The freedom to read is essential to the democratic way of life. But
             today, that freedom is under attack. Private groups and public authorities
             everywhere are working to remove both books and periodicals from sale, to
             exclude certain books from public schools, to censor and silence magazines and
             newspapers, and to limit controversial books and periodicals to the general
             public. The suppression of reading materials is suppression of creative thought.
             Books and periodicals are not the only things being suppressed by pressures
             to the political and social systems. They are also being brought against the
             educational system, films, radio, television, and against the graphic and
             theater arts. Censorship occurs often in today's society, much of which is
             justifiable, but in some cases is simply unnecessary.
             The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the
             banning of books. Several books have been banned from public places such as schools and
             libraries. In these cases, the books are deemed "inappropriate" for children. It is
             unnecessary for public places to ban books, especially for young children, because it
             is not the responsibility of the public places to monitor what children are reading. It is
             the reposibility of the parent or caregiver of these children. "Two library systems in the
             Southwest responded to the long-standing objections to open-access policies by offering
             concerned parents the ability to opt for restricted juvenile cards. The Marion County
             Public Library System in Ocala, Florida, and the board of the Public Library of Charolette
             and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina have both devised systems of keeping minors
             from checking out books that may be considered inappropriate for younger readers"
             (Beverly Goldberg, American Libraries). "The debate over the Harry Potter books has led
             ...