Essay On Censorship In The United States

Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law

Censorship cases often bring about debates over students’ first amendment rights. Students’ first amendment rights are important to preserve so that students can not be excluded from meaningful works or literature. It is understandable for the government to design educational plans as a way to get its voice into classrooms, but “the truth-promoting function of the First Amendment provides no reason, however, to question the right of students to explore a variety of ideas and perspectives, and to form and express ideas of their own” (Brown, 1994, p. 30). Schools already place a restriction on religious material or material addressing current political controversy (Brown, 1994).

The First Amendment was adopted in 1791. It states that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Wikipedia, 2016) The freedom of speech documented in the First Amendment is not only a constitutional protection, but also an inevitable part of democratic government and independence, which are essential values in our society. “Censorship,” according to the ACLU, “… 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”. (ACLU, 2016) That is why the American citizen’s right to free speech should be held as the highest virtue and any censorship of freedom of speech should not be allowed, but only respected. Not to mention that censorship is unconstitutional.

One hears about censorship of free word happening all the time in other countries, but did it ever happen in the United States of America? Not many people know that restriction of free speech and personal expression did in fact occur in America, mainly during the 1950s. During this tumultuous time, newfound fears of threatening outside influences, mainly political in nature, had set in and as a result the government tried to protect the American public from these “radical” ideas through the use of censorship, or a restriction in the flow of information or ideas. Working feverishly to control what they deemed inappropriate, they launched multiple programs to combat these influences. Unfortunately, the government’s reasonably good intentions

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.

The history of the world has undoubtedly been dominated by an endless struggle for power. However, after a brief glimpse into the pages of history it should not take long to realize that the trick to maintaining power lies in the control of information. Even the most fearsome military generals of the past acknowledge the power of the mind and ideas over lethal force. Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin once said “… [Ideas] are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, then why should we let them have ideas.” Stalin’s quote personifies the main concept of this literature review which will be discussing the history of government censorship and its effects that are

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.

It is not about ethics and beliefs. The government, or any organization for that matter, does not have any right to censor another’s work. Freedom of speech is why many immigrants come to America. It is a law that many most likely did not have in their own country and it is why America is called “Land of the Free” (“Censorship”). As a young adult, I want to be able to use my rights and not be limited to what I can or cannot watch and listen to. Those who want to forbid the use of censorship support the right that any form of speech is acceptable, even if it is offending. There should never be exceptions to any Amendment. Amendments are what allow people to be able to express their opinions, which is what most rappers do today with their music and authors do with their novels. With the First Amendment, everyone has the right to express their beliefs (“Censorship”). That should mean there should never be any fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, it works both ways and people are able to retaliate because of the First Amendment and their right to freedom of speech. Everyone has their own opinions but that does not mean that you can stop people from expressing their beliefs based off your

There are various reasons as to why censorship is used. They include: security purposes, prevent hate speech, to protect vulnerable communities and also to counter unethical religious and political views. Censorship is currently being used for both political and social purposes. Most of these reasons for censorship are not absolute because they hinder people’s freedom of expression and speech. This confirms my argument that censorship is bad in the modern world. Despite some aspects considering censorship to be good, there are several aspects that promote my argument that censorship is bad thus its advantageous nature.

Censorship in America has been documented since the late 18th century during the time of John Adams’ presidency with the passing of the Naturalization, Alien enemy, and Sedition acts. The Naturalization Act moved the residence requirement for citizenship from five

Censoring is not only in college classrooms, but in high school classrooms as well. It impedes on a student’s ability to develop and learn, hinders their ability to prepare for the modern-day world. Although cliché, and very sadly so, it is very apparent that today there is almost nothing that can be said that offends nobody. Thick skins have been replaced with fragile minds, and college students do not even know the extent of the first amendment. However, these same students believe they have the right to interpret the amendment their own way, and some believe they have the right to become the judiciary system if the speech doesn’t appeal to them.

Censorship deprives students of the full academic experience. “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials…on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of the standards applied by the censor,” (Cromwell). The act of banning materials is always justified through the eyes of the censor and only the censor. They are rigid to the point that they will not see the other sides of the spectrum. The conformists attempt to censor any challenge to their belief systems even though there is no law respecting any belief or religion. School administrations and teachers often ponder on who should decide what kinds of texts students read. Modern censorship issues arise more frequently as teachers are pressed to introduce more current and culturally diverse materials. One troubling aspect of censorship is its power to deny students in one class or an entire school system the right to read particular texts. Even though schools have good intentions, in truth they are actually denying the opportunity for students to mature academically (Rose). Students should be able to experience the academic experience to the full extent. Taking away these materials are depriving students of academic freedom. They have the right to

Censorship can be the worst thing in a society, as it can subject us to live in ignorance and inexperience, never knowing what really happens in the world. Our life wouldn’t be the same after all, what would life be without both pleasures and problems?

As always, there are those individuals that oppose the power to censor. There are members of society that believe in the freedom to speak publicly and to publish. This is a basic belief in the freedom of expression and is to be protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. On the eve of the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights, the first wave of a nationwide survey, comprising more than 1500 citizens was conducted. Through this survey it was found that American rate free speech as their second most precious First Amendment right and regard a free press highly in the abstract. Although there are strong cases made for and against censorship, the rising trend calling for censorship can threaten our basic rights to free expression and the right to be informed. At the center of the debate is the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees our right to read, speak, write, and communicate freely. The government at the state or federal level cannot

Censorship takes many forms in our society today. First it takes the form of political correctness. The purpose