Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
-The First Amendment
-The First Amendment
To censor something is to “remove or prohibit anything considered obscene, libelous, politically objectionable, etc” (Webster's new world college dictionary, 2004, p. 237).
When you look at the two statements above, one contradicts the other. When something is censored (books, movies, music, etc.) any thought of freedom of speech and the press is completely diminished. Therefore, censorship violates the 1st Amendment. Now, I understand there are things that offend people, but who is to say one thing that one person finds offensive is offensive to another person?
I also understand parents are concerned for their children, but a library should not deny other children the right to read a book just because one parent finds the content offensive. That brings me to a fact that astonished me: the Harry Potter series of books are the most challenged books of the 21st century (Harry Potter tops list of most challenged books of 21st century, 2006). Harry Potter excites children (as well as adults, I might add) and incites the use of their imaginations; how can this book be considered evil?
Censoring a child’s (or anyone’s for that matter) right to information and imagination is unconscionable. The thought of a world where everyone thinks the same and where the government regulates information frightens me. Information and ideas are what make life interesting. How can you deny someone the right to enjoy life and get the most out of it?
American Library Association. (2006, September 21). Harry Potter tops list of most challenged books of 21st century. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2006/september2006/harrypottermostchallenge.cfm.
Webster's new world college dictionary. (M. Agnes, Ed.) (4th ed.). (2004). Cleveland, OH: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
2 comments:
For the most part, I would agree with you. I believe, on the part of children, it is the parents responsiblity to monitor their children and "censor" the material themself. My daughter always read well above her level and fell in love with Judy Blume books in 2nd grade. There were some titles I felt she wasn't ready to read. I didn't ask the librarian to remove them from the library; instead, I told my daughter to show me the books first and then I would decide.
As a Harry Potter fan myself, I would have to agree. Who are we to judge what is appropriate reading material for all children? Bubbly has a good point, parents need to be actively involved in their children's choice of reading material. In my opinion, that is the best way to go.
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