comment: >
  
  As long as there are morally free land with good or bad ideologies that are imperfect and no detestable beliefs.
context: What defines educational? Does history count?  Can we publish a book about how the northern states plotted to control or destroy the south which valiantly fought back to preserve their way of life? Would censoring that be okay? >
  
  That's not history. >
  
  So you are ready to censor anything that doesn't fit your worldview? Writing history is all about making decisions, i can assure you the historical documentation is there, but what a historian you and i say is right calls it propaganda.  But if someone doesn't do that, presents it as written, then either you censor them or allow their viewpoints to spread. >
  
  It's not my worldview: it's just bullshit. >
  
  I agree that censoring good educational books is a bad thing, but the issue is who gets to decide what we consider "good" and "educational"? What if the person/people chosen to do that job has their own agenda? >
  
  My thoughts exactly who determines what is good or quality books? Also does age appropriatness count? What I may feel is a good book for learning another may feel much differently... >
  
  Any books in particular you have in mind?
  Without examples it's difficult to know what you really mean - "educational books that have been censored" is a bit vague, could be anything. >
  
  
  good educational books
  
  Define ''good educational books''
  
  a book that discusses social justice issues
  
  Discusses in what ways? In a balanced way? Or in a far left way?
  
  preventing these students from seeing themselves represented in their education
  
  The idea that students need to see themselves represented feeds a culture of narcissism. Education should be about ideas that are bigger than yourself, not about feeding your own sense of self-importance. >
  
  Did a bot write this? >
  
  I think that educational books with mature themes should be held with the teacher/librarian and you have to discuss the themes and contents of the books with them beforehand so nobody is going into them unprotected or misunderstands the purpose of the info in the book >
  
  Okay but what is a "good educational book"?
  There are some incredibly smart minds developed in the educational systems of the more autocratic nations of the middle east. Say Iran, Saudi, Qatar ect. These books have good educational quality but still fit the ideology of the regimes they are produced in. Should a company translate and attempt to sell these books in the US should school districts not be permitted to restrict that? Especially when it's not even really banning books it's choosing not to spend money purchasing them.
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  Going into something which is actually currently present in school libraries. Classics like "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" are obviously very educational, it has been a staple of people interested in history for nearly 250 years but it contains some interesting ideas such as the ultimate failure of democracy, the jews being evil and fanatical, the glorification of war and conquest and the inherent destructive nature of Christianity all of which were relatively standard beliefs in late 18th century academia but all of which are now regarded as somewhat bizarre. There are reasons both to buy old historical classics like Edward Gibbon's work and also to not.
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  Then there's just cost issues. Again when a book is "banned" it's that the school board is choosing not to spend money on it. There are many textbooks that are expensive and I don't particularly see anything wrong with a schoolboard boycotting a certain textbook brand over cost issues especially when there are cheaper alternatives. >
  
  How about “all censorship is evil”? >
  
  It's sort of tautological though because it inevitably relies on defining censorship as an unacceptable exclusion of a book for ideological reasons. 
  School curriculums and school libraries have to have some kind of process for curating their materials because of time and space constraints. You have to spend some time defining what's a reasonable reason to not have a book available or not teach a book: it's not age appropriate, it's not interesting for the students the school serves, some other book better meets the learning objectives of the class and what's not reasonable: which is largely a desire to shelter children from opposing views. >
  
  I agree that censoring good educational books can limit one's knowledge and understanding, and it is important to promote educational equity and inclusivity. Censoring a good educational book that focuses on social justice issues will cover up hard truths and prevent people from understanding the reasons behind protests and movements such as the Women's Rights Movement. It is important to expose people to good educational books without censorship, regardless of where they are located.
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  Imagine if some organizations censored valuable educational books by confiscating them from libraries. If you walked into a library and asked the librarian if they had any social justice books, and they told you that they had been confiscated, you would be unable to gain understanding of a specific social justice issue due to the lack of equity or inclusivity. >
  
  The only thing that should be banned is pornography. Because that’s not literature. Literature should be open to everyone in all forms because we learn from what we disagree with. >
  
  I’m completely agree with you. I think it is only appropriate for college. I’m concerned, how’s about awareness of sex education?
  Edit: I believe that everyone should be informed of the importance of sex education so they can avoid making mistakes. >
  
  Ok hypothetically, if there is a book teaching sex education that uses extremely obscene, clearly pornographic scenes and images. Censor or not? >
  
  A book with overally pornographic scenes and images should be prohibited in schools. These books should only be available in public libraries for adults  but not children. It is entirely up to every parent to decide whether their children should or should not be able to read these books.
  Sex education is essential but it should start in middle school because adolescents are entering puberty. It ensures they be alert and avoid making mistakes. >
  
  
  A book with overally pornographic scenes and images should be prohibited in schools. 
  
  Ah ok, so in other words, they should be censored? >
  
  Yes. These deep, overall inappropriate books should be censored in schools but especially less inappropriate book will be acceptable. >
  
  Ok in other words you agree that these educational books should be censored? >
  
  Censorship is needed to some degree in school books. Would you think a book filled with swearing, and showing graphic pictures of abuse, graphic sex acts, and/or criminal activity would be OK? Would you be OK with manuals for how to commit suicide being available?
  If not, then you're censoring information to some degree. The question isn't a binary answer, it's more about where does the line sit. >
  
  that’s quite controversial one. Regards of any sensitive topics should be available to all because we cannot prevent them to learn how to do those dangerous or even anything that’s potentially harm or lead to the increase of criminal activity. you can’t always hide those forever from others because it will always be discover by them later. 
  more importantly, how will you define a freedom in which law speaks. what’s your opinion on this? how will you approach the notion of censorship on valuable educational materials? >
  
  Kids (and adults) who learn about and have access to effective suicide methods commit suicide more frequently. They don't just divert to other means, it's usually quite impulsive and if they are delayed they don't do it. There's plenty of literature establishing this, it's well documented.
  Knowing suicide methods is of no benefit to kids, there's nothing to be gained. The only real argument against censorship here is fundamentalist ideology about information freedom.