By: Maggie Kelly | Staff Writer
In 212 B.C., Chinese emperor, Shih Huang Ti, is said to have burned every book in his kingdom. He believed that with all previous records destroyed, history could be said to begin with him. This is only one of the many examples of the censorship of books throughout history. In the year 35, Roman emperor Caligula fought against the reading of The Odyssey, as he thought it promoted Greek ideals of freedom. Jump ahead to 1624. Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible was burned by order of the Pope. The Nazis were also known for their huge bonfires during which thousands of books were lost. The censorship of books continues even today.
Banned Books Week is an annual event launched in 1982 that celebrates the freedom to read. Every year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom researches and compiles a list of challenged works across America. In 2021, the OIF tracked 729 challenges to school and library books. The reasons for challenges include LGBTQ+ content, discussion of racism, violence, sexual references and depictions of abuse. Although some of these topics may be sensitive and intense for some readers, the censorship of books goes back to some of the foundations of America; most notably, the freedom of speech.
Is it fair to prohibit ideas simply because society finds them disagreeable? I certainly don’t think so. After all, we must consider works of the past that were also found disagreeable when they first emerged. The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in America, was met with intense argument. In the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Supreme Court favored the vastly more unpopular opinion. If we reflect on these examples today, the right of women to vote and the integration of schools are firmly cemented in our society. It is hard to imagine a time when they would have been uncomfortable to witness. It is crucial for society to be made uncomfortable, as it is the only way for true positive change to occur.
The books that are challenged and often banned today discuss topics that society often doesn’t speak easily about. But to change this, you must start somewhere. Diving further into topics like the LGBTQ+ community can help us acknowledge the place of these topics in American society and history.
“No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world” (Dead Poets Society 1989). This quote holds true in every situation. If you take a look at the history of the world, it is words that change the world and change how society thinks. Therefore, the censorship of books can never be permissible, as it takes away the human right to learn and use their knowledge. It avoids the changing of society, and by default, the changing of the world.
Take a look at the history of Banned Books Week here:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned
To see the annual lists of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, look here:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
Photo by LubosHouska on pixabay.com
