Censorship

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Censorship is one of the most controversial issues in America today. Censorship is a way to control and supervise the society by regulating the ideas that are being circulated. Media, magazines, books, movies, internet, television shows and ads are the victims of censorship. An individual should be able to express their feelings on issues especially in schools which are the basic educational centers for the youth.
Many feel that school censorship is all right but students as individual are grantee freedom of speech. High school years are time when youth formulate ideas and begin using their rights. There should not be restriction on what topics students write in newspaper or the type of book they read in class. Cutting out a book such as William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” for using profanity doesn’t make a difference because in reality people use it daily. Students should be informed of different issues facing the world today. They shouldn’t be shield from reality and shown what is only perceived morally correct in society.
Censorship suppresses the ideas that could of evolved from the minds of youth. Usually, censorship generates from people with fundamentalist belief who have little appreciation for tolerance and diversity. "The health of a democracy is not so much about how people agree but how they choose to disagree. Students need to have the skills, the abilities to critique and analyze a wide array of viewpoints.” states Don Ernst, director of government relations at the Association for the Supervision of Curriculum and Development (ASCD). Denying the educational tools through censorship will hamper how a student thinks and deals with the complex society. Students should receive a multilateral viewpoint during their education.
Censorship is against the U.S. Constitution. The first amendment states “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; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.Our system is built on two pillars, democracy and liberty. The democracy part pertains to the concept of majority rule on issues such as elections, passage of legislation, and so forth. The liberty part pertains to restrictions on majority rule and the protections of minorities, whether they are racial minorities, religious minorities, or political minorities.” says Loren Siegel, director of public education for the American Civil Liberties Union. A censor does have the right to oppose and express their viewpoint but they can’t ban something with force because of what they believe because we live in a democratic society and everyone has rights.
School censorship of academic material and activity is harmful and a infringement of student civil liberties. Censors should think carefully before they discuss the banning of something. Censorship does not allow the freedom to express and feel.


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