The Problem of Censorship

"For only when free men write and speak truth will the exercise of arbitrary power be exposed and opposed."  -Unknown

                                               Common button for censorship fight.

        Censorship has been an issue for multiple centuries. With this problem, many countries' citizens have diversity in what should be censored or allowed to be freely published. Certain words, images, and phrases that have been accepted as 'art,' are now being covered up. Movements, such as book banning and fading explicit song lyrics, remove the freedom of speech to the composer and writer. Every word, whether illustrated, spoken, or written, has a significant meaning for the way terms are used. Parents who promote censorship are limiting the exposure to natural arts of expression in the original form of beauty. The bigger issue I will cover will be how censorship has affected the arts over the years, and how we can put a stop to it. 

An image depicting how nothing exists under censorship

        Before I begin to talk about censorship within the media, I feel that the audience needs to know what censorship is defined as. Webster states that to censor is "to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable." This destruction of literature is to prevent exposure to younger crowds. It is the parent's responsibility to limit what the child is to view, based on their age. When the appropriate age is determined, the classics must be shown in full context. Not to provide this to the children would prove the education system to be ignorant of perspectives.
       
  When a writer creates a piece of literature, his influences are based on the time period. To fully understand pieces from Mark Twain, like Huckleberry Finn, the language within the text provide context from the time period's perspectives. Although certain terms for slaves back in early America are now considered offensive, it was the norm of the time period. Parents have placed books with problematic language on the "Banned Schoolbooks List." This is the list that is composed of many banning locations (click her to view list  http://www.banned-books.com/bborgs.html ) With issues developing in the books, certain emotions are revealed, some that are questionable to the audience. Of Mice and Men, a classic from John Steinbeck, the issue of mentally retarded main characters arises. The author created the world of his character, expecting to gain exposure to the issue, not to have it banned from the classrooms.
      

The music industry must place this icon on explicit CD's

       Music pertains to the same problem of censorship. Artist who add a cuss word within the lyrics of a song usually have a reason to do so. Whether it be to convey excessive anger, excessive love, or to depict a way of life, the musician took the risk in playing his music. Creativity is the key in the arts. A musician wants to develop a setting within the text that people can relate to. Within the rock and roll world, music is most under attack: "Rock music is a common target of censors, especially because of its allusions to sex, drugs, and booze." These fields are questionable to many audiences, but the expression is mainly to provide entertainment. Not many fans of rock music would listen to the music if it lacked these controversial themes. If you want to see a list of all the laws pertaining to censorship, click the following link: (http://www.nku.edu/~issues/music_censorship/laws.htm).
       
       Censorship, an issue in America and around the globe, has parents and institutions blocking out controversial information in texts and song lyrics. It is the duty of organizations like the National Coalition Against Censorship, NCAC, and others (click link here http://www.ncac.org/coalition) to fight censorship. It is the author's and composer's creativity being limited, and is a violation of the First Amendment. Let censorship be banned, not the other way around.


Sources

• Definition of censor------- http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censoring
• Rock music source------- http://www.essortment.com/all/musiccensorship_rill.htm
• Against Censorship-------http://www.ncac.org/coalition
• Censorship image-------- http://blogs.sltrib.com/movies/uploaded_images/BL0516-Censorship-774141.jpg
• black image--------------- http://questionabletopic.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/censorship.jp
•  music image--------------http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u63/-Advisory---Explicit-Lyrics-Poster-C10031853.jpg
• music censor link---------http://www.nku.edu/~issues/music_censorship/laws.htm