In an age where we are gaining knowledge at an incredible speed, faster than ever before, one would think that we are headed toward an era of even greater learning and understanding.

But after reading Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451, I have begun to see evidence that we may be headed in a different direction, toward a society where reading is something that a rebellious few do, where our lives are scheduled around the television, and where much thought is wasted where no thought is deserved at all. Censorship and book banning, our dependency on television and the Internet, and the speed at which our world is moving all lead to one conclusion: one day, we could be there, too.

Many books have been banned from libraries and schools because they contain offensive language, violence, situations that are unsuitable for children, or sexually explicit material. Classics, such as Mark...