Censorship Is A Controversial Topic Essay

It is probably no accident that freedom of speech is the first freedom mentioned in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The Constitution's framers believed that freedom of inquiry and liberty of expression were the hallmarks of a democratic society.

Censorship is a controversial topic argued about on an everyday basis. Censorship is all about perspective, one side argues that some materials should be censored while the other side argues it should not be censored. Censorship has subtypes of itself meaning it is separated into categories. The three categories are Moral Censorship, Political Censorship, and Book Censorship. Moral Censorship is the removal of materials that are thought to be obscene, to better the public view. Political Censorship is when the government partakes in blocking information from their citizens. Lastly, Book Censorship is banning novels by the nation or state, in some cases a school, if a community finds it to be inappropriate for the public to see. All 3 of these categories affect a country or nation and their citizens. Censorship can affect the internet, music, and films as well (The Spectator 1).

Censorship is defined by Caso as the suppression of speech or any other public communication which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive politically incorrect as determined by the government or any other control body (3). Censorship may be justified from the conservative view whereby the free speech can be maltreated where it undermines the customary principles and communal solidity as withheld by a particular community.

Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do

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

A multitude of countries and organizations use censorship for various reasons. However something they all have in common is the one providing the censored material does not want the reader or viewer to know something, whether that be the true state of a country or the real history of a matter. Censorship is a constant tug-a-war between two sides for the truth over a subject. This form of restriction can be observed from the early 1900’s to today’s modern times, and can also be seen worldwide in countries that have little to nothing in common.

Censorship is one of the most controversial topics in America today. It provides rules or discipline for new technology. It covers music, video games, movies, plays, and the internet. Censorship is all around us, but how has it affected our nation as a whole? Censorship is the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are “offensive,” happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others.

In her essay, “Censorship: A Personal View” Judy Blume gives readers insight on the impact of censorship based on her personal experiences as a young reader and then later in life as a censored writer. She provides numerous examples of educators who were affected by censorship and chose to take a stand against it (345). Although the piece lacks evidentiary support for these accounts, and draws on sarcasm for emphasis, the original objective remains clear and strong. Blume succeeds in exposing what censorship is capable of, what this means for readers and writers, and how activist groups like the National Coalition Against Censorship [NCAC] can

For as long, as I can remember, censorship has been an issue among society’s free thinkers. There are those that abide by the rules, never thinking twice of the repercussions of actions chosen by commanding authorities. There are those that go with the grain of society’s guidance, yet wonder where the line is drawn in the sand, and where it begins. Then there are those that have witnessed the blinding of society and refuse to have White Out cover the novel that are their opinions and belief. Censorship comes in an extensive array of variations, from speech to educational literature, silencing opinions and facts alike. Different degrees of censorship have been attempted throughout the ages by scholars, civilians, and governments alike. Often

Modern society faces many controversial issues that previous generations could not have possibly imagined. These issues seem to evolve with the culture and recur in new form as each generation moves on in time. For example, censorship is an issue that generations have struggled to resolve since the dawn of media and the publication of documents. Today, censorship is an important part of our world because of its ability to let parents block out or allow certain material to reach their children, its controversial stand on the freedom of press and freedom of speech rights of human beings, and its demonstration of who or what has the power at hand to control what enters the public media.

Censorship is oft used to mute freedom of speech and self-expression, which are human rights. We need them to express individuality, to differentiate ourselves from each other. There was a teenaged boy who came out as gay, and when he told his story, it was censored from his school newspaper.

Children’s innocence must be protected by censorship. The debate on whether censorship is beneficial to society often compiles to a few main reasons. Subjects like freedom of speech, women’s rights, and children’s innocence is brought into question when discussing censorship. It is an important debate because what is censored influences societal beliefs of what is right and wrong. It decides what truths are revealed publicly. Some people think censorship is beneficial because it supposedly protects children, but it is actually useless because it underestimates children’s tolerance, witholds information, oversexualizes women, and sugarcoats the truth.

Censorship may be protection from inappropriate materials, but it also limits free speech. For the limitation of free speech, it is reasonable why people are emphatically against censorship. It is understood that there is a need to filter some of the materials released in today’s society, but too much is being done by people who have no right meddling with everyone’s rights. Civilization has always been plagued by a never ending battle being fought over what is deemed right and wrong. In today’s culture, censorship oppresses everything in the media. From movies and music to television and even news stories, most of the content viewed today has been filtered one way or another. Restrictions have been in place since early societies have been

Proponents of censorship seem to believe that they alone can determine what is and isn’t offensive to everyone. They believe that their own freedom of speech will remain intact when they have successfully silenced those that they oppose. They don’t seem to understand that once one group’s rights are taken away, we are all subject to loss of our constitutional right to speak and think freely.

The parameters of the term censorship have been changed and manipulated very much over the years. Television and movie ratings have become more lenient against violence and indiscretion because these things are now seen as entertainment. Is this appropriate for our youth? Should children be exposed to these images so early on? How does censorship in the media affect adolescents? Children are the future of our society and need to have some understanding of real world occurrences. Ultimately, censorship can only be determined by the parents. The media cannot filter every bit of controversial images. What rights does the media have in this situation? How are their First Amendment rights applied here? As an aspiring political science