Banning Books Violates The First Amendment.

Every day, you see it in the news. This set of parents object to this type of book or the local school board has told their district teachers and libraries that they must get rid of these books, and even local libraries are being told the same thing.

This group of vocal members of the population are objecting to a variety of books from those that focus on LGBQT topics, to the Bible, to any book that contains a topic or mention of things they object to. They claim they are trying to protect their children and others from being contaminated or influenced.

I find it extremely offensive to have a group of people are insisting they know what is best for me and others. I was lucky. I grew up in a household where my parents did not object to anything I chose to read.

By the time I graduated from high school I’d read “Up The Down Stair Case”, “To Sir With Love”, and “The God Father”. These books included abortion, odd sex, and interactions between races. I read them because they were controversial.

My parents knew I read the books because I’d ask them about things I didn’t understand. I think I was in 7th or 8th grade when I read a book which contained a scene where the young lady tried to end a pregnancy with a knitting needle. The author used the term abortion but I didn’t know what it meant so I asked my father. He didn’t even blink but gave me a very good definition.

Each and every book published are the story of an author who chooses to share it with others. The book is the way they share their beliefs, their ideas, and themselves. The printed word is their way of expressing themselves and it is the way they practice their first amendment rights. They are practicing their freedom of speech.

So every time some person wants their books banned, they are denying the author their freedom of speech. In addition, they are making me want to read these books to see what it is that they find so threatening. I wonder if they feel that if they or their children read a book on two men being in a committed relationship, they will be contaminated like a zombie so eventually they will find themselves involved in same sex relationships.

Books cannot contaminate people. Instead books open up peoples minds to see things that are out there. We, as consumers, have to accept or deny the premise of the book but we do not need to ban them. We can choose not to read a book or we can keep our children from reading certain books but we do not have the right to prevent anyone else from reading those books.

I choose not to read certain books because I think the person who wrote it is an idiot or I am not interested in it. It is my choice, not theirs. We must quit giving in to those people who want books banned because when we do, we are allowing them to deny the authors their right to freedom of speech.

We do not have that right, and we must prevent others from trying to do it. Let authors have the right to express themselves and their ideas. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear.