Censorship In Schools: Banning Books And Self-Expression
Censorship in Schools: Banning Books and Self-Expression According to Webster’s Dictionary, censorship is “stopping the transmission or publication of matter considered objectionable.” (Webster 115). Book-banning has been going on for a long time in the United States. Today, there is a group of reviewers who read questionable books to determine whether the objectionable material, such as racism and vulgar language, is outweighed by the educational value of the books in question. (Petress 1) There are ideas that are found in textbooks that are also in question. Evolution is the central idea that is in question when it comes to censorship in school. There have been many cases that have gone to the higher courts that dispute the teaching
…show more content…
(Hudson 1). There are a great number of schools in America today that have banned many things involved in self-expression. I do agree that there must be some form of a dress code emphasizing on what is socially appropriate for our teens. That does not mean that students who must wear a uniform to school should not be allowed to create their own individuality when it comes to body art, accessories or whatever makes them who they are. In an article that I found on the About web site, a mother of a 13 year old girl took her daughter to get her navel pierced. Her daughter was not rebellious; she was an honor student who wanted to express herself by proving that she could accomplish something that she feared. After she got the piercing, the 13 year old exclaimed “I’m so proud of me!” This was a powerful statement from a 13 year old when life at this age is confusing. (Hudson 1). I agree that there must be limits as to what is socially acceptable; however, the overall ban of self-expression and individuality will only cause rebellion. The next step after censoring what students are allowed to wear is censoring what they are allowed to read. Book-banning has always been a hot topic when it comes to censorship. I found a list of banned books in an article titled “Censorship and Book Banning in America.” These books include: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou. Reason: …show more content…
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution which states that mankind has descended from a lower order of animals (Censorship in Schools, IV, 4), contradicts with the basis of our government. The United States government is based on the bible. Therefore, if you take into consideration this idea that the U.S. government is based on the bible, teaching evolution to our students undermines the foundation of our government. However, Charles Darwin only crated a theory. We encourage our students to think outside the box. Creative thinking is a key process in developing any new idea. It is contradictory to refuse to teach a theory about evolution, while also encouraging student to come up with new theories of their own. The case of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes where Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in Dayton, Tennessee 1925 is the most studied case when it comes to the teaching of evolution. (Herndon 8). John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin’s Theory of evolution, which was against Tennessee law at the time. There are many opinions as to whether the case was a victory for either side, but the fact of the matter is that the information was now out and being talked about. A more recent case is McClean v. Arkansas which made it clear that in Arkansas, “Balanced Treatment” is to be used when teaching either evolutionary science or creation science. (Herndon 9). That is that if a teacher decides to teach either evolutionary or
(Hudson 1). There are a great number of schools in America today that have banned many things involved in self-expression. I do agree that there must be some form of a dress code emphasizing on what is socially appropriate for our teens. That does not mean that students who must wear a uniform to school should not be allowed to create their own individuality when it comes to body art, accessories or whatever makes them who they are. In an article that I found on the About web site, a mother of a 13 year old girl took her daughter to get her navel pierced. Her daughter was not rebellious; she was an honor student who wanted to express herself by proving that she could accomplish something that she feared. After she got the piercing, the 13 year old exclaimed “I’m so proud of me!” This was a powerful statement from a 13 year old when life at this age is confusing. (Hudson 1). I agree that there must be limits as to what is socially acceptable; however, the overall ban of self-expression and individuality will only cause rebellion. The next step after censoring what students are allowed to wear is censoring what they are allowed to read. Book-banning has always been a hot topic when it comes to censorship. I found a list of banned books in an article titled “Censorship and Book Banning in America.” These books include: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou. Reason: …show more content…
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution which states that mankind has descended from a lower order of animals (Censorship in Schools, IV, 4), contradicts with the basis of our government. The United States government is based on the bible. Therefore, if you take into consideration this idea that the U.S. government is based on the bible, teaching evolution to our students undermines the foundation of our government. However, Charles Darwin only crated a theory. We encourage our students to think outside the box. Creative thinking is a key process in developing any new idea. It is contradictory to refuse to teach a theory about evolution, while also encouraging student to come up with new theories of their own. The case of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes where Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in Dayton, Tennessee 1925 is the most studied case when it comes to the teaching of evolution. (Herndon 8). John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin’s Theory of evolution, which was against Tennessee law at the time. There are many opinions as to whether the case was a victory for either side, but the fact of the matter is that the information was now out and being talked about. A more recent case is McClean v. Arkansas which made it clear that in Arkansas, “Balanced Treatment” is to be used when teaching either evolutionary science or creation science. (Herndon 9). That is that if a teacher decides to teach either evolutionary or