Censorship Everyone has a voice and an opinion. Some people, unfortunately, are censored and denied the right to express their opinion because it is different. Because everyone thinks they are right, if something is new or different, it will, more often than not, be disliked because people do not like to hear new and different ideas. It is not right that some people can express their opinion and some are censored and cannot express their opinion because their opinion is different from the norm. Censorship is wrong because it denies an individual the chance to be heard simply because they have different ideas. It also restricts freedom of information, which is vital to the survival of Democracy. With censorship, moral, artistic, and intellectual growth would cease to exist, and people would have no choice to believe what the government tells them, because they would have no other sources of information to turn to. Nazi Germany used censorship as a prime tool to keep the average people ignorant and promote anti-Semitism. The United States Constitution says in the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech” (qtd. in Murphy) which means that any material in any medium; art, music, literature, spoken, cannot be altered by the government in any way. The people of the United States of America are free to express their opinion in any way, shape, or form without fear of repercussions from the government or others. Therefore, censorship is a violation of an American’s First Amendment rights. According to an article on Eric Nuzum’s website, after September 11th, a list of over 150 “lyrically questionable” songs was circulated to radio stations, urging restraint of these songs, “out of respect” for the dead. ( Nuzum). In the list, “all songs by Rage Against the Machine” was listed. Rage Against the Machine is a band famous for its controversial political views. Almost none of Rage’s songs bear reference to flying airplanes into buildings. There is no reason for all of their songs to be censored. This is an example of censorship. Silencing someone because of ideas that are different. Rage Against the Machine has a right to express their ideas without repercussions, and to censor all their songs from the radio is a violation of their right to free speech. According to an arti... ... middle of paper ... ...any. It strips the common man of individualism, keeps him ignorant, and makes him a prime target for manipulation by malicious persons. Censorship has long been the tool of fascists, and totalitarian dictatorships who seek to use the common man for their own malicious intents. Censorship ensured that the Nazis had the German public in their grip as they bombarded them on a daily basis on how their lives had been improved from the day Hitler became Germany's leader. Nothing good has or will become of censorship. Murphy, Gerald. "Bill of Rights." Legal Information Institute. 14 Mar. 1993. Cornell U. 12 Feb. 2005 . Kingsbury, Alex. "A Windy War of Words." U.S News and World Report Feb. 2005: 16. Nuzum, Eric. "Sound Off: Our Attitudes Toward Music Parallel Our Belief in Freedom." Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America. 30 Oct. 2001. 12 Feb. 2005 . Rovers, Ronald. "The silencing of Theo van Gogh." Salon. 24 Nov. 2004. 9 May 2005 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/11/24/vangogh/index.html "Discriminate." Dictionary. 2000. 10 May 2005 . Alexander, Jeff. "Blue In The Face." Rock Out Censorship. 2003. 10 May 2005
The First Amendment clearly states that the U.S. government cannot make a law stopping the freedom of speech. Pro-censorship supporters say music is not included under the First Amendment but it is since music is expression. The freedom of speech includes freedom of expression and the right to hold your own opinion. This country is founded on the idea that we should be able to say, read, or publish anything we want. Music is an artist?s form of expression and banning or censoring his or her music would be stopping his or her right to say whatever he/she wants. We also have and value our own opinions and ideas and in return, respect every one else?s. If someone bans or censors a certain song because of it?s ideas, then we are not respecting the artist?s right to an opinion. An audience might have a certain opinion which we can discuss among ourselves, yet if an artist wants to sing a song about it, people want...
Censorship has been a big part of the world’s history and especially America’s history. One of the most quoted amendments to the United States constitution is the first amendment; “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ...” This amendment guaranteeing free speech, press, and religion is still heavily debated and contested today. Censorship, as a challenge to free speech and press has been allowed many times and has been heavily debated itself. Many people censor for many different reasons and in many different forms. Censorship itself is not always a bad thing and has in some cases been used for protection of the general population.
Censorship has many pro?s and con?s to it, many people disagree with it, and many support it. The debate on censorship will go on forever without ever being resolved. In this day of age censorship is more of a choice with programs on TV, Internet, and even Video Games that allow to block ones son or daughter from viewing. Censorship is a controversial word that has been with us far back as we can remember.
For years, the topic of censorship has a been highly controversial issue. Over the centuries, many people have fought and died to gain the freedom of speech and ideas. The impression that creative ideas and important information should be hidden from society and controlled by the government, is a discordant one. Censorship is the act of controlling the freedom of speech, ideas, and information. Unsuprisingly, people in the nineteenth or the twentieth century had no problem with the controversial issue of censorship. A century ago, technology just started to make itself known in the world. People had the radio, the television, and the typewriter. Although the internet was invented, it was hardly used as frequently as individuals, in modern times,
To understand censorship, you have to start at the beginning. Censorship, no matter the definition, is when people who have power, wish to limit the knowledge of what we are receiving, or what we are expressing. We have not always had the rights we had now. Benjamin Franklins brother and employer, was actually arrested and lost his printing license for expressing criticism in his newspaper about politics. Censorship was going strong in the Revolutionary era, when British Loyalists tarred and feathered people who spoke against Britain. Even back then, we lived in a country where our own opinions, if deemed wrong by the powerful, were quickly put to an end.
Many people say yes, that there should be censorship because lyrics from songs are telling our youth it is acceptable to participate in illegal actions such as murder, rape or drugs. These people believe that the lyrics actually drive people to become social deviants. In one case, the parents of John McCullom sued Ozzy Osbourne, because his song "Suicide Solution", "aided, advised and encouraged" McCullom's suicide (Nuzum 1).
Many people have fought the long, hard battle to have our right to say and write whatever we want without fear of reprisal. One argument for censorship is that those who spout hate and bigotry should not have the right to say anything they want. You may not agree with their views or their politics, but they do have the right as American citizens to say what they want, even if a vast majority of the country disagrees. That is the beauty of our country. We set the standard for what all other countries want to be. They want free press. They want free speech. They want to be able to say what they are thinking without fear of being killed the next
Censorship “Congress shall make no law.prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right to petition the government for a redress of government. ”(Ravitch, 118) As stated in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the people of this nation have the right to exercise their beliefs out loud, or in writing. With this in mind, does the government have the right to undermine the foundation of our nation, and censor what we read, watch, and listen to? Many people think not, but there are those who believe that censorship is better for the people. Some Americans believe that censorship is a benefit to society.
The United States Bill of Rights guarantees its citizens the freedom of expression, but how far does that freedom extend? Does the right to express yourself include the right to observe the expressions of others? According to pro-censorship view holders, it does not. But to those who feel strongly against censorship, the freedom of information, or the “right to know,” should be an absolute right granted to the American public. Censoring material is the responsibility of the individual, not the institution itself, and certainly not the job of a separate institution. Also, the definition of what is censor-worthy is by no means clear.
In a perfect world the government would always want the best for us and would never take action to purposely hurt or manipulate the public, but unfortunately a perfect world doesn’t exist. When given a large amount of power, it’s extremely common for people to abuse it. Wicclair agreed with this as well and stated, “… officials and groups might use the power to censor as a means to advance their own interests and values and to suppress the rights, interests, and values of others.” (Wicclair 242) Because of this risk, it would be immoral to give them the power to suppress individuals and limit their own freedom of expression. To allow the government to have control over censorship could have so many negative impacts on society. “There is a serious risk that once any censorship is allowed, the power to censor will, over time, expand in unintended and undesirable directions.” (Wicclair 242) At the first sight of something that is deemed unpleasant all they would have to do is snap their fingers and then suddenly its gone, but what if it what they censor is actually something of importance? Or, what if some huge issue is going on in the world but the public has no access to know what it is? With the power to censor, come the power to omit information. That in itself is a
Here are some final thoughts to help one formulate their own opinions Censorship is the best justified method to make sure everyone 's rights. In a society which is made up by variety of people, there must be some law that everyone follows to make the society in order. Justification means everyone is treated the same; anyone who obeys the law will have their rights equally; anyone who offends the law will be punished or circumscribed. Justification doesn 't mean that, as someone thinks, everyone can do whatever you want to do because that will make the society happens to be in
Since the foundation of the United States after a harsh split from Britain, almost 200 years later, an issue that could claim the founding grounds for the country is now being challenged by educators, high-ranking officials, and other countries. Though it is being challenged, many libertarians, democrats, and free-speech thinkers hold the claim that censorship violates our so-called unalienable rights, as it has been proven throughout many court cases. Censorship in the United States is detrimental because it has drastically and negatively altered many significant events. Censorship allows governments more control of society than they already have, slowly progressing governments utilizing censorship to a dictatorship. Often times, this censorship can lead to immense rebellions.
In modern times, censorship refers to the inspection of books, periodicals, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other communication media for the purpose of changing, altering or suppressing parts thought to be objectionable or offensive. The objectionable material may be considered immoral or obscene, heretical or blasphemous, subversive or rebellious, or damaging to the national security. Thus, the rationale for censorship is that it is necessary for the protection of three basic social institutions: the family, the church, and the state.
Hence, censorship is essential in society to eliminate discrimination on basis of race and gender, protect children, maintain stability and restore what censor sees as lost moral values. Censorship occurs when expressive materials like books, magazines, movies, videos, music or works of art are restricted to particular audiences based on their age or other characteristics. http://www.ala.org/oif/intellectualfreedeomandcensorship.html) Censorship is not a recent development. It wasn’t imposed properly or there weren’t strict regulations before.
...le use to express themselves. To censor music means that young people's ideas and expression will be stifled, which stifles revolutions and individuality, which is what those in power want (to keep order and whatnot). Censorship of media can only be stopped when tolerance is fully reached, and that will be impossible for quite some time. One possible solution to the censorship and stifling of musical artists could only be: more efficient ways one giving the buyer a warning in what a certain album may contain, as with the parental advisory symbol. A nation-wide law against discrimination towards albums with a warning label would need to be put in place, otherwise the cycle of less-censorship-but-less-sales would continue. When efficient warnings for buyers/parents and anti-discrimination laws are in place, then censorship can nearly fully end towards musicians.