Why The Arts Should Be Censored

Understanding this, I want to make it clear that censorship should not be the solution. I believe that artists should be able to make and

Britt Christensen, freedom of expression is a double edged sword. Its benefits to society are tremendous, leading to a more healthy economy. He references studies that show a correlation between freedoms of press, expression, speech and economic growth. Nations with a healthy, growing economy, steadily implement more freedoms to their people, and as freedoms grow, so does the economy. A nation that cultivates a free environment for the artists is cultivating a capitalist-minded environment from which money will naturally find its way into the pockets of the people. But there is still the prospect of 1st amendment-like freedoms not being completely flaw

Anthony Chiavaroli wrote the essay that I chose to discuss in my response paper about music censorship. In Anthony’s argument he makes the point that music censorship has been appropriately added to music for years and it has been helpful to the industry during that time. Ultimately, audiences are not pleased to be told what they are and are not allowed to hear. That is why censorship should be continued to be used, however limited. I agree with Anthony that music censorship today is just fine the way it is.

The First Amendment speaks on the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition; so important, they found their place in the US Constitution. Even with these freedoms meaning so much to the majority of America, somehow today we still encounter differences in political and religious views that seem to provoke people to act violently against a piece of art or even physically against the artist that created it such as in the recent case of artist Illma Gore. Often the violent action of destroying a work of art is “more offensive” than the image itself. We should allow artists free reign of subject matter as well as style and work together to prevent art desecration and violence through education of the arts. Censorship is the result of the fear of art. When the fear of art turns into iconoclasm or, rejection of a valued belief system, that fear becomes lack of government funding, desecration, and physical violence.

As an essential part of culture, art is arguably at the core of culture, which naturally leads to the importance of art censorship in America’s Culture Wars. Also, decision for selecting art works which could own fellowship and funding reflected the conflict in politics between different parties and groups. So, the significance of censorship would be questioned and the standard of choosing some outstanding works to receive funds would be attacked in this American Culture war.

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

The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.

“Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a Nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish,” (Johnson). President Johnson’s speech before signing the Arts and Humanities Bill, which began the National Endowment for the Arts (“Lyndon B.”), was inspiring to artists in all merits. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a federal program that provides grants to art programs, ranging from dance to music to visual art (“About the NEA”). Numerous Americans believe federal funding to the arts is not important, while countless organizations depend on the grants given. Individuals against the NEA believe that the benefits of the

Although the society is never going to come to an agreement, if the government gets rid of the National Endowments for the Arts, our nation would diminish its love and insight of the world. Art is more than what we see from the eye, it affects us as a person and how we connect with others, it’s important for me because it doesn’t compel my decision on how I want to build my future. Learning more about the National Endowment for the Arts, wanting to help is simply by spreading the word among friends and donating to keep the program alive. I admire the NEA and my love for the arts has grown and more people should understand and appreciate

Who is to say a work of art is good or bad? But the underlying issue is whether or not the government funding should be restricted. One of the most thought-provoking concepts and quite possibly the answer to the problem is the idea supported by Douglas's statement: "Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions" (14).

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

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” (Rushdie) As of late, the censorship of the "offensive" materials made available in public libraries is a common topic of discussion. Should a few opinions dictate what everyone else has access to? Censorship of the songs, movies, and books that are available in libraries is pointless, biased, and unconstitutional.

First, censorship may obstruct the Freedom of Creativity‬ of the artist, which will affect the development of the Art industry. The idea of the artworks is independent to the artist, who

Nothing in the United States Constitution requires the government to spend taxpayer dollars to fund public art. If the government chooses to fund public art in America, it must be done in a manner consistent with the First Amendment. Funding decisions cannot be based on whether the government agrees with the message being expressed in the piece of art. If we did not have to abide by that rule, then the government officials would use taxpayer dollars only to fund the pieces of art that support their views. However, what most American citizens do not realize is that the government funds are not infinite; they are limited to an extent. Government agencies

The value of freedom can sometimes be difficult to appreciate – when we live in such a great country, we tend to put a “bubble” around ourselves that prevents us from realizing the ways in which others are oppressed. However, the right to creatively express