We discussed censorship in seminar this morning. The question was:
Is there any instance where censorship is a good thing?
Most students immediately said no, but then - predictably - gave various exceptions. Some of these included child pornography, others included porn that involved animals. Beyond this, most thought it was entirely up to the individual. So long as it doesn't infringe on the right of another individual, all was well.
I humbly disagree. I think that while the federal government should probably stay out of censorship, there should be a degree by which a school, community, or even state should maintain the right to defend themselves from things that they believe would be harmful to the commonwealth. If a school doesn't want to permit Darwinism to be taught or My Two Mommies to be read, that is the right of the school. If a community doesn't wish to have pornography in their stores or gay bars on Main Street, they should be permitted to prohibit these things. If a state wishes to retain a specific moral climate, it is their Constitutional right to do so. In each of these cases it begins and ends with families, communities, cultures, and values.
While this may seem radical to the modern mind, our Founding Fathers understood this very well. The very same people who wrote free speech into the first amendment also wrote blasphemy laws and codes pertaining to public vulgarity. They knew that while people should be free to make decision, communities also had the right to do so. They didn't view America as "we the individuals" as much as "we the people," and this was reflected in the way they enacted various laws.
We now live in a day and age where Jerry Springer, MTV, and mild-porn run rampant across a civilization that, in days past, would be repulsed by what they see and hear. They most certainly wouldn't have celebrated it as stellar examples of freedom of speech as they meant it to be. On the contrary, they would shake their heads in disgust. So should we.
Families, school, communities, and states should begin taking advantage of their constitutional right to censor what they believe to be harmful to their children, their students, and their citizens. If America wishes be a shining city on a hill, then we may wish to rid ourselves of porn shops, filth on airwaves, and smut in our schools. Until then, we may be shining on a hill, but a city shining with moral depravity.
Is there any instance where censorship is a good thing?
Most students immediately said no, but then - predictably - gave various exceptions. Some of these included child pornography, others included porn that involved animals. Beyond this, most thought it was entirely up to the individual. So long as it doesn't infringe on the right of another individual, all was well.
I humbly disagree. I think that while the federal government should probably stay out of censorship, there should be a degree by which a school, community, or even state should maintain the right to defend themselves from things that they believe would be harmful to the commonwealth. If a school doesn't want to permit Darwinism to be taught or My Two Mommies to be read, that is the right of the school. If a community doesn't wish to have pornography in their stores or gay bars on Main Street, they should be permitted to prohibit these things. If a state wishes to retain a specific moral climate, it is their Constitutional right to do so. In each of these cases it begins and ends with families, communities, cultures, and values.
While this may seem radical to the modern mind, our Founding Fathers understood this very well. The very same people who wrote free speech into the first amendment also wrote blasphemy laws and codes pertaining to public vulgarity. They knew that while people should be free to make decision, communities also had the right to do so. They didn't view America as "we the individuals" as much as "we the people," and this was reflected in the way they enacted various laws.
We now live in a day and age where Jerry Springer, MTV, and mild-porn run rampant across a civilization that, in days past, would be repulsed by what they see and hear. They most certainly wouldn't have celebrated it as stellar examples of freedom of speech as they meant it to be. On the contrary, they would shake their heads in disgust. So should we.
Families, school, communities, and states should begin taking advantage of their constitutional right to censor what they believe to be harmful to their children, their students, and their citizens. If America wishes be a shining city on a hill, then we may wish to rid ourselves of porn shops, filth on airwaves, and smut in our schools. Until then, we may be shining on a hill, but a city shining with moral depravity.
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