Recently, Central held an event in Brooks Library hosted by the Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series that explored the subject of banning books in depth.
The banning of books has been around for as long as books have existed. According to a story published by the University of Minnesota, the first book to ever be banned was Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan (or just New Canaan). It was published in Amsterdam in 1637 and was banned because it was considered a direct critique against the Puritan colony.
A more notable book that was banned was “Fahrenheit 451”. According to an article run by Marshall University, It was banned due to its usage of vulgar language and rebellion against religion.
Alexan Draiake, a sophomore majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies gave their opinion on the banning of books. “As an elementary educator from even the youngest of age, banning literature at such an early standpoint in education at a developmental time, I think is especially harmful not having access to that information,” Draiake said.
Aubrey Ben-Judah, a fourth-year student majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in special education, also stated they do not believe in banning books. “It stops us from seeing what could happen, given past events and I think it’s really harmful to history,” Ben-Judah said.
A reader at the banned books event and Academic Advisor at CWU, Craig Chapo, gave some insight on what they thought about books being banned. “As a teacher, the act of banning books is most harmful to both students and educators. It silences the voices of people who provide knowledge to inquiry minds. As humans, I believe we are inherently curious. We seek to learn about the world around us and understand both sides of an idea,” said Chapo. “Banning books that squashes curiosity and places individuals in a “box” that hinders progression.”
They also went on to elaborate on why they became so passionate about the banning of books in the first place. ”It’s the question of ‘why’. Why is this book banned? Why are the contents of a banned book so controversial? Why do communities seek to shield young people from particular books? And more often than not, the reasons are debatable.”
