Should To Kill a Mockingbird Be Banned?

To Kill a Mockingbird has widely been criticized for the themes and language used in the book, but many believe it should still be read. Some want to ban To Kill a Mockingbird because of the racism, but the book actually denounces racism and prejudice. An example of this is when Atticus tells Scout that he hopes he can get his kids through the case without them "catching Maycomb's usual disease", implying that Maycomb’s people are overcome with racism. Also, the book shows us both sides of racism. While the book mainly supports the people against racism, it also tells us why some people are prejudice against other races. This story has been put on the National Education Association’s list of titles receiving the most complaints from private organizations in 1968, and 4 of 5 students in one classroom said that the book is hard to read and comprehend. It also ranks at number 21 of 100 books most frequently challenged of 2000-2009. This has happened because people don’t understand the academic value of this book, let alone the moral value, which they definitely don’t see. Parents see words that they don’t want their kids to repeat and automatically don’t want them to read it, no matter how great the book is otherwise. Then there is the historical and academic aspect of To Kill a Mockingbird, which is priceless because it shows the views of various people from that time. Although it uses what most consider inappropriate words, it uses words that people would have used in that time. Also, the writing, such as sentence structure and vocabulary, is a great example for students. Some people would like to ban To Kill a Mockingbird from schools, but they should carefully rethink that. This book is valuable because it teaches students about racism, which is a very real thing in society. It also teaches about the history of the era and authentically shows how they lived, although it was cruel at times.