Censorship Essay

Censorship is a concept with several different meanings. To each individual censorship has its own meaning. Is it a violation of our rights or is it a protection for our well being? Censorship in the generic sense refers to the suppression of information, ideas, or opinions. It occurs in all forms of communication from technological media to print media. Each society, culture, or individual's belief is violated by the codes of censorship that our society instills.

From past censorship, America has had different guidelines on opinions of censorship. This may relate to different preferences and viewpoints from various types of people. As in the past censorship may not be on the citizen’s choice, it may have been on the government’s decision. This did not meet certain guidelines for citizens of America, as an example, the puritans wanted to “purify” themselves and the protestant church. For the puritans to successfully purify themselves they

The conflict began on February 8, 1996, when President Clinton signed the CDA law and ACLU, along with EPIC and eighteen other plaintiffs, immediately filed its legal challenge. ACLU v. Reno represents the first legal challenge to censorship provisions of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). The CDA makes it a crime, punishable by up to two years in jail and/or a $250,000 fine, for anyone to engage in speech that is “indecent” or “patently offensive” on computer networks if the speech can be viewed by a minor. The ACLU is a nationwide, non-partisan organization dedicated to defending and preserving the Bill of Rights for all individuals through litigation, legislation and public education. EPIC is a non-profit,

Censorship on television in the United States has been an issue ever since the television was invented. The public holds a variety of stances on the topic, and no matter what law is ever passed regarding censorship, it will never suit the needs of everyone. Some believe that censorship violates individual rights in the law, and others believe that censorship should be available through members in the family, not the government. On the other hand, some people strive to maintain government regulation of censorship. Television censorship is significant because it holds the future of our country. If channels continue to be censored, our rights will be violated. If not, then the future generations may change

Censorship within the United States is not only an immoral and "big-brotherly" practice, but also an insult to each and every one of those who call themselves US citizens. Every day, censors attempt to sanitize TV, radio, music, print, and even the Internet. In their infinite wisdom, they deem what should and should not be viewed by John Q. Public. Censors succeed in suppressing our free spirits and restraining our thoughts in virtually every medium.

An earlier version of the law -- the 1996 Communications Decency Act -- was struck down as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech when challenged by the ACLU; the 1998 version attempted to address the constitutional concerns by limiting its scope to

According to the Communication Decency Act of 1996 the CDA prohibits the users from using the internet that provides obscene, offensive material. It restricted the minors, individuals under 18 years of age. The CDA consider use of such salacious material to be taken as crime if made available to the minors. But the CDA was found to be unconstitutional and too broad because it violated the first amendment, according to the Supreme Court the communication decency act was not limited to a commercial speech or entity rather it was a prohibition on whole group. An alternative internet censorship law was made known as Child online protection act of 1998, it was found to be much more limited than the CDA but it too was found to be unconstitutional.

In the technological boom of the 1990s internet usage became became exponentially popular. This unprecedented development in technology led to people questioning the permissibility of online conduct. In particular, people panicked over the easy accessibility of adult content on the internet. Many parents and families were quick to worry about the possibility that their young children could view pornographic material with just a few clicks on a on the computer. As government officials became aware of families’ concerns, the legislative branch was quick to action. Finally in 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act in efforts to protect minors for obtaining pornography online. However, distressed parents were not able to celebrate for long. The same day that Congress passed the CDA, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the ban by taking it to court. The ACLU believed that the the CDA was far too broad and violated the first and fifth amendments by criminalizing wide-ranging elements of internet speech. On March 19th, 1997 the case was

Censorship is altering or blocking certain material from media, internet, and books. With the emergence of different communication technologies, this has been all-pervasive. This is most seen in television programs. There are different disputes as to whether it more harmful than beneficial .Many proponents think that the use of it will establish a balance in what is shown in T.V shows, while opponents are criticizing on the foundation of threats and violations that it poses to people’s right to speech.

In a perfect world, student publications wouldn’t be censored, but as many people know, the world is far from perfect. Censorship is an unfortunate reality for many student publications across the nation and although it is perfectly legal for them to be censored, many advisors and publications staff members are unhappy.

“Research on the Censorship of ‘Brave New World”” Although being a subject of controversy for many decades, the novel Brave New World has survived the test of time and is even considered a classic. With that in mind, this novel is still continued to be challenged as it ranked number 7 in ALA’s “Frequently Challenged Books for the 21st Century” for 2011 (“Frequently Challenged Books for the 21st Century”). This list is composed of books that people don’t believe are suitable for the public to view. Another name for this, when the books are actually banned, is called censorship. However, should people actually be able to infringe on other people’s right to read books based on their narrow moral or religious views?

Although is clearly states in the first amendment that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances," censorship in America still exists in a big way. "Music censorship is the term used to describe the act of editing, altering, or preventing the listener from hearing the music as the artist created it in order to either deny certain information or to act as a moral gatekeeper of potentially harmful material" (http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~barndollar/courses/spring98/students/fabfive/index.html). The Censorship of

In 1997, The American Civil Liberties Union, a liberal public interest group challenged the CDA, because they claimed that the law's language was vague and would cause unneeded and unconstitutional censorship.   The court agreed. Therefore, Congress decided to attempt a new Act.

In this technological day and age, it is difficult to regulate and control the information and ideas that are circulated among people within a society. Media censorship is a hotly contested and controversial topic. Censorship refers to the careful examination of electronic and print media for a single purpose. This purpose is to alter or suppress specific ideas that could be considered inappropriate or offensive to specific cultures, beliefs, and values. It is considered necessary for the protection of the viewing public. It clocks out content which mainly is harmful to people an it aims to protect children and vulnerable people by blocking and removing content from media to limit and restrict what they can see However, since media censorship

According to Michael Aliprandini and Geraldine Wager, authors of “Censorship”, censorship is “the suppression of information, opinion, or expression by a government or other authority in order to control their circulation” (Aloprandini). Many areas of life can been censored, but perhaps the most recognizable from of censorship comes in the form of books. When it comes to the United States, books can either be challenged or banned.