Persuasive Essay 1350 words (Due in 8 hrs)
heroquest
EssayComments.81.docxMichael Hernandez was a 14-year old boy who attacked his classmate in the school’s bathroom, stabbed him fourteen times, and proceeded to slit his throat. Hernandez’s only motive for the crime was that he always dreamt of becoming a serial killer after he read the book “American Psycho”. He claimed that he got inspiration from Patrick Bateman, the serial killer featured in the book (Mogaard 1). Cases such as Hernandez’s continue to be used in championing for the banning of books that contain content that would influence young minds that are easily influenced by what they read. Every year, books are banned from circulation in public universities and libraries. Censorship of books is not only appropriate, but it is also mandatory if at all young minds are to be spared from negative influence.1
Banning of books is necessary as it ensures that children do not stumble upon violent, sexual, or manipulative content. According to Brenyo (541), one of the most cited reasons for banning books is the presence of sexual situations or dialog. The books are banned to protect the innocence of young children, who could easily be influenced to experiment with the sexual actions without having a clear understanding of the consequences. Thus, books having explicit sexual content may be eradicated from the market to prevent them from falling into young people’s hands. Nonetheless, Ringel (1) argues that books should not be banned as they present opportunities for discussing uncomfortable topics. Without the topics being addressed, the society is denied an opportunity to address them. However, the banning of books does not prohibit their circulation, as the books can still be available in other formats. Therefore, banning books is only aimed at protecting young people from undue exposure to explicit content.2 Comment by Owner:
Existing research provides a link between books and wayward or criminal behavior. Stevens (20) showed a subtle relationship between reading violent literature and the likelihood to commit violent actions. Thus, violent books and other books promoting negative behavior should be banned as their effects are backed up by valid evidence. Nonetheless, in a study conducted by Phillips and Strobl (56), the authors did not find a correlation between reading books encouraging violence and actual violent acts. As a result, literature containing violent depictions does not have a major impact on youth influence to engage in violent behavior. The results of the study could be generalized to indicate that books do not substantially influence young adults to indulge in negative behavior. Still, studies that have been conducted to determine the effects of books on children’s behavior have not been addressed extensively. The available literature is limited, making it unsubstantial to be generalized to the entire youth population. As a result, although there could be existing research failing to provide a link between violent books and violent actions, it would be impractical to take a chance with children’s welfare. It would be better to ban books that would potentially harm the youth than to allow them to circulate freely, causing irreversible harm to young minds.4 Comment by Owner: Comment by Owner:
The claim that First Amendment rights provide everyone with equal opportunities to exercise their rights should not be used as a basis of arguing against the banning of books. First Amendment rights should not be offered freely to anyone, but they should be limited based on the context. For instance, prisoners’ rights to freedom of association are limited as they have to abide the laws and regulations of prison institutions. Therefore, the law is not written in stone. Also, when interpreting the law, it should be one on the basis of the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law (Weinsten 85). Thus, the society should consider the intentions of U.S. forefathers when forming the Constitution. They would have wanted each person to be provided with the opportunity to enjoy their constitutional rights, but they also considered that the rights were attaché to responsibilities.5 Comment by Owner: Comment by Owner: Comment by Owner:
Critics may posit that banning books is a violation of individuals’ constitutional rights, as it is not supported by the law. In the Island Trees School District v. Pico, the court determined that it is not admissible to ban certain books without violating a person’s First Amendment rights. The case involved the rejection of recommendations made by the committee comprised of parents and school staff. The committee had advocated for the banning of various books from the school’s libraries due to their promotion of anti-American, anti-Christian, and anti-Semitic views. The District Court ruled in favor of the petitioners, arguing that the prohibition of the books violated the students’ rights as it infringed upon the right to read, while the right was enshrine in the First Amendment. The court stated that while the school boards had absolute discretion over the classroom, they did not extend to libraries, which were regarded as places for voluntary inquiry (Alexander and Alexander 352). Although the law interpreted the constitution on the basis of the child’s right to voluntary inquiry, it should have considered the best interests of the students, which is protecting them from harm. Books containing negative literature have a negative influence on youth behavior, and banning them would limit their circulation, thereby protecting students from falling into harm.6 Comment by Owner:
Other than the promotion of violence and negative behavior, books are banned for their negative impact on the youths’ mental well-being. The book Diary f a Young Girl was banned for its depressing thoughts, which was concerning to challengers as they fared that young people would turn to self-harming tendencies. The banning of such a book protects a great number of young people from engaging in negative behavior (Crum 1). However, there are people who may argue that banning a book due to its potential effects on the mental well-being of young people is a weak reason. However, the youth need to be protected from influence that could lead them to engage in self-harm. Also, troubled youth may identify themselves with the characters, which would make them mirror their actions as they regard them to be cool. In order to suppress negative thoughts and direct the youth towards positive living it is necessary to ban books that would impair their judgments and motivate them to engage in self-harm. Comment by Owner:
Conclusion
Censorship of books is not only appropriate, but it is also mandatory if at all young minds are to be spared from negative influence. Studies show a correlation between exposure to violent books and an increased likelihood to engage in violent acts. Based on the studies, it would be better to provide the youth with a conducive environment that would prevent them from being exposed to content that could negatively impact them. Also, parents agree that banning various books is the best way of protecting their children from negative exposure. Although the law does not recommend banning books due to the violation of First Amendment rights, it should be more considerate towards the well-being of the child. Lastly, banning books is the best course of action to promote the development of young minds. Comment by Owner:
Works Cited
Alexander, Kern, and M. David Alexander. American public school law. Cengage Learning, 2011.
Brady, Amy. "The History (and Present) of Banning Books in America." (2016).
Brenyo, Michael. "[Censored]: Book Banning in the US Education System." JL & Educ. 40 (2011): 541.
Carefoote, Pearce J. Forbidden Fruit: Banned, Censored, and Challenged Books from Dante to Harry Potter. Toronto: LMB Editions, 2007. Print.
Crum, Maddie. These are the 10 most banned and challenged books in America right now. Huffingtonpost. 2017. Accessed from and https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/most-banned-and-challenged-books-in-america_us_58ecf60be4b0df7e20459961
Mogaard, Matt. 5 Killers Who Found Inspiration in Horror Films. 13thFloor2017. Retrieved from http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2017/06/01/5-killers-who-found-inspiration-in-horror-films/
Phillips, Nickie D., and Staci Strobl. Comic book crime: Truth, justice, and the American way. NYU Press, 2013.
Ringel, Paul. "How banning books marginalizes children." The Atlantic (2016).
Stevens, McKay Robert. "The Forgotten Medium: The Impact of Reading Violent Literature on Aggressive Thoughts." (2012).
Weinstein, James. Hate speech, pornography, and radical attacks on free speech doctrine. Routledge, 2018.
