Freestyle 7: Those Who Burn Books

Those Who Burn Books will then Burn the People. The book burnings, the book bannings, and the objectification and erasion of Critical Race Theory, the teachings of POC, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ history is more nefarious and sinister than you think. It is my goal to argue that the rise of anti-intellectualism in America is a smoke screen for the war on education. There is no reason to restrict, ban, or censor the creative work of artists. Films, exhibitions, books, or any other creative work, are often challenged with the best intentions of protecting the vulnerable from difficult ideas and information.  Taking away any art form, regardless of the medium, can harm people more than it will help or protect them. The topics that are censored usually center themes that are realistic, timeless, and important to learn- so the population is not doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Furthermore, if students are not exposed to these topics in schools, they may not be able to gain awareness of these topics.  No, the state should not be allowed to censor the creative work of artists, because censoring art censor's intellectualism; which can be seen through the burning of the Library of Alexandria, the 1933 book burning in Germany, and the censorship of Critical Race Theory in America.