It is easy to take things for granted — our access to clean and drinkable water, air conditioning in the summer, a warm meal at the end of a long day. But even more than that, there is one that I believe is even easier to forget, one that 13-14% of people around the world do not have — the ability to read.

Every single day, we are prompted to read. Whether it’s an instructional manual, a restaurant menu or street signs on a drive home, it’s easy to forget that reading is a skill we were taught and honed for over a decade in school. And it is even easier to forget that not everyone knows how to read.

I have been an avid reader since I was young. There’s a photo, deep in the archives of my Mom’s Facebook page, of a second-grade Livia asleep in bed with “The Hunger Games” laid flat on her chest. When the third Lunar Chronicles book, “Cress,” came out, I read the 600-page book at the ripe age of 11 in less than two days. I would get in trouble for reading in class, hiding the book in my lap reading in between my teachers’ PowerPoint slides.

Mandated high school reading killed my joy for a little while. While I discovered two of my all-time favorite books in my high school English classes — “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” — it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I fell back in love after picking up Ali Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis.” I’ve been reading nearly constantly since. I love my cheesy rom-coms, fairy fantasies and dystopian science fiction, but I also enjoy reading political theory, nonfiction memoir and general fiction. For my upcoming spring break trip, I have picked out four books to read on my beach vacation. Suffice to say, I am a reader and proud of it.

It was only recently that I realized that it is a privilege to have access to my books and these stories. I have the material capital to purchase books from bookstores and easy access to a public library. I have the education it takes to read the words on the pages and the comprehension skills to understand what they are saying.

Reading is fun, yes. It is enjoyable, it is a good pastime, it is a good skill to have and to hone.

But we must also never forget that reading is political.

It doesn’t matter if you are reading the political philosophy of a minority group or raunchy erotica — having access to books and having the ability to read them will always be political. It is a giant “screw you” to people who want to take away your access to information, to your ability to imagine and learn about other perspectives outside your own.

As more and more governors across the country ban books in a nation where over half the populace cannot read above a sixth-grade level, it is more imperative than ever to indulge in these stories and challenge the belief that books are dangerous.

Banning books is often one of the first signs of impending fascism. Leaders go after “controversial” books whose political views and messaging don’t align with their own, like George Orwell’s “1984” or Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.” Or leaders go after books whose perspectives they want to erase, including “The Diary of Anne Frank” or Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.” Countries and administrations that limit queer stories, erotic scenes or books that challenge religion are all doing so to control what people think and how they think it.

As much as a good book can help us escape from day-to-day monotony and transport us to colorful, vibrant settings, reading isn’t just about enjoying a story — it is a vehicle for self-growth and continued education. Every single book, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, provides an opportunity to expand our knowledge, refine our critical thinking skills and gain insight into cultures, histories and philosophies that we may never encounter in our everyday lives. It allows us to grapple with complex ideas and challenge our assumptions about others.

It is through literature that we gain the ability to challenge the very systems we are involved in.

Not everyone has the privilege of engaging with ideas found in books. Literacy is still inaccessible for many people, and even for those who can read, the ability to access books is actively being threatened. When books are banned, when libraries are defunded, when stories are erased from curriculums, we are stripping people of the opportunity to learn, grow and think critically. The ability to read and read freely is not just a personal joy — it should be considered a fundamental right.

It feels strange to write that in the 21st century, this right is under attack. While our very institutions work to limit our access to books and knowledge, we can push back. We can challenge censorship, support libraries, share books and advocate for literacy programs. Reading is a privilege, yes — but it is also an act of resistance.

Livia LaMarca is the assistant editor of the opinions desk who misses using the Oxford comma. She mostly writes about American political discourse, US pop culture and social movements. Write to her at lll60@pitt.edu to share your own opinions!