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https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2021/09/14/books-and-other-resources-banned-central-york-school-board/8333108002/

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Brownstein, R. (2022, April 5). Book bans move to center stage in the red-state education wars. Retrieved June 16, 2022 from https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/politics/republican-states-book-ban-race-lgbtq/index.html

Hardin, J. (April 26, 2022).  Texas librarians: Book bans are a political power play and your kids are the pawns.  Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX).

Retrieved ----June 15, 2022---- from Points of View.

Hines, B.  (December 23, 2021).  As we move into 2022, lets remember our full history, including the racial injustices. (Some officials would prefer we forget) | Opinion.  Miami Herald, The (FL).

Retrieved ----June 14, 2022---- from Points Of View.

The Learning Network. (2022, February 18). What Students Are Saying About Banning Books From School Libraries. Retrieved June 16, 2022 from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/learning/students-book-bans.html

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- Kids/Teens
They are affected by this the most because they will be on the receiving end of these bans. Banning books from school libraries, public libraries, and schools only damages the education and knowledge of history for the children.
- Teachers
By banning certain topics you're also banning books that are educational and factual that help teachers to teach more effectively.
- Authors
Authors are on the receiving end of these bans as well because they have to face the fact that officials are banning their books because they don't agree with it.
- Libraries
Libraries not only have to remove books from their inventories they also have to deal with the harm of officials trying to charge the employees for carrying books they do not approve of.

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- The boards of education: These people are responsible for making sure every child or student is not reading anything that is not appropriate for their grade level, academic standards, or even to learn about life and the world around them.

- Parents: They also contribute to this issue because they are the personal guardians of students who also want to make sure that their child's learning is okay and age appropriate (no sensitive topics, no explicit information; etc.).

- Critics (individuals who challenge): They advocate for the prohibition of certain topics that are not considered appropriate for readers and do not really corroborate with the first amendment of the U.S. constitution (freedom of expression).

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1. Toni Morrison’s books, The Bluest Eye and Beloved has both been banned in terms of its contents, and a school board in Wentzville, Missouri had voted 4-3 to take out The Bluest Eye from the district’s high school libraries at a board meeting held on the 20th of January. (Time, “Why Toni Morrison’s Books Are So Often the Target of Book Bans” by Olivia Waxman, January 31, 2022)

2. Kids would accept books if they feel that they can relate to it, such as the novel “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton that positively affected the minds of middle-schoolers to be great readers. (The Washington Post, "Why your kid should read banned books" by Regan McMahon, September 27, 2019)

3. According to Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, she said speeches are censored everyday by big tech companies and that it may always be without the supervision or transparency. Examples like protest content that revolve around Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ have been removed on social media platforms such as Facebook. CBS News, "How free speech is under attack in the U.S." by Mark Hudspeth, February 20, 2022

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The major idea of this issue is that officials are banning books that they deem inappropriate. This is mostly done by republican officials that run red and conservative states. Banning books is a type of censorship for age groups or society as a whole. Most of the books that are targeted are books that are written about slavery, LGBT+ topics, and racism in america.

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Banning a book or challenging it is a kind of strategy that is used to identify any illegal or inappropriate form of publication in any type of literature. At times, the government or critics is able to examine the author’s work before submission if it has met the necessary requirements or expectations (information is non-offensive to its audience and is hopefully not deemed ready for censorship). The objections or challenges to literature can be determined by three categories of matter: Political, Moral, and Religious. There have also been historical instances of book bannings that were very controversial in the past and have even influenced the minds of our society today.

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The Censorship and/or book banning issue is a concern for the United States because it pertains to not only child education but also possible infringement of democratic or political views.

The freedom to read in schools is also restricted as republicans and lawmakers are reportedly introducing 150+ state laws that will regulate how teachers can discuss certain things in the class like race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The issue has also gotten more prominent in states like New Hampshire where teachers are now limited by a law that watches out on what they say about racism and sexism. In addition to that, a conservative group offers a $500 bounty to anyone violating the law in which, if an individual does go against it they will lose their license or employment. Recently, there have been reported new speech categories that are harm-potential to people and it involves a concept of disinformation where you give in to false ideas that can cause harm or to exclude specific people, according to John Powell who is a professor at US Berkely. However, it also ties in to a good knowledge on the first amendment and how we know its relation to free speech.

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Event: The publication of John Milton’s pamphlet, Areopagitica

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Event: The publication of John Milton’s pamphlet, Areopagitica

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Date: The pamphlet was published on November 23, 1644.

Description: The pamphlet, in which John created a speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing, targeted the parliament of England in 1644. He opposed censorship in which publications had to be brought down under government control by forming numerous censors that authors would need to make submissions to of their work in order for them to be approved.

How it shaped/contributed to the issue?: This story shaped the issue of censorship today because John Milton’s pamphlet ‘provided the framework for modern opposition to censorship’, which means that the speech was so influential to society’s beliefs of anti-censoring and it has been a huge help on countering the ideas of why the government should not prohibit the literature works of others when it is connected to the first amendment of the constitution.

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Event: The ALA (American Library Association) hosted an event called the Banned Books Week in 1982 and has become a traditional event to celebrate.

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Event: The ALA (American Library Association) hosted an event called the Banned Books Week in 1982 and has become a traditional event to celebrate.

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Date: The year of origin/first occurrence was in the year 1982.

Description: The event was launched to celebrate the freedom to read and libraries, bookstores, publishers, and teachers across the United States used the week (not specified but in 2019 it has been continued on the week of September 22-28) to value books that have been challenged and to discuss thoughts and ideas surrounding censorship.

How it shaped/contributed to the issue?: This story shaped the issue of censorship today because it brought banned books together and found approval or acceptance in their content. The ALA decided to start this historical event that has now become a tradition in the nation and it contributes to the issue of censorship because it takes the stand opposing the prohibition of books and it promotes the lesson of the first amendment, which is the right of speech in publications such as those of literature.

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Event: In the mid 1800s, John Stuart Mill, who was an English philosopher, proposed that governments should limit the freedom of speech, solely on if it is harmful to others. 

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Event: In the mid 1800s, John Stuart Mill, who was an English philosopher, proposed that governments should limit the freedom of speech, solely on if it is harmful to others. 

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Date: The middle of the 19th century.

Description: The English philosopher wrote a book titled “On Liberty” that was on freedom and he felt that it was wrong to have citizens be silenced by the government and that they had the right to self-expression.

How it shaped/contributed to the issue?: This story contributed to the issue of censorship today because John Stuart Mill supported going against censorship and he also used the first amendment of the constitution to prove that the government is being contradictive of their principles for the people. The first amendment states the freedom of expression and speech which mainly concerns authors because their own work is being criticized or had legal action being taken against their freedom to write about anything.

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Event: Republican officials have passed bills and laws that restrict certain topics.

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Event: Republican officials have passed bills and laws that restrict certain topics.

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“Since 2021,  more than a dozen Republican-controlled states have passed laws or approved executive branch policies that restrict how public school teachers can talk about race, gender and sexual orientation.” (Citation - Brownstein, 2022, Pg. #1)

This has shaped/contributed to the issue because policing what topics teachers can talk about leaves out important history that needs to be addressed in order to avoid future conflict alike. Not being able to talk about certain topics leads students to committing their own research and in order to do that you would need articles, books, and reports to find valid information.

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In this side of the argument, people argue that we need to legalize the prohibition of certain forms of literature to protect all ages and communities, especially children, from anything sensitive or inappropriate for their age or that will make their learning uncomfortable and complicated.

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Event: County official considers criminal charges against library employees

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Event: County official considers criminal charges against library employees

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"A county prosecutor in Wyoming considered criminal charges against library employees for stocking books such as "This Book is Gay."" (Citation - Hardin, 2022, Pg. #2)

This has shaped/contributed to the issue because seeing how far they would go just to get books off of shelves because they don't agree/like what it's about. This is an issue because wanting to press criminal charges over books that don't talk about what you like is a serious issue and shouldn't be taken lightly.

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On this side of the argument, people state that censorship of literature should be illegal because not only does it cause authors of certain novels or writings to get their work heavily criticized thus not get the amount of recognition they deserve for their effort, but it also comes into conflict with the freedom of expression and/or speech (first amendment of U.S.) which as American citizens, could make them lose this right.

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Event: Gov. Ron DeSantis refers to the "critical race theory" as crap.

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Event: Gov. Ron DeSantis refers to the "critical race theory" as crap.

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“But instead of learning from our mistakes of the past, some of our elected officials are seeking to shut out or past, or history, completely. Why, our very own Gov. Ron DeSantis has called critical race theory “crap.”
(Citation - Hines, 2021, Pg. #2)

The ‘critical race theory’ is based around the idea that racism is systematic in our institutions and functions to keep white people in dominant roles of our society. This has contributed to the issue because choosing to ignore something as important as this shows what your agenda is when banning these topics. Shutting out something significant to american history such as slavery is choosing to directly ignore the problems and imperfections in history that contribute to modern day problems.

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Some books prior to banning may be deemed religiously inappropriate by church institutions for their content and/or interpretation. Western religious doctrines may go against some translations from the bible or that have included personal insight of text in which can be challenged by the church authority. For instance, Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" has been banned because of its offensive depiction of the Prophet Muhammad to Muslims.

(Aliprandini. Sprague. (2022). Page 3.)

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People that argue for censoring often claim that the books they are banning are inappropriate

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People that argue for censoring often claim that the books they are banning are inappropriate

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“Alicia Farrant, a mother and school board candidate in Orange County, Florida, described her state's version of these proposals as proof that parents "will not cower to the divisive agendas that are infiltrating our public schools in order to corrupt and destroy the educational foundations of our great nation." (Citation - Brownstein, 2022, Pg. #3-4)

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What makes officials want to ban/censor certain books?

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What makes officials want to ban/censor certain books?

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My research had revealed that “Certain bans are the result of legislation that bars school curriculum from including diversity and equity topics, such as the study of racism and inequality and themes relating to sexuality and gender identity,"(Citation - Ramos, 2022, Pg. #1-2). I learned that officials only ban books that seem to make themselves uncomfortable. As students don't understand the significance unless they are taught it a certain way.

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How is banning books beneficial towards kids?

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How is banning books beneficial towards kids?

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From my research I learned that being able to ban books has "increased civic behavior (doing good for society) and low risk of antisocial behavior,"(Citation - “Stetson Today,” 2014, Pg. #1-2). This means that having the ability to ban certain books for certain age groups decreases the chances of having social anxiety and an increase within civic behavior.

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This issue is a concern for the nation because "removing books about issues faced by marginalized groups is a way to ignore them, a way to minimize the issues faced by those groups,"(Citation - “The New York Times,” 2022, Pg #2). Book bans not only harm groups and individuals it also harms libraries. The "harm book bans pose librarians, the censorship of titles that address race, sexuality and gender identity allow children to feel seen,"(Citation - Hardin, 2022, Pg #3). Not being able to read about certain topics only damages children's education and knowledge on those topics and leave them unprepared for the real world.

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For my proposal it's going to have a restriction on what books you can ban and who you are banning it for. The level of government for this proposal would be at the national level because there are books that are banned in some states while they aren't in other states. This will address the issue because acknowledging the harm that this has caused for pre-teens and teens and wanting to fix this is helping to assess the issue as well as help benefit all teen education alike.

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I believe that students, schools, and libraries should have the right to read controversial books that teach about topics that are necessary to be able to survive in society. My research led me to my view on this topic because I was able to see how this problem occurred and why it happened in the first place. This led to my POV because I believe that everyone should be able to read any topics discussed in books. Knowing about modern issues and similar versions of it from the past is very helpful to not only you as an individual but also to society. My research has taught me a multitude of ways that being able to have access to big issues in books is helpful to one's knowledge of reality and education in general.

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Ever since the challenge of books, many officials have connected the issue to the first amendment of the U.S., which we know as the freedom of expression and speech. Because of this conflict in rights, librarians and many others see the book banning as a direct erosion of the amendment that is through censorship.

(Aliprandini. Sprague. 2022. Page 3.)

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What are the thoughts of children who could not read banned books?

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What are the thoughts of children who could not read banned books?

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Prevents them of thinking critically about the world and their surroundings

Forcing to get rid of a book to a community is a way for someone to force their opinions and beliefs negatively.

Removing books with issues that marginalized groups face is a tactic to silence them and minimize the significance they hold.

(The New York Times, 2022, Page 1)

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People that argue for not censoring often claim that it harms kids' education as well as their understanding of the real world.

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People that argue for not censoring often claim that it harms kids' education as well as their understanding of the real world.

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“Having access to those types of books is important because it helps us as students learn more about  people’s perspectives and helps us become more open-minded in the real world” (Citation - “The New York Times,” 2022, Pg #7)

"To strike a book for violence, sex, or sexuality is to say that these subjects are not worthwhile to learn about, that they are not relevant to our lives in the real world. Reality is not censored or sanitized; reality is full of experiences dealing with these subjects, and we owe it to the coming generations to make them ready to process those experiences." (Citation - “What Students Are Saying About Banning Books From School Libraries," 2022, Pg #12)

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How does book banning differ in various states of the United States?

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How does book banning differ in various states of the United States?

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My research revealed that in Georgia, a legislation that awaited Governor Brian Kemp's signature will provide school principals the power to take away obscene books from their libraries. In Tennessee, school libraries will be required to determine which books are appropriate. For Florida, the state signed a law in March 2022 that prohibits classroom learning on topics such as sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools.

(NBC News, 2022, Page 1)

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My stance on this issue is that we should not make censorship legal in the U.S. because I think it disobeys the freedom of expression and speech for authors as well as possibly making student learning less comprehensible in the classroom because students wouldn’t be able to experience quality or interesting topics or subjects that are interesting yet informative.

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For my proposal, it will require school teachers to team up with the boards of education prior to selecting a book or any literature to show to the class. By doing this, teachers will be assured of students’ safety for learning on certain topics to be discussed about such as if they were to talk about the Holocaust; they will get approved by the boards of education to see if the specific material the teacher is willing to use is appropriate for student learning and is set up for great academic growth for students. The level of government for this will be at the national level because I want every state to be able to have students learn about such topics openly and unproblematically (-teacher’s approval). This initiative will decrease chances of censorships in any reading-related material and hopefully make the thought of whether censorship should be legal not be often discussed and debated seriously.

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Recently, there have been reported new speech categories that are harm-potential to people and it involves a concept of disinformation where you give in to false ideas that can cause harm or to exclude specific people, according to John Powell who is a professor at US Berkeley. However, it also ties in to a good knowledge on the first amendment and how we know its relation to free speech.

(Hudspeth. 2022. Page 1.)

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People ban books because they've checked the book's content and read/see things that aren't so appropriate for children.

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People ban books because they've checked the book's content and read/see things that aren't so appropriate for children.

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“Why do people ban books? Often it’s for religious or political reasons: An idea, a scene or a character in the book offends their religion, sense of morality or political view. Some folks feel they need to protect children from the cursing, morally offensive behavior or racially insensitive language in a book. Or they think a book’s content is too violent or too sexual.”

(McMahon. 2019. Page 1)

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Banned books have shown a positive influence on students.

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Banned books have shown a positive influence on students.

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“Kids crave relatable books. Banned books often deal with subjects that are realistic, timely and topical. Young people may find a character going through exactly what they are, which makes it a powerful reading experience and helps the reader sort out thorny issues such as grief, divorce, sexual assault, bullying, prejudice and sexual identity. The compelling teen rebels story “The Outsiders” has been banned, yet many middle-schoolers cite it as the book that turned them into readers.”

(McMahon. 2019. Page 1)

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English Poet, John Milton opposes Censorship because it would require his work to be submitted through censors. 

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English Poet, John Milton opposes Censorship because it would require his work to be submitted through censors. 

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“The movement against the banning of books also has a long history. One major landmark predating the twentieth century was the publication of John Milton's pamphlet Areopagitica, a Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing, to the Parliament of England (1644). The Areopagitica provided the framework for modern opposition to censorship. This order which Milton opposed was designed to bring publishing under government control by creating a number of official censors to whom authors would submit their work for approval prior to publication. Milton argued that pre-censorship of authors was little more than an excuse for state control of thought.”

(Waxman. 2022. Page 1)

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Aliprandini, M. Sprague C. (5/31/2022). Banning Books: Overview. Points of View: Banning Books.

Retrieved June 14, 2022 from Database. https://web.s.ebscohost.com/pov/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=9f46e95c-bc6d-49cc-9e91-1fcf67221e86%40redis&bdata=J—-----nNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#AN=22830431&db=pwh

McMahon, R. (2019, September 27). Why your kid should read banned books. The Washington Post.

Retrieved June 15, 2022 from URL.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/09/27/why-your-kid-should-read-banned-books/

Hudspeth, M. (2022, February 20). How free speech is under attack in the U.S. CBS News

Retrieved June 16, 2022 from URL. https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/how-free-speech-is-under-attack-in-the-u-s/

Waxman, O. (2022, January 31). Why Toni Morrison’s Books Are So Often the Target of Book Bans. Time.

Retrieved June 16, 2022 from URL. https://time.com/6143127/toni-morrison-book-bans/