Censorship: Governing Books that are Banned from Production - Essay Sample

Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, the content of the book influence whether the book will be licensed or banned from production and sale to the readers. The government regulates the production and sale of books that are evaluated and deemed not fit because the content of the book might mislead the public. Once the books have been banned, their production, distribution, and sale are stopped. Once the books have been banned from publication and distribution, an action can be taken to any individual caught violating the ban by either publishing or distributing the book for sale. Ladies and gentlemen, my presentation explains the reasons for banning books and examples of books that have been banned over the years for different reasons.

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The American library association has the authority to review and make recommendations, including banning books that violate the copyright laws on matters and protect the interests of the people (Jarvis, 2017). Publishers and authors have the option to appeal to the American library association and express their opinion on why the books should not be banned. The library association has the authority to prosecute any individual caught distributing books that have been banned.

The issues that make books to be banned include content that has racial issues that encourage one race to or group of people to hate, discriminate, or attack another race for various justification. The government has a duty to protect all the people of different races from discrimination based on race (Jarvis, 2017). Such books need to be banned to protect people from all races from discrimination that the book encourages through its content. All books need to be reviewed before their publication. Ladies and gentlemen, would you like a book written that encourages people to discriminate against you because of your race? We live in a global society where diversity needs to be encouraged. All humans are equal with equal rights and freedoms. An example of a book banned on race basis includes the Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

Ladies and gentlemen, the other reason why books get banned include books that have content that encourages violence and negativity. Violence is in different forms, such as violence against different social groups in society, such as violence against women and children (Clark, 2017). Books with violent content are deemed depressing and negative to society. Among the books that have been banned because of violence, content include Why Does Thou Mockingbird no Longer Sing? By Mike Gentile. The book has controversial ideas regarding racial discrimination in the early 1960's time period in America. The book seemed to justify racial killings on the basis of race; slaves at the time were being killed by their masters.

Another factor that can make a book to be banned includes political bias, where the book takes a stand on political issues that divides the people. Political bias occurs when the author of the book wants to achieve a certain political goal through the book by portraying opinions contrarily to be wrong (Clark, 2017). The book does not give people with other opinions regarding political issues the chance to communicate their ideas; therefore, the government chooses to ban the book from preventing potential conflicts. Different states have different political philosophies, and therefore if the states feel that the book will influence the political philosophy of the people, the state is likely to ban the book to protect its reputation.

The language used in the book can also make the book to be banned when the author uses offensive language. Different books are written for different audiences; hence the language differs depending on the age bracket of the target audience (Doyle, 2017). The language used in the book should be free of nudity, offensive language, and the language that is against the values of the target audience. There are values that are accepted by society, and the author has the responsibility of respecting the values of the readers. Many books have been banned because of the language used.

Authors and book publishers have the responsibility of ensuring they consider public good when addressing matters that concern society, such as religion. When the books take a stand on a matter against the public good, the people have the freedom to choose the decision on matters that they have the freedom to choose on the religious affiliation they would like to be associated (Clark, 2017). The book should not try to mean that people of contrary opinions are not right by choosing to be associated with any religious affiliation. The publisher has the responsibility to review the books before publication and make changes to the book before publication. Among the books that have been banned on religious grounds include A Look at What Our World Still May Become by Ryan Sotelo, which was banned on the basis that the author argued that religion is a form of dictatorship. The book advocated for a revolution to stop religious groups.

Parents, guardians, and learning institutions have the responsibility of protecting their children and learners from books that have the potential to mislead and influence the moral values of their children and learners. Books and other learning materials have to be approved by relevant bodies to ensure that the books meet the required standards (Pekoll, 2019). Books like A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein were banned from schools because the book encouraged children to be violent by encouraging them to break dishes when they are asked to wash the dishes by their parents. Young children need to be protected from being misled by books that do not meet the standards.

Many books continue to be published every day, giving the national library a challenging time to review all the books and make a decision on whether the ban or approve the books. The books need to be reviewed and rated for a particular audience that is appropriate to read the book (Doyle, 2017). There are many books that have been banned and continue to be published without the approval of the American library association. The association needs to be empowered to increase its capacity to review more books and ensuring that publishers follow the law.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the American library association has banned and continues to ban many books whose content contravenes the values and culture of the American people. The factors that make the association ban the book includes those having content that does not meet the copyright laws that protect the American people and their interests. Once books have been banned, authors and publishers can be prosecuted if they continue publishing books. Publishers and authors have the opportunity to rectify the content of their books and request for review by the association and be allowed to distribute and sell the book.

References

Clark, L. (2017). Banned and Challenged Books in Public High Schools. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/scholarsweek/Fall2017/FallSWOral/21/

Doyle, R. P. (2017). Field Report 2016: Banned & Challenged Books. American Library Association.

Jarvis, Z. (2017). Silenced in the Library: Banned Books in America. ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Silenced_in_the_Library.html?id=Gv18AQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Pekoll, K. (2019). Beyond Banned Books: Defending Intellectual Freedom throughout Your Library. American Library Association.