...Censorship in Books Ever since they’ve been published, books like “Brave New World”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and many other classics have been loved and greatly appreciated for being such incredible works of literature. Along with a loveable plot, they also have a deeper meaning that is portrayed through their word choice. Some people wish to have these and many other books “censored” or “sanitized.” Specific censorship should not take place because not only would it be taking away from the beauty of the books, but it would also be depriving its beauty from society and future readers. There are some people who argue that some books should no longer be in the school curriculum. A teacher named John Foley stated “The time has arrived to update the literature we use in high school classrooms.” For years, the same classic books have been taught to students, and some teachers believe that it is time for something fresh, and more relevant to today’s society. John Foley also says “Barrack Obama is president-elect of the United States, and novels that use the ‘N-word’ need to go.” John Foley, along with other parents and teachers believe that with our presidents race, books that use the word “nigger” or other racial slurs are inappropriate and disrespectful, and should be censored. Although there are people who believe that some books should be censored, they are also failing to see why it is so important to leave the books to how they were originally written. By censoring certain...
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...Paul Lee Professor Askren English 100 March 7, 2012 Censorship Suppression of information and ideas by anyone, whether it be government officials, writers, or artists, censorship is what blankets the world from seeing what the truth really is. Media and ads in various forms are forced to be careful what they air to the public. With the growth of technology and the expansion of resources available via the Internet: Email, World Wide Web, and Video-Chatting, the amount of censorship throughout the world has increased drastically over the years. Every nation on Earth has a certain form of censorship that ranges from the extreme to the not so extreme. The United States and most European nation’s censorship level is the least compared to that of other countries. Nations where foundations are shaky and don’t have a strong central government is where censorship really takes it tolls. Countries like DPRK (North Korea), Pakistan, Burma, Syria, Cuba, Iran, and China must abide by what the dictator wants the people to see and not, by the use of extreme bias. Along with the international community and its government using censorship, the decision of censoring something can also be made by an individual aside from the government. Individuals that might be biased with is or her own thoughts. Censorship decisions might be illogical, unfair, unconstitutional, or in some cases just immoral. People tend to want to censor everything that they personally don’t tend to agree with. Corporations...
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...Chinese Censorship is a Contradicting Problem In the contemporary society, with internet expansion the world is extending to be an Information Age. Due to the expansion, a large amount of sensitive information that governments disagree with is widely and rapidly spread. In order to control the dramatic increase of this sensitive information censorship occurs. According to a report, censorship is defined as “…one of the tools used by governments to filter out unwanted information and to prevent the spread through the World Wide Web”. (Antonio Lupetti) In many countries around the world, government censors restrict access to certain kinds of material for their citizens such as movies with sexual content, news with political ideas, and violent video games. Based on the latest data, censorship is a phenomenon of staggering proportions that affects over 25% of the global population. China, with a population of over 1.3 billion people and 360 million active users of the Internet is by far the nation in which the censors’ activity affects the highest number of citizens (China). It is well known among the Chinese that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are all blocked in China because there is too much sensitive information on them. It is clear that since censorship has begun in China, it has hindered China from developing, updating information and limited the freedom of speech. Censorship has been used in China for centuries. According to the Baidu Encyclopedia which is a very popular...
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...Daniel Maddox Eng1000 We Need Censorship It won't kill us to make limits, but it might if we don't. That is why it is right to limit adult's freedom of expression. It is in our, societies, best interests to protect the children. Lional Tate is just one example of a child gone badly because of the media. Tate mimicked his idol the Rock, killing a six-year old girl by smashing her skull, pulverizing her liver, breaking her ribs and causing numerous cuts and bruises. If that's not enough of an example what about John McCollum from New Jersey who simply listened to Ozzy Osborne's "Suicide Solution" and killed himself? These are not random occurrences, we hear about them on the news frequently. If our freedom of expression is harming kids why can't we fix the problem by not allowing them access to it? We need censorship in the media because of influence, imitation, and the preservation of jobs. "Monkey see, Monkey do." Everyone has heard this phrase sometime in his or her life. This phrase is simple, yet very useful to today's debate, when a child sees someone or something doing something. They will of course follow suit and imitate the action being performed. Children do not know any better. Therefore they are innocent and deserve to be respected. It is for these following reasons that we argue for the censorship of harmful materials that could influence a child or children into violent acts, expressions, and other dangerous actions. Through television, video games, and movies...
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...Censorship Benefits Society Nowadays access to pornography is much easier than many years ago, and that makes pornography more harmful to society. But there are many questions and concerns about this issue that makes it even more controversial than many people think. Also, there are different views on this issue, but in my opinion censorship of pornography is very important to our society and to our children. Therefore some censorship and restrictions are necessary in pornography, and because of that the first amendment should have some limits on free speech in order to keep the society healthy, stop degrading women, and protect the future generations from overexposure to the pornography which may cause mental and emotional problems and behavioral effects in many children and adults in the United States. There are a lot of arguments that pornography harms public morality and in a very interesting way Michael Craven in his article “Pornography Should Be Censored” argues that everyone has different religious beliefs but those who are thinking more logically that the pornography harms and it could be recognized as something bad and evil. Therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to stop harming the society and reduce the harm that is caused by many men and women that don’t think about our society. In Cravens article it is clear that by censoring pornography, everybody will benefit, and something like pornography that many families sees as something bad and evil for their children...
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...Courtney 24 March 2010 Art censorship and obscenity People in the United States of America are allowed to express themselves in many ways. One of these ways of expressing yourself is through art. Although we have this freedom, it is not completely accepted or viewed as right. What makes the many different forms or art acceptable or unacceptable with censorship? Why should creativity and artistic abilities be censored from other people or artists? “According to Plato, ‘because art has the power to intensify and not just purge emotions, a “dramatic censor” must control the content and form of all artistic expression’” (Hoffman). There are some people who just cannot accept or understand certain pieces of art, which leads them to find them inappropriate and misleading. Just because these people cannot handle certain works of art does not mean that the work should be hidden. Imagine painting a watercolor picture, which is very hard to work with, and working on it for months upon months. You strive to get it finished and once you do you feel very proud of what has been accomplished. Naturally, you would want to put your hard work on display to show it off to whoever you please. But right when you get the chance to do that, the watercolor that you painted for weeks and weeks is taken away from you by Nazi’s and banned from ever being seen. In 1940, this is exactly what happened to German painter, print maker, and watercolorist Emil Nolde. People come to the United States to...
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...Censorship is a practice that restricts and music censorship is a very delicate matter. Music censorship is no new thing, it’s been going on regularly at least since the 1850s (Volz, 1991). Since music began, there is always someone trying to silence or censor something! Plato said “rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul”. Music is art and art in all its forms has always been prone to censorship, usually because of the desire of artists to extend the boundaries of taste and challenge authority (2005) crystal ref encyclopedia Even though music censorship is no new thing and it has been around since the beginning of music, it is not right. I totally reject music censorship! The problem is always with the words. Words are lyrics and with those words artists creatively express their emotions, experiences, thoughts and feelings .Consequently creating an aesthetic quality, transforming words into lyrics. There is nothing more powerful than the written word. Talk is cheap but “words”- words are magic , words are deep. Words are the foundation of history, of feelings, of intrigue. Words teach, words punish. Words give you a release. Words are wonder. Words are weapons. Words can soothe and words can kill ! Words are the symbols that represent truth. Words bring accomplishment. Words bring things into being. Words are the written of what a person is seeing. Words create, they sedate, they equate, they elaborate and they dictate. Words instigate. Words...
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...The Internet censorship in China which is controversial is protested by the netizens by the subtle and sarcastic internet meme. With technological development, the Internet is becoming a free and convenient place for sharing views and information instantaneously due to its virtual nature. However, the freedom of Internet may consequently contribute to the antithesis of social norms and copyright so Internet censorship has been proposed for censoring the Internet. The debate of implementing it has been characterized as either machine politics, to attract the support of staunch anti-pornography, or an extension into cyberspace of the ongoing battle between libertarianism and social conservation. This essay will discuss both the advantages and the disadvantages of censoring the Internet in Hong Kong before giving reasons for the position of disagreement. Social filtering prevents the exposure of information that is antithetical to morals. In different aspects, including the gambling sites, pornographic sites and sites promoting criminal activity, can the authority block to the targeted people. Many studies reveal that the mass media gives more considerable effects than others on themselves (Lee, 2005). Helgadóttir (2014) criticizes that the first emergence of the pornographic information to children in Iceland is when they are eleven. There are a great amount of pornographic material which are being easily accessible on the Internet so wrong perception of sex may be distributed...
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...Abstract “Censorship of the arts” consists of a brief look into the art industry and how governments are attempting to control what artists release. There are several high profile cases referenced within this paper, one involving AMTRAK and a refused billboard. Also referenced is a situation which involves an artist painting abstract and grotesque pictures involving deformities. Closing out this paper is how art is able to bring people of different backgrounds and cultures together. Censorship of the Arts Art is present in every aspect of modern life. It is there when we turn on the T.V. and watch our favorite program or see a commercial, when we drive past a billboard, and it’s even there when we make our morning breakfast. Art is a major part of our society, but it has been under attack by censorship since its first conception. Censorship of the arts is unconstitutional, limits creativity, and stifles diversity, but is sometimes needed. Censoring art is unconstitutional because art, at its core, is an expression of oneself or an idea, and in essence the same as a verbal statement. In the case Lebron v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation, AMTRAK refused to display a billboard ad by Michael Lebron in New York City’s Penn Station. The ad used Coors ad slogan “Right Beer” against it, asking the question “Is it the Right’s Beer Now?” The billboard pictures the usual, happy beer drinkers’ right next to a Nicaraguan village where villagers are being...
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...Traditionally censorship practices occur across several platforms, both offline and online. It helps to eliminate cases of plagiarism, copyright, deformation and obscene language. Censorship locally displays in books, music, newspapers, radio, televisions, and films. Internet censorship is a control measure of what can be viewed or accessed through the internet basically for religious, moral, administrative, or business reasons. The extent of censorship differs from country to country or within institutions (Adams, 2011). Internet censorship gets motivation from positive desires especially to protect the younger generation from unsuitable internet content (Brown, 2015). In addition to the urge for parental control, there are soft wares that block access to undesired web sites. The internet has numerous content no parent would want their children to see ranging from pornography, obscene speech, or even gambling sites. These soft wares come in handy as it is not possible to constantly monitor children’s access to the internet. Similarly, some companies limit the content available to its employees to improve on productivity and also for moral purposes. However much the internet may be important for researches and communication, it acts as destruction to employees. The internet originally came to being to enable individuals express themselves directly to their targeted audience without the necessity of intermediaries or content regulators. However, this freedom has turned out to...
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...Censorship for Teenagers Kathryn Criswell Western Governors University I. Censorship for Teenagers a. Is censorship dangerous to the development of our children? Censorship is a concern for parents, schools, librarians, and school administrators. Public education is vital to the future of society. Students must be allowed to develop the spirit of independent intellectual thinking and be exposed to a variety of conflicting ideas, images and viewpoints, in return giving them the knowledge to make the best choices in life (Reichman, 2001). b. Should parents censor what books their children read? Research suggests that censorship can have a negative impact on teenagers because the topics teenagers are facing today are the very ones that parents are trying to shelter them from. c. Main points: i. Censorship limits teenager’s ability to understand societal issues. ii. Censorship limits the knowledge teenagers have to make up their own minds and discuss their thoughts and opinions openly. II. According to the American Library Association, the following books are the 10 most challenged books of 2011. The graph represents the reasons why they are challenged. 1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle 2. The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa 3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins 4. My Mom’s Having a Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad...
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...Internet Censorship With the click of a mouse, anyone can access an incredible wealth of information on topics ranging from aardvarks to zygotes. We use desktops, laptops, palmtops, and cellular telephones to connect through telephone lines, cable connections, and wireless ports. The Internet is here. It has made our lives richer and easier; it has collapsed boundaries and expanded horizons. Accessibility of information is one of the Internets fundamental features. Never before have so many had access to so much. Herein lies the paradox; while this increased level of information accessibility is one of the Internet's greatest strengths, it is also one of its greatest possible weaknesses. Because this new medium grants more access to the individual, now more than ever, the power and responsibility to censor rests in the hand of the user. While the debate on Internet censorship is complex, it is worth exploring. Through a careful examination of the issues, one can gain the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions on how to responsibly use this awesome tool. Like the invention of the printing press before it, the Internet is a technology capable of changing the way the world functions by releasing information to the masses. Prior to Gutenberg's printing press, only a select few had access to the Bible. This monopoly of information allowed a small group to exploit and abuse the masses through the process of nondisclosure. In the same way that the printing press liberated...
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...|Music Censorship | |Final Draft | | | | | | | |Emilee Westerfield | | | |University Composition and Communication II/COM156 | | | |11.18.2012 | | ...
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...schools is like, “an unnoticeable disease, which multiplied into a deadly cancer that has continued to consume more rights each year” (ALA p. 21-22.2005). When educational entities accept a policy which allow the banning of literature and other works, what effects will this have on the intellectual potential or possible views of our youth? Anytime a constitutional right is denied, the loss may cause many number of issues For example, if we denying a student the freedom to read any book, they wish reduces their freedom. This limitation may provide the child to develop a narrower outlook as their viewpoints maybe less insightful. Once we find that this constitutional right has been compromised, we wonder what right we will lose next. Using censorship is not right as it goes against everything this country was built on, the freedom to write or express ourselves in anyway. “While the attempt to keep children pure for as long as possible is admirable, it takes the form of leaving gaping holes in their education, if not academically, then about life” (LifeScripts, p.1, 2007). There are many educational entities believe that providing a process of restricting literature and other works are necessary to...
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...Censorship in America COM 156 Censorship in America When America was formed, it was on the basis that people would be free from any sort of government tyranny. Free speech was the most basic form of abuse that the Founding Fathers sought to eliminate and thus, the Bill of Rights had it as part of the first amendment. Yet, over the next two centuries, the government has been enforcing censorship on things that it deems could harm society. Although there are many things that individuals should not see, including pornography and racist remarks, this can encourage Americans to act in rebellious manners. The government should not censor materials because by doing so, it violates the Constitution, suppresses information from us, and forces people to conform to the views of the government as all written material in books and online are confined to things that are deemed acceptable by the controlling body. By censoring material, the government clearly violates the US Constitution as it limits civil liberties by denying freedom of speech, which is guaranteed to citizens. As American citizens, we have the right to express ourselves as stated in the First Amendment of the sacred document: "Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise... of speech, or of the press." Therefore, any act that thwarts the media or individuals from getting information out infringes upon their rights. Yet, National Security Letters, those which prevent the recipient of the letter from disclosing...
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