Introduction

In the past, books and other forms of literature have been banned as a way for dictators and oppressive governments to limit the spread of opposing ideas. Books such as the Bible, the Odyssey, and the works of Shakespeare have been ripped from those who seek knowledge, entertainment, or enlightenment merely because they held a different view to those with power. Allowing individuals to decide what our youth can and can’t read based on moral or political disagreement is no different than the Nazis burning books that were decidedly “un-German” in Berlin on May 10, 1933. Rather than focusing on the rights of the students involved, our school districts are merely hoping to appease the angry beast figure that dissatisfied parents represent to public school systems. This leads to libraries leaving their primary duty of curating information on any topic their students could desire to learn and requires they focus on covering their own tracks so if a parent attacks they can minimize damages. Individual challengers should not hold power over the rights of students, libraries, or schools and the challenge system needs a serious overhaul if it can begin to be considered fair under the rights and laws provided by our constitution.