Censorship of free speech is a hot topic, in books especially. "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Huckleberry Finn," and even the "Harry Potter" book series have all been banned in schools at one point or another. Even "The Fault In Our Stars" has been banned in middle schools. Usually, this is because of the complaint of just a few parents. But a few people shouldn't choose what an entire school should or shouldn't be able to read.
Ironically, the reasoning for banning many books is faulty or enforcing the point of the book. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain are often banned for using racist words, when both books are anti-racism critiques of society. The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling is banned for witchcraft, when the books have a broad theme of good triumphing over evil. "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green was banned in a middle school for making children confront their mortality, when the entire point of the book is to introduce the age group to concepts and ideas about mortality. And of course, any book containing LGBT content or sexuality are challenged as soon as book-banners hear about them, when the books are trying to teach acceptance.
There are also reasons that are the complete opposite of other book challenges. The reason that "Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan" by Jeanette Winter and "I Am Jazz" by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings are challenged is because the books have religious aspects. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley is often challenged for being allegedly anti-religion. There are many books challenged for both of these reasons, which brings into question what these people really want.
Banning books that are "racist" when they teach anti-racism does no good for teaching children to be accepting. Banning a book for mortality does no good for preparing children for deaths in family, or how to deal with the grief. Banning books for LGBT content and sexuality can even be harmful, because it teaches LGBT children that people like them are banned, and discourages exploring sexuality. Banning religious or non-religious texts can be dangerous for the same reason. Any viewpoint that doesn't agree with the majority is suddenly wrong and deserving censorship. Banning LGBT and religious/non-religious content also leads to children with those views not being able to find characters they identify with in books, which can make them feel even more like they're wrong somehow.
In the end, parents can choose what to let their own children read. It isn't anybody else's business how they parent their children as long as they aren't being neglectful or abusive. It is everybody's business, though, what parents allow others to read, and other people's children. Free speech is an important right, and a few people shouldn't be able to get rid of books for entire schools.
