Mapping the world's opinions

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Should schools be able to ban books?

Hundreds of books have been challenged or banned in schools throughout the US. These books are banned on a huge range of reasons, from obscene language to sexual content to violence to the discussion of menstruation. But all of these things are facts of life. Should academic institutions have the power to censor books?

No, schools should not be able to ban books

Schools should not have the capability to regulate what children are reading.

Banning books suppresses diversity

Prohibiting books restricts learning about other lifestyles. Explore

Books can be our best teachers

There is an abundance of information we can learn from reading. Explore

Banning books is an outdated practice

Society has become far more interconnected, multicultural, and plural since the practice of book burning first began. Because of this, there is no need for censorship given our commitment to understanding and embracing content that is foreign to us and reflects different beliefs than we have. Explore

Freedom of speech and expression

The First Amendment gives everyone the right to hear all sides of an issue to make their own conclusions and judgments. Banning books infringes upon this right by preventing a person from receiving and interpreting ideas. This prevents a meaningful exercise of our freedom of speech and expression. Explore

Yes, schools should be able to ban books

Schools should have the responsibility to regulate reading.

Children should not read about mature content

Children should not be exposed to topics such as substance abuse, violence, and sex at a young age. Explore

Books should be banned if they promote hate speech.

Hate speech is the public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. School is the place for young adults to get education and should not be manipulated to be a platform to disseminate hate and violence. Explore

Banning books is unenforceable

It is impossible to completely ban a book.

Books can be read outside of school

Children have access to books outside of school through their home, library, or bookstore. Explore
This page was last edited on Monday, 30 Mar 2020 at 18:04 UTC