Censorship: an Infringement of Rights
Censorship: An Infringement of Rights America has always been known as “the land of the free, and the home of the brave”, but recent events begin to arise questions of how “free” we, as Americans, actually are.
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... (Bill of Rights) It has been over two hundred years since these powerful words were so graciously written in what would eventually become known as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This seemingly simple passage carries with it a great power that goes far beyond written words. This passage guarantees every single American citizen the rights which they deserve; thus, it should be held in the highest of regards by all citizens alike. (Molen) Today, the very rights that give us as Americans the freedom to express ourselves are turning into the topic of debate. Certain people feel that these rights must be violated in an attempt to suppress any obscenity from our nation (Oxford Dictionary). Although censorship has a few practical applications, for the most part, it is simply an infringement of our natural birthrights as United States citizens. Even though censorship applies to a broad spectrum of areas, recently, censorship of the internet and of music have been the topics of controversy. With topics as diverse as the internet and music, it is no wonder as to why people find themselves taking sides on the matter. Censorship, in general, makes one ask him or herself a single important question; what is more important to me, my rights, set forth by the United States Constitution, or my protection from materials of which may cause certain people personal angst? The fact of the matter is that in our current day and age, censorship seems to be becoming the “popular” thing to support. Several years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger released a video game based
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... (Bill of Rights) It has been over two hundred years since these powerful words were so graciously written in what would eventually become known as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This seemingly simple passage carries with it a great power that goes far beyond written words. This passage guarantees every single American citizen the rights which they deserve; thus, it should be held in the highest of regards by all citizens alike. (Molen) Today, the very rights that give us as Americans the freedom to express ourselves are turning into the topic of debate. Certain people feel that these rights must be violated in an attempt to suppress any obscenity from our nation (Oxford Dictionary). Although censorship has a few practical applications, for the most part, it is simply an infringement of our natural birthrights as United States citizens. Even though censorship applies to a broad spectrum of areas, recently, censorship of the internet and of music have been the topics of controversy. With topics as diverse as the internet and music, it is no wonder as to why people find themselves taking sides on the matter. Censorship, in general, makes one ask him or herself a single important question; what is more important to me, my rights, set forth by the United States Constitution, or my protection from materials of which may cause certain people personal angst? The fact of the matter is that in our current day and age, censorship seems to be becoming the “popular” thing to support. Several years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger released a video game based
Cited: "Censor." Oxford Dictionary. New York: DK Incorporated, 1998. Kushner, David. "Blood and Pixels." Rolling Stone 3 Nov. 2005: 37. Macavinta, Courtney. "Life After the CDA: Censorship." 23 Dec. 1997. 20 Nov. 2005 <http://news.com.com/2100-1023-206586.html>. Molen, Derek. “FCC Overstepping Bounds?” Unpublished Document. 30 March 2004. Snyder, Alan. Personal Interview. 18 Nov. 2005. Steves, Rick. "Prudishness is one thing; censorship quite another." USA Today 25 Aug. 2005. Ebsco Host. 20 Nov. 2005.