The Dangers of Censorship in High School Essay - 2591 Words

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 authors 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†¦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 Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne Franks Diary of a Young Girl, and John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn has been frequently attacked on the basis of racial prejudice. J. D. Salingers 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.Show MoreRelatedCensorship and Material Selection Policies Essay863 Words   |  4 Pagesthat they are morally objectionable by the standards applied by a censor. It has been like this for ages. As long as someone has something to tell, another will be there to try and prevent them. Schools have been doing this for quite a while now and there is a need to stop it. Censorship of books in schools should not be allowed as many students will never get to experience classic literature if not exposed to it early on. Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receiveRead MoreInternet Censorship Essay example968 Words   |  4 Pagesas well as entertainment. Besides, it has a lot of dangers and harms for the users (especially for children). In Australia, the idea of ‘internet censorship’ began since 2003 by the Australia’s prominent think tank when researched about online habit of Australian teenagers and the dangers related to internet. This essay will discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of internet censorship plan in Australia. The Australian internet censorship plan has some advantages. First of all, it protectsRead More Censorship in Public Schools Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pagesreferencesquot; (Berger 59). -A Vermont high school librarian is forced to resign because she fought the school boards decision to remove Richard Prices The Wanderers, and to quot;restrictquot; the use of Stephen Kings Carrie and Patrick Manns 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 thereRead More Religion and Sexual Censorship in America Essay646 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Those of us who trust sexuality must not allow ourselves to be controlled by those who fear it (Marty Klein).† In America censorship has affected various mediums: print, art, television, and internet, as it pertain to sexuality. However the first amendment â€Å"protects† the right to free speak, and press. Congress has tried to pass bills to outlaw pornography, (but have failed) ban books for sexual content, and dictate what can be said on TV and radio. If the government is allowed to censor theseRead MoreCritical Response Fahrenheit 4511592 Words   |  7 Pagesprovoking novel which raises important concerns about what the future may hold. Predominantly told through the eyes of the protagonist Guy Montag Bradbury warns humanity of a future containing mind manipulation, abuse of technology and heavy government c ensorship. The purpose of this book is clearly to warn society of the path we are headed to if we continue to value new technology over knowledge by showing us â€Å"that although knowledge can cause disharmony, knowledge of the past can help prevent man fromRead MoreEssay on Censorship - The Negative Consequences of Book Banning1501 Words   |  7 Pagessat in at school, I remember at least one poster on the wall promoting reading. Throughout my school years, teachers have pounded into my head how important it is to read. In high school I had a list of books that I was required to read over my summer break so that I would continuously be educated. What I don’t understand is that if reading is so important to the learning process, then why ban a book? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of reading? If you ask me, all censorship does is preventRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1285 Words   |  6 PagesTV shows and Movies with a focus on cliques, either i n high school or in the work force, are popular in our society today. For instance the movie Mean Girls is about a teenage girl moving to a new school and being recruited into a high school clique. In this clique, the members exhibit the behaviors of people experiencing the psychological phenomenon, Groupthink. Groupthink is the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibilityRead MoreCensorship As A Form Of Oppression1075 Words   |  5 Pages In F451, Government uses censorship as a form of oppression, which is wrong because it takes away freedom and human rights. One way they do this is when firemen burn books to keep the populous from reading the books and obtaining information from them. Another way is how the government controls the people s every move, â€Å" My uncle was arrested another time†¦ for being a pedestrian.† Page 7. Similar to they way Nazi Germany controlled the populous of its time. And how on the train they playRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Is A Timeless Novel That Shows The Overtaking1386 Words   |  6 PagesFahrenheit 451 is a timeless novel that shows the overtaking of technology and manipulation of censorship. In America, technology has severely affected the way free speech is used and/or viewed. We are given the right to free speech to an extent. We are given free speech while the government has the power of censorship making our words selective and politically correct. This caus es outbursts of anger by the public. My purpose is to explain that this novel is important because, the oppression of freedomRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By F. Montag1378 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of censorship impedes the freedom and expression of individuals and dilutes the presence of divergent cultures and beliefs. It is ubiquitous in different forms of media, including books and technology, which leads to the perceived protection from dangerous notions or exposure to outside ideas. As a result of these fears and assumptions, countless books have been wrongfully banned including Fahrenheit 451 which not only conveys concepts such as freedom of religion, but of the dangers of replacing