censorship of violence
Why does anyone care if our society is aggressive? Does the kid who decides to fire a gun into his school do so because he watched Natural Born Killers? Is violence in our communities really causing anyone any abnormal amount of heartache? To the victims, and the families and friends of the victims, surely it does. Perhaps there are still some individuals who care just for the sake of caring, not because they are grieving a loss. But what does it all mean, and what is causing it? Some will point fingers at their televisions and movie theatres and assert that they are to blame. Not being one in the habit of pointing fingers and making absurd accusations, I will explain the free will of man and his inalienable rights to free speech. To censor television and motion pictures because of one faction's set of morals is earily similar to book burning. Censorship of media messages is an explicit violation of our constitutionally protected right to expression, and as such, should not be looked to as a solution for modern-day violence in society. The First Amendment states; "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." (Jefferson, US Constitution). We are an enlightened population well-versed i
n the understanding of our constitutionally protected natural rights. Freedom of Speech protects us, as citizens, from being persecuted for expressing our thoughts and ideas. This transcends into the idea of freedom of expression. We all have the right and ability to express ourselves, and to analyze the messages we receive. Our republic was founded on what were then radical, controversial ideas. The founding fathers understood the importance of freedom of expression. So why today do we not? Cries for censorship ring loudly across the nation. Kids are killing kids. Schools are slowly becoming places of violence, not educational institutions, and the solution is not to infringe upon our rights. Information is power. New ideas and thoughts propagate improvement. Without free expression, this is not possible. To control the free exchange of thoughts, ideas, and social and moral inquiry, is to severely handicap the intellect of our society. First and foremost, censorship is a blatant violation of free speech. Second, it is a poor approach to controlling the omnipresent problem of violence in society. We are independent thinkers. Every morning, the population wakes up and as consumers' make decisions as to what they will wear, eat, and drive. The television is a deluge of media messages. Mentos give you self-confidence. Tropicana Pure Premium makes your children love you. A Ford SUV makes you an athletic, rugged person. Suprisingly enough, not everyone that wants to be athletic drives a Ford Explorer, drinks the Tropicana brand of orange juice to improve domestic relations, or eats a Mentos to feel better about themselves. We analyze the messages we receive, and decide what is worth retaining and what is worth disposing of. The programs in between the commercials we watch are no more controlling despite the fact that the commercial's sole duty is to convince and manipulate. We choose what products to buy just as we choose what media messages influence our lifestyles. The influence that the advertising agencies have over us is similar to that of the Hollywood production companies. They both create an environment that persuades and distorts reality at times. Viewers, just like consumers, make decisions as to what messages and programming to welcome into their lives. In the novel Welcome to the Monkey House, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., The United States Handicapper General enforces the law of complete equality. A single person has complete control over the forced equality of the nation. The Handicapper General decides not only what equality is, but also the best way to facilitate it. How does one censor informa
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Approximate Word count = 1785
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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