Recent Book Bans and Why "Banning" is Dangerous By Shayna Cohen In a new wave of state and local legislation, school districts across the country are moving to ban more books, prohibiting the teaching and distribution of books which they believe to promote inappropriate or radical ideas. Most of the banned books are novels that feature protagonists of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically transgender characters. However, the bans go beyond just stories– schools are also banning nonfiction books which discuss similar historical themes. Many politicians, schools, and parents in favor of book bans defend their argument on moral grounds, claiming that the ideas presented are too dangerous for their children to read. United States-based non-profit organization PEN America, dedicated to protecting free expression and digital equality around the world, published an Index of recently banned books in April 2022. By reviewing documents, news stories, and school curricula, PEN America has totaled 1,145 unique book titles that were banned from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Book bans in the last year have taken place in 86 school districts across 26 states, affecting over two million students.
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