Freedom of Speech: the Right to Read!

Imagine that you live in a world where the books that you have access to are limited because people do not like the ideas that are in the books. Freedom of speech is so important because it allows people to express their opinions. It also lets us receive information from different points of view without restriction, and enjoy all kinds of books. The First Amendment gives us a fundamental right to read!

This freedom of expression is valuable to me because books give us the power to go on an incredible journey, to be swept through time and to be transported to new worlds - from the bustling magic of Diagon Alley, to the terrors of Nazi Germany to the inequalities on a southern plantation. Books help us develop empathy as we jump into other peopl's shoes and see the world from different perspectives.

Recently, some school districts have been attempting to ban certain books because of their content. It is not right to suppress ideas and information simply because we do not agree with them. When we defend our access to books, we are defending our First Amendment rights. Freedom of speech gives us the opportunity to form our own educated opinions, and to learn from the past so that we can imagine a brighter future.