In 1933, the Nazi Party burned books. These volumes were those written by Jewish authors, scientists who proposed new theories, and anyone who dared to write something that the Nazis disagreed with; these were books said to be against the German spirit.

While not as extreme as those book burnings, something much too similar is taking place in schools and libraries all over the U.S. This time, the books being banned are the ones that discuss sexual and racial identity, and include perspectives from LGBTQ+ characters and authors. For example, one book banned in several states was George M. Johnson’s autobiography, All Boys Aren’t Blue, which describes his life growing up as a queer, Black person. Maus, a historical graphic novel about the Holocaust, was banned because it contained eight profane words and a depiction of a nude mouse. In the book, mice represent Jews, and cats, the Nazis.

I agree that there is a line as to what books are age-appropriate. A thorough national vetting system for books, similar to the way we rate movies, could be implemented to protect youth from inappropriate material. Like movie ratings, the book rating would explain why it’s rated that way; for example, containing profanity or nudity. If a student wanted to read a book above a certain rating, they would need parental permission to borrow it. However, entirely banning books that we disagree with is not the solution. 

Books give us windows into diverse opinions and perspectives, help us seek the truth, and shape our ideologies. They educate us about our past mistakes so that we don’t make them again in the future. We cannot sugarcoat history just because it is uncomfortable, and we can’t pretend that our world is idyllic and without problems. Quite frankly, that’s the opposite of the truth. Our world’s history is very troubling, and much of what we learn in school doesn’t dig deep enough into what really happened. If kids today don’t learn the complete truth of the horrors that minorities and marginalized communities have faced and continue to face, how can we ever make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself?

In short, censoring books will eventually lead to humanity’s deterioration, and no one expressed this better than Heinrich Heine, a nineteenth-century Jewish poet whose works were burned by the Nazis. Heine wrote, “Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too.” He wrote that over a hundred years ago, and those words still ring true today. If we are to move forward and improve the future, we need to start by acknowledging the flaws in our past and present, and accept diversity. And books give us the ability to do that.

Works Cited

"Bibliography: 1933 book burnings." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/1933-book-burnings.

Gibson, Caitlin. "When should my kids read ‘Maus’? How parents can help children learn about the Holocaust." The Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2022,  www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/02/03/holocaust-books-for-kids/.

Gross, Jenny. "School board in Tennessee bans teaching of Holocaust novel ‘Maus’." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 27 Jan. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/us/maus-banned-holocaust-tennessee.html.

Harris, Elizabeth A., and Alexandra Alter. "Book ban efforts spread across the U.S." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 30 Jan. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/books/book-ban-us-schools.html.

Wexler, Natalie. "What’s Behind The Flap About ‘Maus’." Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2022/01/31/whats-behind-the-flap-about-maus/?sh=46bd979c1125.