Published November 6, 2024
BY ZANA BALABAN
What is society really afraid of when banning books? Controversial ideas? Or the power of those ideas to spark change?
According to PEN America, a nonprofit organization defending free expression, book bans tripled last school year with over 10,000 documented instances in the United States. These still include classics such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” all great works of historical American fiction present in Carmel High School’s English curriculum that enrich understanding of history and the diverse experiences that shape society.
While a formal book challenge has never been submitted to the CUSD school board, CHS librarian Phil Crawford says informal complaints are somewhat common and reflect national trends. Crawford receives comments on both classic pieces of literature and modern stories such as “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson–an eye-opening story about a 13-year-old girl’s rape–disputed by a CUSD parent for its supposed “pornographic” material. These complaints directly echo the banned book lists from Moms for Liberty, an extremist political organization, and local parents may incorrectly dispute a piece of literature simply by finding it on an advocacy list.
Book challenges infringe on First Amendment rights by violating the freedom of speech and the right to access information. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this position in a 1982 ruling. Why is a country that prides itself on free speech the host of a growing movement to suppress it in libraries and classrooms?
According to the American Library Association, Florida currently leads the country’s ban surge. The New York Times’ revisionist historiographical work “The 1619 Project” and fiction such as Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give” have been removed over their portrayal of critical race theory, police violence and racism. However, reading about difficult and often painful topics significantly affects students’ empathy and understanding of the complexities of racial issues. Many criticized books help readers better understand the world.
J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series continues to make headlines when religious groups–namely Christian communities, according to ALA–argue that the series promotes ideas of witchcraft and dark magic among children. These novels are works of fiction. They are meant for entertainment. As it happens, Rowling’s work improves attitudes about immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and refugees. A study published in the Journal for Applied Psychology, titled “The Greatest Magic of Harry Potter: Reducing Prejudice,” found that the themes in the novels, particularly those related to tolerance, acceptance and the fight against discrimination, effectively teach empathy and reduce prejudice.
Censorship is a failure to recognize that one person’s preferences shouldn’t dictate what others can read. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment allows parents to opt their children out of public school assignments they deem inappropriate. While there is validity in this right, it in no way should affect other students. In 2016, the National Coalition Against Censorship agreed that “Even books or materials that many find ‘objectionable’ may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgments and standards, not individual preferences.”
Book bans should not impact public schools and libraries. It’s not just censorship, it’s an erasure of history, culture and critical thinking.
