Essay on Censorship is Not the Answer - 983 Words

Censorship is Not the Answer Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. - First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution This is true liberty when free born men, having to advise the public, may speak free. -Euripides, Fifth Century B.C. There is room for all of us - and our divergent view - under the First Amendment. - Spiro Agnew ... They have expelled Huck from their library as trash and suitable only for the slums. That will sell 25,000 copies for us for sure. - Mark Twain, 1885 Why teach us to read and then say we cant? - Mowat Middle School in Florida, 1986 Throughout history, members of society as individuals or as groups have taken it upon themselves to judge who†¦show more content†¦The First Amendment does not protect criminal or harmful acts. It is possible to strike a sensible balance between protecting our children while allowing concenting adults the freedom of obtaining erotic material. Erotica is not a crime, but rather a matter of taste. Some individuals believe there is a correlation between exposure to explicit material and unlawful acts, but this is an issue yet to be resolved. Even those who claim a connection admit there is not solid evidence of direct cause and effect (Stone 176). Pornography didnt invent criminal acts, therefore, should we restrict the freedom for all to punish the irresponsibility of few (Evans 68) ? Rather than a sweeping ban on all obscene material an appropriate solution would be to enforce stricter laws dealing with criminals. Racism is another battle cry for some censors. For instance, the 1885 classic Huckleberry Finn, has been underfire since the book was published. Although the word Nigger is used over a hundred times throughout the novel to refer to the runaway slave Nigger Jim it is not a book about racism, but about a boys journey into adulthood. The one honorable man in the novel is Jim; the thieves and scoundrels are white (Baker 24) Besides Huckleberry Finn, the most censored books are The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, 1984,Show MoreRelated Internet Censorship Survey Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesInternet Censorship Survey Topics of censorship involving the different media have always drawn lively responses from people when asked about them. The media categories of television, printing and recordings now include the Internet. I conducted a survey of people to find out their opnion on the new medium. I asked people, Do you think that there should be censorship on the Internet?. I conducted this survey during the week of February 14, 1997. I particularly chose this question becauseRead MoreFahrenheit 451 And Under The Never Sky1117 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferences. Both books have their own ways of enforcing a form of censorship, which plays a major role on why these stories represent dystopian societies. In both books, the setting is in a futuristic society creating a new perspective on how the abuse of authority in the government can lead to a failing society. In both stories, questioning is seen as a negative way of thinking. To think beyond what is there, makes you an outcast. Censorship is the act of blocking out information in any shape or formRead MoreAnalysis Of Fahrenheit 451 914 Words   |  4 PagesEquality in the Censorships of Books in Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a novel that illustrates what could happen to our society in the future. The novel portrays a society in which books, excluding comic books and other simple technical books, are banned and burned for the good of the society as the people believed. The books are seen as a source of unhappiness and, therefore, the society has decided to Ban them and put the fireman in charge of maintaining the censorships. I believeRead MoreIs Censorship By Government Justified?1497 Words   |  6 Pages1104 28 April 2015 Is censorship by government justified? Censorship has been broadly connected with the media from last couple of decades. These subject is all that much dubious and present in every single key zone of public expression, which commonly go under the civil argument from every community throughout the world. There are numerous articles composed on the subject of censorship and we will talk about the contentions in distinctive articles and its dependability. Censorship, the concealment ofRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Analysis1417 Words   |  6 PagesFahrenheit 451 and Under the Never Sky are two dystopian books that propose a variety of similar ideas and a handful of differences. Both books have their own ways of enforcing a form of censorship, which plays a major role in why these stories represent dystopian societies. In both books, the setting is in a futuristic society, creating a new perspective on how the abuse of authority in the government can lead to a failing society. In both stories, questioning is seen as a negative way of thinkingRead More The Censorship Debate795 Words   |  4 Pages The Censorship Debate nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Do words such as nigger, bitch, or ass offend you?nbsp; The answer may seem clear cut, but our nation has been struggling with the issue of censorship almost since its conception.nbsp; To many, the aforementioned words are a part of their everyday vocabulary; to others, they are vulgar and unacceptable.nbsp; The issue of censorship is much more than just words.nbsp; There have been huge controversies over the negative ideas andRead MoreRay Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 Essay552 Words   |  3 Pagesalso involving censorship to better society from vulgarity and from certain aspects of life that could be seen as disruptive to day to day society which leads to censorship of language and books. Both stories deal with censorship and by that society is destructed in a certain way by the loss of knowledge from books. Fahrenheit 451 involves such characters as Guy Montag, Mildred Montag, Captain Beatty, and Clarisse McClellan. Fahrenheit presents the firemen as the tools of censorship and illegal booksRead MoreExamples And Ambiguities Of Art Censorship1459 Words   |  6 PagesExamples and Ambiguities of Art Censorship (Position Paper) Art censorship, suppression of the arts, has a very long history. This is because all societies must decide what the limits of free speech are, and in this decision they must also decide the status of art. It is easy to raise more questions than answers when exploring this topic as it is a question whose answer is affected by differing perspectives and opinions. It would be exceedingly difficult to articulate an argument based on dataRead MoreEssay on Pros and Cons of Censorship: Controlling Media and Ideas769 Words   |  4 PagesCensorship, or what I like to call â€Å"controlled media†, is the control of ideas and content in our world. For as long as people have discovered that human beings have free will, there has been a way to regulate, govern and block the expression of its uses. There are many types of censorship when it comes to military, religion, political, public media or for just morale reasons. There have naturally been debates on whether censorship has truly b een a restraint of expression, imposed to protect peopleRead MoreThe Effect Censorship has on Art Essay examples943 Words   |  4 PagesThough out history artist have rejected any forms of censorship. Governments have had to enforce censorship laws for the sake of public safety. As well, as to maintain control of society and to uphold the moral and ethical values that the populous demands. Whether you are for or against censorship in art, it serves a useful purpose in moderation, but it can be taken to extremes. Whether it’s a fascist government or a extremist religious organization it is easy for a controversial law to be twisted