Ray Bradbury depicted it perfectly in his 1953 classic Fahrenheit 451. The act of banning and burning books; blocking and censoring information from those who need it to learn, grow, and thrive. Through the recent uptick in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative AI, critical thinking skills and competence are going extinct. The world is becoming a bleak, transactional space, devoid of color, vibrancy, and knowledge.
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about AI and how it is impacting the world around me. As a future language arts educator, its limitless bounds unsettle me. It is dystopian. My students will no longer know how to think for themselves… they will all turn to the “hive mind” that is AI, simply regurgitating whatever half-baked idea a water-chugging robot has cooked up for them. I want the best for my future students, and AI is not what is best for their developing brains or promising futures. All of my racing thoughts about AI led me to what I was beginning to consider my hope for humanity and saving grace: books.
“Books,” I thought to myself, “they will surely save my classroom!”
I mindlessly thought about the books I may have my future students read. “Reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie was the highlight of my 8th-grade year… maybe I could read that to my students?” My mind was overflowing with inspiration at this point, giddy with possibility, “Oooh, or if I end up in a high school classroom, teaching The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger could be a great read.”
I then stopped in my tracks and remembered the time we live in: the time of book bans. I then, sadly, pulled up my argumentative essay from my senior year of high school. I read through it, and anger washed over me. I remember the rage I felt while researching the topic of book bans, and it remains deep inside me, embedded in and intertwined with who I am. Book bans, in schools specifically, along with AI, are robbing society of intelligence and knowledge.
Thus, I present to you: the spark that ignited my rage– my senior year argumentative essay.
beginning of essay:
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Animal Farm by George Orwell. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Books like these and countless others are all commonly banned in schools throughout the country. Book bans are spreading like wildfire: thousands of parents, lawmakers, and school boards are fighting against the culpability and corruption these books supposedly cause. Armed with hypocrisy and false pretenses, school boards and parents will not rest until books containing LGBTQIA+, racial issues, and gender identities are pulled from school library shelves and curricula. Before the unjust banning of books gets further enveloped in flames, it must be stopped.
The concept of book bans is not new. In fact, in the United States, book bans and censorship have a deep history. However, in recent years, people have begun banning books at an alarming rate. Blatant homophobia, sexism, racism, and general exclusion are exhibited with every ban placed. Parents and school boards have attempted to ban books simply because they personally do not like the books, approve of the content inside, or the content does not align with their own beliefs. Some use religious reasons to call books into question and then ban them, selfishly ignoring that some could benefit from reading the material within these books. Books containing topics such as witchcraft, race, the LGBTQIA+ community, and gender issues are often targeted. In the academic article, “Banning Books: Unlawful Censorship, or within a School’s Discretion?” Robert Kim, the executive director of the Education Law Center, reviews recent book ban attempts. Kim elaborates, “…it’s hard not to notice the impact of religion… concern that Voodoo… witchcraft… and homosexuality were anti-Christian…. also a discomfort with race, national identity, and history that presages today’s anti-critical race theory movement” (par. 19). Kim’s words detail the frightening hold those proclaiming religious rights have upon book bans. Just because one person’s beliefs do not align with the content inside of a book does not mean the book should be banned for all. The intentions behind banning a book should be beneficial to the majority, and not only appeal to a small minority. Students everywhere deserve to have the growth, representation, knowledge, and information books provide.
The ideas held within the pages of books are essential to the growth of young minds. When books like To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Night by Elie Wiesel are read and discussed in class, it may open pathways for students to explore new thought processes. According to the article from Cornerstone University, “5 Ways Reading Can Change Your Life (And Best Practices),” reading promotes empathy. The article details, “Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states like beliefs, intents, desires or emotions to others and to understand that other people have different beliefs, intents and desires than our own” (par. 9). Reading allows for growth of the mind and assists students in formulating their own thoughts and opinions. The expansion of the mind is essential for younger generations to authorize the flow and bloom of new beliefs, notions, and morals. Book bans are snuffing out the flames of student progress. In the academic article “Challenging Book Banning” by Claire Kirch, a reporter on the book publishing industry, teacher Jessica Berg is quoted, depicting her concern with the bans. Jessica elaborates, “[the bans] crusade against critical thinking… these book banners don’t want everyone to have a voice” (qtd. in Kirch par. 11). Berg’s words vindicate just how detrimental book bannings are to students. It is pertinent for students to be able to have the tools necessary to develop their own critical thoughts and acknowledge their opinions. Books are a vessel of growth, and without them, students are unable to bloom and flourish.
Representation is being ripped away from students across America. Marginalized communities continue to lose representation with every book banned. Literary representation is of critical importance, as it gives people a sense of belonging and may even help students feel less isolated. “The Importance of Representation in Books,” an article by social worker Krystal Jagoo, details, “Children may see less value in themselves because of such poor representation, which can potentially minimize, erase, and ignore their identities” (par. 20). Literature on issues many students face on the daily is being banned, thus invalidating their life experiences. Representation allows for students from all walks of life to feel seen and heard. Being represented in literature inspires students to create normalcy and spark hope. Exposure to situations other than their own is good for students, as it promotes empathy. Without it, identities, connectivity, and true equality dim and cease to exist. Students, from marginalized and non-marginalized communities alike, are harmed with every book that is pulled from shelves.
Bans are causing pivotal information about historical events to be ripped out of school curricula, thus causing a major loss of knowledge. The context of the plot is often overlooked when a book is called into question, which is becoming a major issue. A novel about the suppression of women in a dystopian society, like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, makes the reader uncomfortable: because it is a book about sexual discrimination and control. A story about the Holocaust, like Maus by Art Spiegelman, is bone-chilling and depicts gruesome details because it is a book about the Holocaust. Learning to understand why a book contains what it does is of the utmost importance. Literary scholar Hillary Chute elaborates on the subject in her 2022 article “Why Maus Was Banned,” describing, “And Maus’s frank visual depiction of horrors, the way it acts as a form of witness to dehumanization and genocide, is controversial…confrontation with horror is exactly what makes it valuable…a work like Maus could not be any more urgent during an era…in which racism and anti-Semitism are rising both nationally and globally” (par. 3). Maus is a tool that can be used to inspire important discussions about the history of the world and current issues. The graphic novel does not sugarcoat the terror and gruesomeness of the event, but rather gives students an accurate depiction of the Holocaust. Plot lines and their context within books are essential. In novels like Maus, sometimes the macabre features are key to understanding the gravity of the situation.
Supporters of book bans and many members of the Republican Party claim high school students do not need to be exposed to elements such as LGBTQIA+ or racial issues in literature, arguing that students are not emotionally mature enough to face these topics. Many find these topics to be taboo and may hold too much influence over teens. Others fear teens will be ‘indoctrinated’ through books containing such topics, thus pushing for protection and security within the confines of a classroom. The Pro-Con article “Banned Books Pros and Cons” published by Encyclopedia Britannica details the subject, explaining in ‘Pro 2’: “Books in the young adult genre often contain adult themes that young people aren’t ready to experience. Of the top ten most challenged books in 2020, one had LGBTQ+ content, two were sexually explicit, five dealt with racism and anti-police opinions, and others had profanity and drug use” (par. 8). Supporters of book bans believe it is essential to protect their children from conversations on such heavy topics like these, as the safety of children is their number one priority. Speaking on tough issues like these could have a bad influence on teens’ mental health and wellbeing, and cause an overwhelming amount of emotional turmoil.
Supporters argue high school students do not need to be exposed to elements such as LGBTQIA+ or racial issues as a safety precaution. However, this argument is invalid. The same people who are fighting to ban books in the name of protection are also those who are refusing to ban assault weapons: a ban that would arguably protect their children more. In the article “After Nashville Shooting, GOP Still Focused on Book Bans, Not Gun Laws,” USA Today columnist Rex Huppke sarcastically describes, “That book [And Tango Makes Three]involves gay penguins raising a chick, and it might inspire a child who has not been killed in a school shooting to think it’s OK for two people who love each other to form a family” (par. 3). Pro-book banners’ views are solidified as contradictory and hypocritical. The immense and absolute hypocrisy within the actions of book ban supporters is outstanding, as they preach about protecting children from the supposed mental anguish books can cause children, yet take no action when it comes to gun control. The content within books does not cause the same mass devastation as assault weapons and guns. Books are not causing children harm; they are an educational tool used by trained professionals to promote growth and teach life lessons. If one is concerned about the material covered in books, the same concern should be shown for the weapons that are actively ending the lives of students.
Book bans must be stopped. High schoolers have the right to truth, knowledge, and an uncensored education. The bans are obstructing these rights. Knowledge is a powerful commodity; without it, students can no longer grow or flourish. Putting an end to book bans is the best way to assist students and promote their education to the fullest extent. Students deserve to have their voices heard and represented to the fullest extent, and these bans are stripping away the voices of the oppressed and erasing vital tools necessary for their education. If one truly wishes to assist students, putting an end to book bans is the best way to help. Ban book bans.
end of essay.
After reading this, I hope you feel angry. I hope you feel mad about what the future world is being robbed of. Between reckless book bannings in schools and chronic use of AI, our society is placed at a major disadvantage. I understand it is hard to combat AI when it is constantly shoved down our throats, and certain legislation is taking charge of what books our students and children can and cannot read. But, I implore you: it is time to think for yourself. Educate yourself, and educate others. Read and analyze books about things you care about! Watch films that make you happy! Care about and value knowledge and growing intellectually. Put some stock into the future generation. They are and will be my students, your children, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and grandchildren, and you should care about them. Do not make thinking for yourself and pursuing knowledge a lost art. Read, write, create– all on your own; you do not need some stupid robot to do or summarize it for you.
“Do not make thinking for yourself and pursuing knowledge a lost art. Read, write, create– all on your own; you do not need some stupid robot to do or summarize it for you.”
-Chloe Dean
Citations:
“Banned Books Pros and Cons – Top 3 Arguments For and Against.” ProCon.org, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 March 2023, https://www.procon.org/headlines/banned-books-top-3-pr os-and-cons/.
Chute, Hillary. “Why Maus Was Banned, and Why It Matters Today.” The Atlantic, 21 November 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/11/maus-art-spie gelman-book-ban-anti-semitism/672203/.
“5 Ways Reading Can Change Your Life (And Best Practices).” Cornerstone University, 12 June 2019, https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/5-ways-reading-can-change-your-life-an d-best-practices/.
Huppke, Rex. “After Nashville shooting, GOP still focused on book bans, not gun laws.” USA Today, 29 March 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/03/29/ nashville-shooting-republicans-wont-address-gun-violence/11563113002/.
Jagoo, Krystal. “The Importance of Representation in Books.” Verywell Mind, Dotdash Media Inc, 23 January 2023, https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of- representation-50760 60.
Kim, Robert. Banning Books: Unlawful Censortship, or within a School’s Discretion? vol. 103, Phi Delta Kappan, April 2022. ERIC, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/det ail?vid =0&sid=28821229-0293-4639-9b59-112d3884261a%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=EJ1333847&db=eric.
Kirch, Claire. “Challenging Book Banning.” Publishers Weekly, Vol. 269 ed., no. 16, 18 April 2022, pp. 8-10. Literary Reference Center.