OPINION: Book banning is oppression of the mind

By Mathew Clemens

A movement to ban books in public schools and libraries is gaining momentum – and not just in isolated states such as Florida or Texas.

School districts in 26 states have banned or opened investigations into more than 1,100 books, according to an April 2022 report from PEN America, a literary and free expression advocacy organization that compiles data on such bans.

The kinds of books being banned include historical references to the Holocaust, the mistreatment of Black people and representation of minority groups (i.e. people of color, LGBTQ+, etc).

The banning of any book is disturbing. Not only is it a move to prevent people from seeing different perspectives; it is also censoring the freedom of speech of the author of the book and the freedom of the reader to read it.

Where will the banning stop? Should we ban the Bible? Or perhaps an entire genre?

What good is banning a book, anyway? Historically,  the banning of books was a strategy used by an oppressive state or group so that it could sow division and hide the truth. A divided public is easier to control. Preventing people from learning opposing views also increases division because there’s no opportunity for understanding between people with differing ideas.

It’s important to learn different views. A well-rounded individual will be more empathetic to the human condition and won’t be closed off from the world.

It’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to book banning. There are people with power and privilege who are opposing the banning of books. Recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz placed a Little Free Library at the State Capitol, filled with banned books for anybody to read.

A recent segment of the NPR podcast, “Consider This,” discussed how authors and students from schools that have banned books are fighting back. Their strategies included giving out the banned books for free, or buying and sharing them with friends in defiance of those imposing bans.

The podcast also included proponents of book banning, encouraging the freedom of expression on both sides. The irony of extending that freedom to a group that wants to ban that very freedom is not lost on this writer.

Democracy demands participation from all of us. The loudest voices can change the course of our nation. Speak up, and demand that books remain available for all who wish to read them.

Opinions expressed within these pages of The Echo do not necessarily reflect the views of Rochester Community and Technical College’s administration, faculty, staff or student body.