Censoring Literature

 I love art. I love it in all its forms paintings, clothing, music, film, and even lite. I love the fact that we can never pinpoint a simple definition for something so complex and the fact that it doesn't have to follow the norms of society in the sense that it doesn't have to be conventionally beautiful. 

 This is why today I would like to talk about the wave of literary censorship sweeping across America today. Historically, churches to tyrannical leaders have sought to block people's access to books and knowledge which contains views that do not align with their own.

 The main argument for book censorship today is that some books can potentially spread negative ideas and disperse unconventional ways of thinking. The problem is the whole point of art as a whole is to allow you to view the world differently, through someone else's eyes if only for a second. Censoring literature would be imaginable (while remaining unacceptable) under the rule of a repressive and overbearing political leader perhaps 100 years ago. However, progressive 2022 is a world away from the early 20th century. Everyone is entitled and allowed to voice their views on nearly every topic. We as a society have become gradually more and more open-minded, slowly accepting the notion that not everyone has to conform to one set of beliefs. 

 Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right but must be enforced with caution and responsibility. Everyone has the right to voice their opinions and criticize anything and everything under the sun. The issue is when the thin line between criticism and slander is toed, that is when some form of remedy is required. We live in a society and need to be conscious of it. John Stuart Mills put it the best when he said " Your liberty to swing your fist ends just where my nose begins." This doesn't mean there should be a crackdown on any view that is seen as disagreeable by another party. I understand that the two points I have made seem to contradict one another but, the message I would like to get across is the happy medium between freedom and caution. 

 Preventing people from accessing certain pieces of literature with the fear that they might interpret it a certain way, is as bad as telling people that they do not have the right to think for themselves.  

 The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and even The Great Gatsby have all been banned at some point in history. Now, they are analyzed in schools and universities everywhere for their unique and period-defying prose.