Submitted by Greg Alderete.
Banning books in high schools is a detrimental practice that undermines education, restricts critical thinking, and deprives students of the opportunity to explore diverse perspectives. At its core, education is about expanding minds and fostering intellectual curiosity. By censoring certain books, we limit students’ exposure to challenging ideas and deny them the chance to develop their own informed opinions.
Books often serve as windows into different cultures, historical events, and societal issues. When we ban them, we rob students of the opportunity to understand complex subjects such as racism, inequality, mental health, or personal identity. Shielding young people from these realities does not protect them—it simply leaves them unprepared to engage with the world as informed, empathetic citizens.
Furthermore, banning books sets a dangerous precedent for intellectual freedom. High school students are at a crucial age where they are forming their beliefs and values. Suppressing literature sends the message that some ideas are too dangerous to be examined, discouraging students from questioning authority or thinking critically. This practice stifles creativity and diminishes the value of free expression, which is fundamental to a healthy democracy.
Lastly, many books that are banned contain valuable life lessons. Classics like To Kill a Mockingbird or The Catcher in the Rye challenge students to reflect on morality, justice, and human relationships. Denying access to these stories not only diminishes their education but also their emotional and social growth. Instead of banning books, schools should encourage thoughtful discussion, promoting understanding rather than fear of difficult topics. Thank you, Miss Branick for exposing me to so many controversial books.
Agree! Students need to be encouraged to expand their intellectual world. We need more not fewer educated citizens.
It’s an unmistakable connection from the 2024 Nashville book burning (by Christians) and the book banning culture wars now, to the Nazi book burnings in 1933. Why can’t some people see the light? Education has already failed us critically.
PS I would include two sobering photo from then and now, but I can’t figure out how.
I wonder what the so called “Christian” far right will do next, follow the example of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and do away with the educated populous? I am a Christian and find their attitude and actions abhorrent.
Right, so if you’re going to ban books based on violence and sexual content, the Bible should be first on your chopping block. Seriously, it’s a tome filled with bloody battles, scandalous affairs, and divine mayhem—hardly the family-friendly bedtime story you might think. You claim you’re protecting innocence, yet you conveniently overlook a book that’s as racy as any Hollywood blockbuster. It’s ironic, isn’t it? If censorship is your crusade, then the Bible deserves an equal share of your outrage. Let’s call it what it is—a monumental work of shockingly raw, historical literature, not a sacred guide for toddler tales.
I completely agree with Greg’s eloquent points. Free people read freely! And students who don’t learn to think critically will be unable to accurately judge the rampant disinformation flooding their social media feeds.
German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine said that who was burning books was also liable to burn people. I’ll never forget that this was was the thesis on which we had to write a graded composition in ninth grade.
By that time, I had smuggled home books in grade two that my mother hadn’t approved me of reading, and I had discovered myself why (the content was not educative; but even she couldn’t deny that it introduced me to the genre of dystopia and Sci-Fi). I had read books that were meant for (young) adults, and I was a fervent fan of Shakespeare – in the plays’ double- and triple-entendred original if you please!
Had all these books been banned back when I immersed in them, my reading horizon today would be diminished and bereft; I was definitely a precocious reader, and any age label alone would have numbed my brain. Besides, what with everything being shown on TV (three channels only, back then!) – what hypocrisy to ban books! Just consider what’s on the news …
If we stifle authors’ voices, it’s as if we killed them off. And yet, we watch TV programs and listen to real people with all their messages and pseudo-messages. The world is an abundance of voices, and according to human rights, everybody’s voice is considered equal. We also all have brains. Let’s use them! Censorship means prohibiting somebody else to use their brains.