Censorship

A detailed Summary of Censorship

There is an epidemic in our country, and it is spreading quickly. Its symptoms can be found in every town, city and even schools across the country. No, this epidemic is not AIDS or cancer: however, if avoided, its long term effects could be just as damaging.

As a society we want our young people to be literate, thoughtful, and caring human beings; however, we also attempt to control what they read, think, and care about. Our schools are supposed to be places where intellectual stimulation and discussion take place, where people come together to discuss and debate serious (and not-so-serious) issues to gather a better understanding of themselves, one another, and the world in which they live. This is why censorship of academic materials must be prevented. No group has the right to impose its ideas of politics, morality, or religion to an impressionable group of students who hold the right to inform themselves on all subjects and to exercise their own sense of reason.

School administrators who have chosen to disregard the concept of "freedom of speech" are robbing their students of some valuable lessons. Many students' experiences with self-expression have been developed under the magnifying glass of school regulations, which d

There are many rationalizations used by people to promote censorship. The first explanation is that ideas presented are "false" and/or "dangerous" by standards of the authorities and so they must be suppressed or punished. The second is that the minds of those who would be subjected to the censored ideas are not capable of seeing the "falsity" and would hence be led astray (Alpert 10). The most challenged books deal with the following subjects: sex, feminism, teen rebelliousness, AIDS, homosexuality, the negative African-American experience, and non-Christian viewpoints. The overwhelming majority of book objections come from parents in the community who have no authority to decide what should be censored and what should not be censored (Clark 54).

Censoring academic materials presents a great threat to our future because it is not allowing students to maximize their guaranteed rights. Literature is meant to evoke thought and censorship prevents this. Censorship will always be around, but it is imperative that we continue to fight it. It creates a world where there is no free thinking, and most importantly no change. Freedom of expression is valued in our society because it is the only means to ensure that ideas - both good and bad - are not stifled. When censorship wins, everyone loses.

Students should be taught objectively in order for them to make unbiased decisions. That is why it is in public interest for publishers, librarians, and administrators to make available the wides

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Approximate Word count = 1007
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics