Opinion: Book banning and the First Amendment

The bookstore Barnes and Nobles has a display with many books that have been banned or challenged. (photo by Madison Keel)

By Madison Keel | Photography editor

“The Great Gatsby,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Gone with the Wind” and “Harry Potter.” All of these books seemingly have nothing in common other than the fact that they have all been banned or challenged at some point in the United States.

Book banning is a major form of censorship. It gives power to remove books from not only schools but also libraires and bookstores. Typically, when someone opposes a book, it is due to the fact they think the book contains “inappropriate” content. This is the most widespread form of censorship we see in America.

Book banning is not a new concept. In fact, it has been around since before the Revolutionary War. The first appearance of what was considered a book ban was in 1637 when “New English Canaan” by Thomas Morton was published. This text was quickly banned by the Puritan government in what is now known as Quincy, Massachusetts.

While that was hundreds of years ago, bans and challenges are still happening right under our noses. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 226 into law in April of 2022. That bill changed who has the power to ban books in school systems and sped up the process in which the decision must be made. The law made it to where only parents or permanent guardians of students in a school could object to a piece of text. Once those complaints come in, the school principal has seven days to review the complaint and three more days to make the final decision on the banning. The school board is then given 30 days to appeal the decision and the final banning decision shall be posted on the school’s website.

As someone who grew up moving through the public school system, I was never really aware of banned books or the concept until I got to high school and my favorite book started popping up on a “challenged book list.” “Looking For Alaska” by John Green has been targeted by many schools and parents for years now and is still on the road to possibly be banned. The author John Green has spoken on the possible banning himself.

He said, “one scene that is routinely taken out of context and read at school board meetings in like a ‘can you believe our kids are allowed to read this’ kind of way… it’s not a book about sex, it’s a book about love and grief and forgiveness.”

Hearing about this is what personally brought my attention to book banning. I found “Looking for Alaska” in seventh grade. It gave me an escape from things happening in my personal life and learning to live with anxiety. I have since read this book at least once a year, I have two copies now because my original was so beat up from reading it over and over and I also have a tattoo dedicated to the book. If this book would have been banned while I was in school, I know I would have had a harder time.

Now that is just a book that I read for personal enjoyment but there are many books that have long been required to read in schools that are coming under fire.

Davis L. Hudson Jr. a professor at Belmont University College of Law and First Amendment law expert stated, “book bans violate the first amendment because they deprive children and students of the right to receive information and ideas.”

The First Amendment protects free speech in America, personally I feel as if that means all written works should be protected under that amendment. Often when people bring up free speech they only mean spoken word, but it should protect books too. Freedom of press is also wrapped into the First Amendment so newspapers get a pass, but books are also technically a form of press.

I cannot help but ask, what is the line in which a book should not be banned? It becomes the opinion of an individual which is a daunting line to walk. Therefore, I feel as if what books people are reading should be left up to the individual to decide. Don’t take text away from those who could benefit from the stories.

Contact Madison Keel at mkeel@augusta.edu.