Over 10,000 book bans were recorded across the US this past year. This is a 200% increase from the 2022-2023 school year.

The prevalence of book banning has become a heavily debated issue, especially in the US, which prides itself on being “the land of the free.” Many have criticized these bans as a violation of the First Amendment right.

Advocates of book banning often claim that “the book in question contains graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language.” (Free Speech Center). This argument asserts that book banning protects children from harmful or inappropriate topics.

Despite these “objective” reasons, the reality is that book banning is largely subjective.

Contrary to popular belief, most bans aren’t incited by parental complaints.

In an interview with Harvard Education Magazine, Deborah Caldwell-Stone (director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom) shared that “We [the American Library Association] are no longer seeing a parent raising a concern about their student reading a book, but advocacy groups demanding broader censorship.”

Furthermore, the statistical breakdown of banned titles disproportionately targets stories with themes of diversity, race, sexuality, and gender identity. According to PEN America Today, 44% of prohibited books feature characters of color, and 39% include LGBTQ characters. Around 60% of all banned books are young adult novels discussing themes of grief, death, substance abuse, and mental health. Other commonly banned books include ones depicting dystopian governments such as 1984 by George Orwell, Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, and A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

While these topics may be heavy, they address important issues that merit attention and discussion.

“I think it restricts a lot of good books and stories out there, untold stories especially,” says Isiah Guzman, a student teacher at Elenor Roosevlet. “Eliminating those stories not only eliminates connections for those students who already feel out of place, but it also eliminates the oppertunity for people to learn about new backrounds and cultures.”

People write to express themselves, their beliefs, and their creativity. Banning a book takes away this voice, acting as censorship under guise. It goes without saying that graphic imagery shouldn’t be promoted in schools. The issue isn’t the banning of these books, but books with important messages of inclusion and acceptance that point out the flaws in society.

“Books that are banned with clear proof they are hurting another individual physically, emotionally and mentally can be banned. But much thought and time need to be put into it,” remarks Iris Christopher, an AP Liturature student ERHS. “Certain books can go against the thought process and values of certain students, but they can also be a good way to get students to accommodate and reason with different opinions.”

As philosopher and essayist George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”