CARAWAY, Ark. — Although throughout the times many things have been attempted to be banned, it did not leave a lasting impact on members of the community who lived through these events.

With the more recent movements to ban books in schools and libraries that contain content deemed inappropriate by parents and legislators it has people thinking back to past times when literature has been banned or an attempt was made.

Earl Cobb, 85 of Caraway, said that he remembers when “To Kill a Mockingbird” was banned from schools in the 1970s. He said he also remembers when his granddaughters were assigned to read it for school many years later.

“Doesn’t seem like it worked that well,” he said.

Cobb said he gets most of his news from the Jonesboro Sun and Region 8, but he hasn’t seen much about the book banning on TV.

Eula Cobb, 82 of Caraway, doesn’t remember anything regarding the topic.

“Teaching kids about sex is the only thing I remember, it wasn’t banned, it just wasn’t taught in schools,” she said.

In Arkansas, sex education isn’t required to be taught in public schools to this day.

Shelby Steimel, 84 of Pocahontas AR, describes herself as a big reader but also doesn’t remember much of the circumstances around media being banned.

“I know it was,” she said, “but I don’t know why anyone would want to. Different people have different likes, and you could read any book and learn something.”

The only books that should be banned are ones that teach people how to make bombs, said Steimel.

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