Book banning began in 259BC when a Chinese emperor destroyed previous accounts of information that were in a printed form. One of the examples of book censorship happened in 1933 when the leadership of Nazi Germany burned publications written by distinguished authors like Einstein, Freud, and Hemingway. Other books have been banned across the world almost every year starting in the late 1980s. Governments censor some books because they contain questionable information for relatively young audiences (Lusted, 2017). This essay holds the view that books should not be banned.
Protecting younger audiences from difficult experiences is a futile attempt. Children are learning so much from media outlets; thus, books are not the only sources of information. Since parents and guardians are not always ready to share difficult experiences with their kids, this role is left to the media. Banning some books means that the affected audiences will have more interest in accessing the information. In addition, only parents can tell their kids what they should read and what they should not read (Lusted, 2017).
Books are akin to best teachers because they contain accounts of history, compassion, vocabulary, and new thoughts. These pieces of information influence how persons learn and progress in life. All generations can access printed information, and they improve their level of knowledge. Book censorship limits the extent to which people can learn. Therefore, people should be allowed to learn new ideas from publications across the world (Lusted, 2017).
Notably, books can positively influence a world that has too many social, economic, and political problems. Solutions to some of these issues are contained in books. Handling the issues begins with confronting them in writing. Notably, restricting freedom of thought is a serious subversion. Moreover, audiences should be allowed to read various books so that they can change the world by executing some solutions of authors (Lusted, 2017).
In conclusion, various governments have censored books around the world. Printed publications have been likened to best teachers. They present information that generations want to know. How they demonstrate solutions helps societies and individuals to progress. Targeted audiences should access books without being censored.
Reference
Lusted, M. A. (Ed.). (2017). Banned books. New York, NY: Greenhaven Publishing LLC.