Opinion: Why Are Schools Banning Books?

**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**

The recent spike in book banning across the country raises questions about the true reasons officials have for banning books. Many are concerned about the effects these bannings will have on future generations. So, is the government just in their reasons for banning certain books?

2022 saw record-breaking attempts to ban books, a 38% increase from the previous year. According to The American Library Association, most books banned were “Written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.”

Banning these topics negatively affects kids who may feel underrepresented. It’s essential for kids to see themselves or people like them reflected positively in books; inclusive material can uplift kids that feel different. Limiting a child’s exposure to certain social topics deprives them of developing a deeper understanding of the world around them. Without acknowledging different types of people and lifestyles, kids will be ill-prepared for the real world they’re destined to inhabit.

Recently, in Alabama, a children’s book named Read Me a Story Stella by Marie-Louise Gay was placed under review at a public library. The text was flagged for censorship by Alabama officials for being “sexually explicit” solely because the author’s surname is “Gay .”This banning raised questions about the legality behind banning books and whether current officials are abusing their power to carry out personal ideology.

The issue of banning books first found its way to the Supreme Court in the case of In Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982). The Court found that “local school boards have broad discretion in the management of school affairs” and that discretion “must be exercised in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.” While some adult topics need to be kept out of school libraries, recently, officials have been unjustly using this ruling to push their political agendas.

According to a report by a non-profit named PEN, in 2022, “96 percent of the bans did not follow the best practice guidelines for book challenges outlined by the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Coalition Against Censorship.” Most of the banning was caused by advocacy organizations, not individual citizen concerns.

In closing, these bans are byproducts of America’s unstable political climate. Most book bannings are not done out of concern for the content’s effect on children but as a political statement to make a point. Education should not be trifled with just for some politician to make headlines. It’s crucial that people realize the positive effects that coincide with expanding a child’s social horizons.