schools can
prevent many issues like cyber bullying, pornography and protect students from becoming a victim
to predators. According to the Federal Communication Commission's web page it explains that there
is a law called (CIPA) Children's Internet Protection Act, which requires public schools and public
libraries to censor out certain websites or material that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the website, Technology in Education, a teacher who was not named blogged about how hard it
is to teach a lesson because some many websites are restricted. She went on to describe how things
have gotten better, but she goes on to a quote Melinda Anderson's from her article about internet
filtering in schools. "We sometimes think too much about the content that we block, and we limit
their opportunities to succeed, explore their passions, and discover their strengths and talents." There
is no doubt that if a teacher is having problems accessing vital information, it brings up the question
of how much important information are high school students missing out on especially for those
without access to the internet at

Censorship In Schools
The books read by High School students can vary from school to school, but are often similar and,
in the United States, often set by the state. Even this definition is too much for students. Teachers
should be allowed to decide which books are read by their students. An example of a specified
reading list is an anthology. Anthologies include specific texts, much like a mandated list, and
present it to students. Unfortunately, these texts are often edited and do not offer flexibility. For
example, Source C describes the censorship of Walt Whitman's poems. The omitted passages
"were... charged with homoerotic energy and sexual imagery" and were omitted by the editor, most
likely because they were considered inappropriate for the students

Censorship In School Libraries
Censorship is a strong topic now days in the school libraries. Some people think that we should have
censorship in the school libraries and other people would disagree with that and say that we don't
need censorship in the school libraries. For all you that don't know what censorship is, it is the
suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene,
politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. Some people would say that we need censorship
because we need to limit what our children can read about in our school. They say that if the
children read these things that are too graphic for them that this could lead to them either being
scared away from books or their minds might think differently in

High School Censorship Persuasive Speech
Many college students today might say, "Stick and stones may break my bones, but words really
offend me, so you can't say that." These students would be wrong legally to prevent others from
freely speaking their minds in public, but in a college classroom they would be awarded.
Censoring is not only in college classrooms, but in high school classrooms as well. It impedes on a
student's ability to develop and learn, hinders their ability to prepare for the modern–day world.
Although cliché, and very sadly so, it is very apparent that today there is almost nothing that can be
said that offends nobody. Thick skins have been replaced with fragile minds, and college students do
not even know the extent of the first amendment. However, these same students believe they have
the right to interpret the amendment their own way, and some believe they have the right to become
the judiciary system if the speech doesn't appeal to them.
When determining an opinion on any argument, it is important to start with the facts. In a survey
taken by John Villasenor, forty percent of college students surveyed believe that hate speech is not
protected by the first amendment, and twenty percent believe violence used to stop hate speech is
acceptable. All those students are wrong. Hate speech is protected by the first amendment, and using
violence as justification for ending hate speech is not legal.
While not everyone in society has to be a constitutional expert, college students today are
tomorrow's future lawyers, judges, police officers, etc. They need to at least know the extent of the
first amendment in the United States. Additionally, these students should know that since hate
speech is protected, responding with violence is by no means the answer as they will be the only
ones to find themselves in jail. These students must lower their fists, and pull out the textbooks and
construct the picket signs, using vigorous debate and peaceful protests as their response to bigotry.
The other problem is that judges don't sit outside or around college campuses and determine when
someone's right to free speech is infringed. Therefore, when a significant portion of the students
believe they have the right to silence or prevent the

Censorship Issues In High Schools
Young journalists in schools around America feel like they are being denied their first amendment.
In Ocean Lake high school 2 out of 5 school papers aren't published. Censorship issues have been
going on for years. The "Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier" Supreme Court case, in 1988,
states that students cannot be censored by student officials if they have established the paper as a
public forum(Innterobang/2007/3). Two of the articles were about teen pregnancy in, which he
interviewed some, and Parent divorce. The articles were thrown out because there was no time to
edit it, in which lead to the students claiming their first amendment was violated. If the paper
receives any funding from the school, the school can have special guide lines the paper has to
follow. Some of the rules are understandable like promoting drugs, hate articles, and much more
shouldn't be in a school paper. There have been numerous occasions where the students had abused
their first amendment. In 1986 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Like I said earlier, 2 out of 5 papers weren't printed in Ocean Lake high school. If teens are exposed
to real life problems they would be better off in the real world. Real life problems can be expressed
through the school paper.Thats a reason for the school paper not to be censored. In conclusion I
believe the school paper should be limited to censoring. There should still be censoring to an extent,
like when the kid had sexual puns in the paper. It's still school you shouldn't have stuff like that in
the papers. The censoring shouldn't get as bad as Ocean Lake high school. I think that teen
pregnancy and other teen issues should be in the school paper to inform and protect the teens of the
school. The first amendmaent is avalible for everyone and should be protected. I side with not
censoring the school paper. Which do you side

Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Schools
Censorship is "the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic or educational
materials ... on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of the standards
applied by the censor. Challenges to school materials have started to become a more prevalent and
common occurrence in society especially in public schools. Public schools usually address
censorship issues by taking one or more routes: imposing a list of acceptable literary works on all
teachers, providing guidelines for the school district, or giving full authority to teachers to choose
appropriate reading material and relying on their discretion. Advocates for censorship in school
often target material that discusses race, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity both directly and
indirectly. For example, many censors often objectify the teachings of Darwinism, the theory of
evolution, in science class because they feel that it conflicts with their own religious views regarding
the creation of "man". Other examples of frequently censored material include the open discussion
of sexual orientation and human sexuality in sex education or family life courses and course
curriculum that includes reading material such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn due to its
numerous racial references. According to the American Library Association, there are also more
than twenty other reasons for censorship, including the material containing or being: anti–ethnic,
cultural sensitivity,

Why We Shouldn T Censorship Be Allowed In Schools
Nudity, Profanity, and religious beliefs, oh my! What do all three of these things have in common?
They are all censored for the sake of our children. But think realistically; almost every child
anymore is exposed to these things whether or not parents want them to be. The outside world isn't
censored at all. People streak, curse, and state their religious beliefs at their leisure. There is no way
to guard a child from everyday life. In time, everyone will be exposed to those same concepts and
ideas that we are trying so desperately to hide from. Censorship is unnecessary and shouldn't be
interfering with people's daily lives.
So, what exactly is censorship? Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain
people find objectionable ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Books and videos are being banned as a result of parents and officials that don't want children
exposed to the material. Not only that, but teaching subjects such as evolution versus creationism
are being banned as well because some find them objectionable. The biggest offender in this case
are schools that only discuss creationism. Censorship is often arbitrary and irrational. For example,
classics traditionally used in English classrooms have been accused of containing obscene, heretical,
or subversive elements. Just a few of these books might include Plato's Republic, George Eliot's
Silas Marner, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Shakespeare's Macbeth, Herman Melville's
Moby Dick, and so many more. The truth is, literally any work is potentially open censoring by
someone, somewhere, at some time, for any reason. Even a modern, extremely popular book like
Harry Potter could be censored for something like witchcraft, and going against Christian beliefs.
The only thing that people are accomplishing by censoring school work is inhibiting everyone's
chance to be fully educated. If a parent doesn't want their child to see or read something in school,
then they should just homeschool their child rather than ruin it for

Essay on Censorship in Schools
Censorship in Schools According to "Freedom of Speech" by Gerald Leinwand, Abraham Lincoln
once asked, "Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its people, or too
weak to maintain its own existence (7)?" This question is particularly appropriate when considering
what is perhaps the most sacred of all our Constitutionally guaranteed rights, freedom of expression.
Lincoln knew well the potential dangers of expression, having steered the Union through the bitterly
divisive Civil War, but he held the Constitution dear enough to protect its promises whenever
possible (8). Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion
and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Frankfurter undertakes to clarify the obscure nature of the national spirit: "The flag is the symbol of
our national unity, transcending all internal differences, however large, within the framework of the
Constitution. This Court has had occasion to say that ... 'it signifies government resting on the
consent of the governed; liberty regulated by law; the protection of the weak against the strong;
security against the exercise of arbitrary power; and absolute safety for free institutions against
foreign aggression (26).'" Frankfurter in this way reduced the active issue to whether a governmental
authority was justified in determining appropriate methods to evoke and recognize the glorious and
liberating national sentiment (28). The answer, of course, was yes; that governments were most
certainly justified, as long as restriction was accomplished in the service of liberty. Frankfurter went
on: "Except where the transgression of Constitutional liberty is too plain for argument, personal
freedom is best maintained –– so long as the remedial channels of the democratic process remain
open and unobstructed –– when it is

What Is Censorship In School Libraries
Cynthia Chockalingam
Mrs. Kalwasinski
Language Arts
5 January 16
The Existence of Censorship in School Libraries
Whether books should be censored in school libraries is a serious, current problem. Many
individuals believe that censorship should be enforced in all school libraries. School books should
be age appropriate, follow the curriculum, and it should include a balance of all viewpoints. At
times, books can be atomic bombs, taking away from the community, leaving families broken. As
Mae West had said about censorship, "There's no dignity anymore and I think that's very important,"
shows that not having censorship takes away from our communities (West, 2016). Taking away our
dignity, values, character, and innocence. Censorship is only protecting us. Just as Henry Louis
Gates had said, "Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice," and censorship is an art which
requires practice and effort (Gates, 2016). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many books are challenged and removed from school libraries every year. From the interviews
conducted, 100% of parents believed that censorship should be enforced in school libraries (see
graphs 2 and 3). Having no censorship will increase fears in the parents of these children. Willingly
or unwillingly, these children will come home knowing things that parents regretted their children
finding for years. As Milos Forman had said, "The worst evil – and that's the product of censorship –
is the self–censorship, because that twists spines, that destroys my character because I have to think
something else and say something else, I have to always control myself," (Forman, 2014). No one
shouldn't rely on self–censorship because people may not be as safe as they think they are. People
may bump into new ideas that they aren't ready for yet. This would be a problem for all young
students. They need the adults in their lives to guide

Pros and Cons of Censorship in Schools
"Censorship is the process of suppressing something that is considered objectionable or offensive"
(Emert 1). In order for a work to become censored, some authority figure imposes restrictions that
establish what would be and would not be allowed to be put in front of the public for people to read.
The standards those in authority base their restrictions off of are the standards set by the publishers,
producers, and agencies of that work. Censorship is something that affects many people especially
in the school system; it normally causes tensions to rise. This is because someone feels that their
First Amendment rights have been violated. This most frequently happens in the school system
because parents, students, teachers, and or staff find a work offensive in some way and try to get it
removed. They bring it to the school board, and if severe enough, the case is brought before a judge
in court. In most cases the person or group that tries to get the work censored, loses the case. In
some cases, the person trying to censor does win. According to most school boards, they would say
that students have their full First Amendment rights, but that is not always the case. When it comes
to the Freedom of Expression, most schools find some way to censor, books, and articles especially.
Censorship in schools may have pros and cons, but most feel that there are mostly cons, where
censoring is a violation of their First Amendment rights. It violates some of the rights that the First

In today's society, a lot of teens ages 12–18 are constantly associated with mass media. Whether it is
books, movies, news papers, TV shows, or music, there are items of mass media that are censored
and some that are not. There are always going to be things that need to be censored, but why should
we ban these two books from the standard curriculum when they say racial slurs that were used at
the time it was written? Schools are removing the classic books, 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' and
'Huckleberry Finn,' from their curriculum because of racial slurs. However, these books meet every
other criteria in the curriculum. During the time period these books were written, there was a lot of
racial slurs and controversy. With that being said, would

Against Censorship In Schools
In the United States we tend to take our freedom of speech for granted. That is why it is important to
have groups like the National Coalition Against Censorship. "NCAC's mission is to promote
freedom of thought, inquiry and expression and oppose censorship in all its forms."(About Us,
2016) It is only through free expression that we are able to maintain this fundamental right.
Censorship can dangerously alter the views of the public by only showing one side of a
controversial topic.
NCAC is composed of a total of 56 organizations dedicated to the preservation of free speech and
the fight against censorship. Together they are a nationwide organization that combats censorship
both on the national and local levels. Recently, in Chesterfield, Virginia the school district was
facing criticism from parents who believed some books within a summer reading list were
inappropriate. The parents had requested that the books not only be removed from the reading list,
but also removed from school libraries. This would effectively create a local ban on the books The
books in question, Eleanor & Park, Dope Sick, and Tyrell, delve into topics such as domestic abuse,
substance abuse, and poverty. These are all important topics which the teenage readership need to be
aware of in their own lives. In reaction NCAC wrote to the school superintendent, Dr. James Lane,
with a plea that the books not be banned for the sake of free speech. The next month a school board
committee deemed the books appropriate and the ban was avoided. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Financing is a challenge for any non–profit. Aside from finances, gaining recognition and following
is the greatest challenge NCAC has faced. When fighting for free speech numbers really do count as
a few voices of dissent are nothing compared to masses. As such NCAC hosts many events in order
to spread their message and get more people

Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Schools
Censorship, the restriction of literature, news, art, etc. that's seen as inappropriate by those in charge.
America prides itself on being a land of freedom, but how is that possible when so many things are
still be censored to this day. This is especially common in schools. Popular books which have one or
two crude scenes or even words constantly get banned from libraries in high schools and elementary
schools. A person should make the decision whether or not to experience the censored material.
Censorship on important information and literature does more harm than good. When talking about
censorship, one of the most prime examples that stands out is the banning of certain literature within
schools. Which is absurd considering that a learning

Argumentative Essay On Censorship In Schools
Furthermore, censors can be parents, teachers, administrators, or community members (Kelsey).
Boyd and Bailey shared, "Although parents and guardians have the right to demand that their child
will not read a particular book or view a specific film, no one parent or guardian has the right to
demand that an entire classroom, school, or district should not read a particular book or view a
film." On the contrary, there are people who are against censorship, such as the School Library
Media Specialists. The SLMSs recognize that adolescents cannot be irreparably harmed by the
words and concepts of books (Kelsey). Charlene C. Cain, from Librarians and Censorship: The
Ethical Imperative, notes that "some censors have low tolerance for diversity, ambiguity, ... Show
Lopez establishes the argument that it is against human nature because people will do whatever they
want and in this case, read whatever they want. Humans are naturally curious and by investigating
they learn and develop maturity and a more cultured view of the world. Censorship in schools for
adolescents is preposterous because, at this age, they are venturing out and testing their limits.
Authority figures will not be able to stop this even if they try. Along with that, the more these
authority figures try to restrain adolescents, the more motivated they will be to continue pushing the
limits

Censorship In Schools: Article Analysis
In the December of 1965, Beth Tinker was suspended from school because she wore a black
armband to support a truce in the Vietnam War. This was an injustice and a violation to her
Constitutional rights as an American citizen. As stated by Bradley Steffens, "The First Amendment
means what it says: Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech. Censorship is
unconstitutional." This describes how students should have the freedom to say what they would like
to say, as abridgement of speech by the government, or government backed groups, such as the
school, is unconstitutional, and a violation of their rights. As citizens of the United States of
America, the students are protected by the Constitution, their right to free speech, and are ... Show
Attend a school board meeting or contact Tracey Malone at tracey.malone@camas.wednet.edu, to
support free student communication. Without the people's right to free speech, the nation as a whole
would be under major oppression, where all ideas would uniform, and expression would be non–
existent Remember the many students, no citizens that have been unconstitutionally silenced, but do
not fall victim to this oppression, voice all thoughts and

I Want To Have Censorship In Schools
I don't approve the fact that libraries want to do censorship. Library's should a range of books that
people can choose from, if someone doesn't want to read a certain book they have every right not to
pick it up and read it.
When I go to the library I usually don't know what I want to read, so having this variety of books
really helps me out. With there being so much you never have to read the same book once and there
are so many genres that you can read from. That means there is a book for everyone to read from
and can like. Having the ability to read what you want to read is your right and the schools shouldn't
be able to take that away from them.
When people want censorship I can see where people come from. In elementary school I can

The Pros And Cons Of Censorship In Schools
Censorship has been around for millions of years. Although censorship is still practised in some
countries today, almost anyone would agree that censorship is never the right answer; as we have
seen in the past, it has seldomly ever works out. Which is why it is so concerning that schools are
starting to allow censorship in classrooms. As a result of this, the world is seeing an alarming
amount of young millennials who are fresh into the workforce, expecting to always be catered to.
More and more millennials are not being properly prepared for the real world due to censorship in
schools; schools have been giving in and catering to students by allowing the censoring of books
and microaggressions in the classroom, as a result the students are being taught that the world will
cater to everyone, which is very inaccurate.
One of the many reasons student are not being prepared properly for real world issues is due to
schools allowing the censorship or banning of classic novels. An example of this can be seen in
many schools across the world by adding trigger warnings to classic novels. Trigger warnings are
being added to thousands of novels due to their brief content in which some students might take
offensively. In the article "The Coddling of the American Mind," Lukianoff and Haidt explain that
millennials have always been taught that "life is dangerous, but adults will do everything in their
power to protect you from harm "(Lukianoff and Haidt). This explains why schools are

Censorship is a threat to our intellectual freedom. However, many support the idea that books should
be banned from schools. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the
freedom of speech and press. The freedom of speech includes the freedom to have unrestricted
access to information. Yet throughout history, the movement against banning books usually falls into
three categories: political, moral, and religious.
With these disputes in mind, we will discuss the reasons we need to fight censorship in our schools.
Children are growing in a world where they have access to information on various forms of
technology that is both good and bad. Denying access to books deprives students and teachers the
opportunity to share ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Judy Blume writes in, "Places I Never Meant To Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers", about
the effects that censorship will have on students stating,
What I worry most is the loss to young people. If no one speaks out for them, if they don't speak out
for themselves, all they'll get for required reading will be the most bland books available. And
instead of finding the information they need at the library, instead of finding novels that illuminate
life, they will find only those materials to which nobody could possibly object. (Winkler, 2005) In
the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on Board of Education v. Pico, ruled that "school authorities
disapproval of materials or fear of misconduct does not supersede the constitutional rights of
students." (McLaughlin & Hendricks, 2017)
To say nothing of how this will impact our teachers and the capacity to teach is an understatement.
We entrust professionals with authority in education to teach our students reading, writing, speaking,
and listening. However, we limit the resources and flexibility to provide the best possible methods to
reach all students. Mark Twain's book, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", is frequently
challenged due to the language towards the African American community. However, Jocelyn
Chadwick, assistant professor at Harvard University, who's studied Twain's work, has concluded that
Mark Twain was not a racist, but was simply using the language of the time. Chadwick, as an

Should Censorship Be Allowed In Schools
Censorship has been a debatable subject since the beginning of media. With many supporters, and
non–supporters the topic of censorship is one of the most heavily debated topics of all time. In the
past there have been many debates about censorship, one of the most dramatic example being the
burning of books by the nazis during World War Two. Today however, in 2017 the debate of
censorship has moved into the schools. Censorship should not be allowed in schools so that students
can have one hundred percent of information accessible to them so that they can work to their full
potential.
Students today are not able to access all of the information needed to make their work the greatest
possible due to the many censorship rules at public schools

Censorship in Schools Essay
Censorship in Schools
There has recently been a renewed interest and passion in the issue of censorship. In the realm of the
censorship of books in schools alone, several hundred cases have surfaced each year for nearly the
past decade. Controversies over which books to include in the high school English curriculum
present a clash of values between teachers, school systems, and parents over what is appropriate for
and meaningful to students. It is important to strike a balance between English that is meaningful to
students by relating to their lives and representing diversity and satisfying worries about the
appropriateness of what is read. This burden often falls on teachers. The purpose of this research
paper is to discuss ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Censorship can take different shapes depending on the public school system: Schools can give
teachers a list of acceptable books to teach, just provide guidelines, or leave it up to the teachers to
judge which books are appropriate (Agee, 1999). Teachers are often very nervous about including
texts that are not traditional or specifically approved by the school, especially because of the highly
publicized cases of teachers whose careers have been ruined because of censorship debates in courts
and school systems (Agee, 1999).
First Amendment Rights Relating to the Censorship of Books
Censorship cases often bring about debates over students' first amendment rights. Students' first
amendment rights are important to preserve so that students can not be excluded from meaningful
works or literature. It is understandable for the government to design educational plans as a way to
get its voice into classrooms, but "the truth–promoting function of the First Amendment provides no
reason, however, to question the right of students to explore a variety of ideas and perspectives, and
to form and express ideas of their own" (Brown, 1994, p. 30). Schools already place a restriction on
religious material or material addressing current political controversy (Brown, 1994).
Censors typically feel as though the subject material of controversial books in the high school
English curriculum is too much for teenagers to handle (Shen, 2002).

Book Censorship In Schools
Book censorship is when specific materials are removed from public access, which causes American
schools to face challenges and curriculum modifications. To understand why book censorship exists
in America, the land of free, I will be conducting a research that will expand my knowledge on why
books are challenged in society, the process of censoring books, and the educational impact of book
censoring. I will also be exploring court cases, groups that challenge school materials, and ways to
avoid censorship in schools. The resources that will guide my research consist of political cartoons
and writers that have witnessed book or material banning. With the help of the authors' and
illustrator's experiences, I will understand the purpose of censoring

The Dangers of Censorship in High School Essay
The Dangers of Censorship in High School
Every day well meaning parents, concerned members of society, and Christian activist groups across
the country fight to censor the literature that is being taught in high school classrooms. The word
censorship carries all types of implications and angles; it involve s a denial of an author's right to
guaranteed freedoms of expression. However, as it relates to education, this issue goes a great deal
deeper than the standard First Amendment argument. In attempting to ban certain types of literature
from the classroom, censors are taking away the rights of teachers to prepare students for a reality
that their parents do not seem to think will ever affect them. They likewise deny students the ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Kristol (I 972) claims that "very few words of real merit ever were suppressed" (p. 649). This is a
difficult statement– to agree with because among the literary giants that have been repeatedly
censored are Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, and John
Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn has been
frequently attacked on the basis of racial prejudice. J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the
coming–of–age novel loaded with profanity, leads all of these as far as censorship votes are
concerned (Donelson, 1997). ) While these and hundreds of other books continue to show up on ban
lists in libraries across the country, activists like Kristol (1972) have asserted that "in the U.S.,
censorship has to all intents and purposes ceased to exist" (p.645).
Censorship in the classroom is about control. Gardner (1997) came to understand this concept when
he used "book burning" to make a point to his class while they were studying Fahrenheit 451. He
and his students burned some books, which were previously intended for disposal, to bring to life
the focus that Bradbury makes on the subject in the novel. His afternoon classes came in, having
heard about the activity in the hallways, excited and full of adrenaline at the thought of participating.

always want to apply their own morals when it comes to censorship and "acceptable" speech.
Nevertheless, these books help to prepare young adults for the real world when they leave home.
Clearly, we can learn many things from them, experience the pure enjoyment of literature, and allow
us to escape our daily lives. However, at some point in your child's life you have to allow them to
have freedom in what they read, so they can be independent later on in their life and make their own
decisions, especially about the books they read. Censorship is defined as follows ... "Any attempt to
suppress the expression of thought or to alter or restrict information is called censorship..."
("Censorship", article–9273576). Additionally , "In 1644 the English ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Censorship is that if ... "Any attempt to suppress the expression of thought, to alter or restrict
information ..." ("Censorship", article–9273576). Some parents do not want their children reading
certain books, due to use of profanity, too depressing, negative influences, sexual references and
racial content. There were many court cases to discuss the subject of banning books or whether the
school's actions with this matter were fair. The federal court couldn't even agree upon decisions
because everyone has there own ideas about age appropriate books. But, does anyone really know
what age is considered mature enough to read books that are labeled "too mature or violent"? 12, 16,
18, 21? However, no matter what age level, we all should be responsible for what we read but, only
read what you know, you can handle. As of today, there are fewer and fewer books being banned,
yet there are people who still want several books banned. Many people want these books off the
shelves in school libraries. There are many books that have been banned/ challenged for various
reasons, but that doesn't mean anyone can tell you what you can or can't read. Despite, the actions to
prevent certain books to be on school book shelves, students and other book lovers liked sharing
their thoughts with the world. They have been challenging books until

Censorship in Schools: Protect or Restrict

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