Voice of the people: Censorship is parents’ right – The Ledger

Censorship is parents' right

The recent removal of 16 books from Polk County school libraries in response to complaints from a political group declaring the books to be obscene undermines parents rights to have a say in the education of their children.

The list of banned books includes highly acclaimed works by respected authors, including a recipient of the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes for literature. Presumably, these materials were placed in school libraries based on the judgment of professional educators who deemed them to be of value to students.

Provocative and challenging literary works are bound to offend the tastes and sensibilities of some. Parents have the right to prohibit their own childrens access to library materials they consider unsuitable. A group of self-appointed censors should not be able to intimidate school administrators to deny everyone access to materials that group finds offensive.

Although the complaining group calls itself County Citizens Defending Freedom, the preemptive removal of the books by timid school administrators denies freedom of choice to parents who may have different views. School officials say the current ban is not final, but reinstatement of the prohibited materials depends on a protracted multi-committee review process which they acknowledge has no timeline.

Bill Dufoe, Lakeland

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Voice of the people: Censorship is parents' right - The Ledger