It is the 21st century; we have witnessed progress from the book burnings by the church to the “freedom” of today’s press. What has happened? In 2024 alone, 1,128 book titles were challenged, according to the American Library Association. If this continues, it’s not just the Gulf of Mexico that will be renamed; it will be liberal arts. The basis of the American Bill of Rights is that the government will not abridge the rights to free speech and press, but then we chose to ban it in schools, the easiest place for students to access information. 

From classic titles to more infamous ones, books are flying off the shelves of libraries. Because teenagers cannot handle stories of discrimination or history, books are more challenging than ever to obtain. If we keep the new generation ignorant, they will be easier to indoctrinate and control. If we keep this generation fed on nothing but their ideology, they will not have to think about anything else. Yorba Linda High School librarian Sarah Phillips (S) thinks that “not everyone needs to agree with everyone’s opinions,” but what if we only have one opinion? The danger to books is not that they indoctrinate our youth; they show perspectives that make them harder to control.

“Big Brother” always watches, but why would they want you to know that? There goes 1984. In between the white savior helping the poor Black man, the story opens up our eyes to racism instead of a world without color. There goes To Kill a Mockingbird. A Black woman tells the raw stories of her life, so why would they need to be highlighted if they are not universal? There goes I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. A woman offers her life in poems on hurt, love, breaking, and healing. There goes Milk and Honey. Ray Bradbury warned against society giving up on books, so why would they push so hard to ban them? There goes Fahrenheit 451. If most students don’t even want to touch books outside the classroom (and most don’t inside either), why is there such a significant push to ban them? Sarah Phillips (S) suggests that “young people need to question why they shouldn’t read a book” because, eventually, one of the straws will break the camel’s back. 

These narratives have been fed to students since they were children, but now, they dare to question these ideas. Vivian Lin (11) argues that “books shouldn’t be banned because banning them will take away the voice of one perspective.” Then, have that happen over 1000 times in one year. We are losing so many perspectives and views of the world. Azeeza Hirji (10) comments, “Book banning limits students from reading new perspectives and developing their thinking.” According to the National Literacy Institute, 54% of Americans read below a 6th-grade level; it will only increase if these bans continue. If we continue to let them shrink our knowledge pool, the results will be fatal—the death of liberal arts and the birth of conservative arts.