The Importance Of Books

Submitted By Shayan-Asadi
Words: 589
Pages: 3

Censorship has been around since Christ was born. However, this does not make it right. Today, censorship can be seen everywhere. From the radio to television, and most noticeably, books. The censorship of media is necessary due to the fact of the content played on the radio and television, however, books have been the primary source for passing information throughout generations. If we begin to censor books now, our generation, and ones to come, will miss out on history and will lose any imagination they once had. Censorship in the media is a required tool for today’s world, however, the censoring of books is not necessary. Books have been the best tool for passing information throughout history. By reading them, intellectuals grow mentally and in some cases, spiritually. By censoring books, society is only setting itself up for disaster. Just as in Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, in a world without books television rules and people no longer have to think for themselves (Fahrenheit 451). This, unfortunately, is what is becoming of society today due to the increase in television popularity. Bradbury stated that, “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them” (Bradbury). This is exactly what television has done. Although it has not burned any books, television has indeed gotten people to stop reading them. Books are a major part of the culture of our world and were created for a reason. Books are among the many tools that help students to become doctors, lawyers, physicians and authors. When books are censored, one does not fully receive the knowledge or message an author is trying to give. For instance, if books such as The Diary of Anne Frank were censored, one would not gain the full idea of what life was like to be a jew during the Nazi rule. This is just one example of censorship that is misleading to a reader. Although censorship is not necessary when it comes to written works, some believe that it still is, and express their beliefs through book burnings. One fairly recent example is the burning of Harry Potter books by over-protective mothers in Charleston, South Carolina, and Alamogordo, New Mexico (Wikipedia). By censoring books, the author’s constitutional rights are being ignored. The constitution states, “Congress shall make no