RIHLA #19

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1. What are some of the reasons that books are banned in high schools?
One reason is to protect children from profanities. Another reason is to remove any sexual contented books that may reach the children's eyes. Racism is also a reason books are banned.

2. Do you agree with any of these reasons? Explain.

I agree to an extent about the books banned. I understand that parents want to keep their child from reading certain books with profanity, sexual content, and racism, and I agree because a child should not be reading such material until a mature age (i.e. fifteen or older). No one can really think of a nine year old handling the contents of a book that mainly contain profanity.

3. What reasons do you NOT agree with (this means that you think high school students SHOULD be able to read about these topics). Why?

The extent is the banning of books from libraries. Libraries are a place for all kinds of books. I think that kind of restriction shouldn't be placed because others, who are much older, may want to read those books, and those older people have a right to read those books.

I do think that high school students should be able to read these books. High school students are more mature than young children from elementary school; thus, high school students would be able to handle the profanity, racism, and maybe sexual content.

4. Who do you think pressures teachers on what they should or shouldn't teach?
I think parents pressure teachers about what they shouldn't teach because parents are usually the people at the front line to defend their children's innocence.

5. If one wanted to fight against book censorship, explain at least one way in which they could do so.

One way to fight against censorship is to work with community groups and talk about the rights of gauranteed by the first amendment.

6. Any other additional thoughts or comments?

I think that parents should take responsibility for what their children read without involving other people's choices. Children do learn from their parents, so making resposible reading should be included in raising a child.

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