How many children read Judy Blume books? Actually, the question should be how many do not read Judy Blume books? Most children have either read or heard about Blume's books. What makes Blume's books so popular with children, and why are they being censored? Censorship refers to the suppression of information or ideas. In my opinion, literature should not be censored by the government or by a community because I do not feel that anyone has the right to infringe on another's rights. Censorship violates the First Amendment, which states that American citizens have the right to Freedom of Expression (Freedom of Expression). Censoring is a way to eliminate the unwanted; however, it causes more negative than it eliminates. Censorship is very evident in literature, and more and more books are being banned each day. This is a major problem because of the effect it has on the children that will not be able to read the banned books. .
First of all, one person or a group of people, such as a government or a community, should not be able to decide what someone else reads. The United States has a Democratic government, which allows the citizens to have rights, but with censorship those rights are taken away. The American Library Association supports free speech and argues, "The freedom to read is essential to our democracy" (American Library Association 383). There should be no limit on the range of temperate discussion, or no limits on thought. Once again, Americans deserve Freedom of Choice. .
If a person's desire to read a piece of literature is strong enough, then he/she will read it, even if it is illegal. This desire to read may cause underground or illegal circulation of literature. The circulation of illegal material could occur in schools or in public, as it did in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; books weren't allowed but people still had them and read them.