Books are a primary form of media and educational material.
They contain stories or historical information, some of which have influenced modern society as it is known today. However, in the United States, book censorship is becoming increasingly common. During the 2023-24 school year, over 6,500 books were banned in 23 states.
At Northern Essex Community College, book bans have become a big topic.
One student, Adriel Santos, said “I don’t believe there is a type of book that nobody should be allowed to read.”
Many students and faculty on the campus of Northern Essex say they feel a similar way.
Another student, Matt Branscombe, described banning books as “dumb,” further stating “unless a book’s active purpose is to spread hate, it shouldn’t be banned.”
Other students have expressed concern on how banning books affects education, with Jake Axford stating “I think banning books is a problem as it negatively affects learning.”
Axford went on to argue another point, as he felt concerned about the consequences of banning books, stating “I think books are a part of education and banning them is erasing history.”
It is also important to take a look at the history behind these bans.
Books are protected under the First Amendment, and book bans are widely considered a violation of freedom of speech. Furthermore, the Supreme Court case Board of Education v. Pico established that school boards could not, under any circumstances, ban a book simply because they disliked ideas and topics promoted in said book.
In the United States, most books that have been banned contain at least one of three main topics, those being sexuality, race, or gender. Free speech advocates say this is a key piece of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s proposed plan to reshape the federal government and to consolidate power in favor of right-wing political policies and ideologies.
There are organizations dedicated to stopping book bans, including the American Library Association and Amnesty International, which have jointly hosted “Banned Book Week” since 1982, aiming to celebrate and draw attention to the freedom to read and the requirement to keep all materials public in order for individuals to form their own opinions.
For now, books are being banned, and some may argue that it’s a violation of the freedom of speech and the freedom to read.
However, at Northern Essex Community College, banned and challenged books are still accessible, and many students are making it known that they disagree with the practice of banning these materials.
