Speak Your Mind: The Censorship Controversy In American Culture :: essays research papers fc

On a rainy morning in Detroit, Michigan, a twenty-something year old man by the name of marshall Mathers awakes to hear a pounding on his previous door. After mutter a few obscene phrases, he rolls out of bed and stumbles to his front door. However, instead of facing another autograph seeker, the rapper best know by his alias Eminem (or the real Slim Shady) is face to face with deuce police officers. Mr. Mathers, one says, were here to serve you with an arrest warrant. You squander subjected much of the Statess population to obscenity, homophobic comments, sexism, and racism, and frankly, it offends m some(prenominal) people. We hold outt want culture to face your type of commentary any more. You have the right to remain silent Needless to say, this scenario would never perish in the American democracy of the present. However, umpteen in America straight off are advocating censorship to such an extreme that someday events such as this may become a reality. And, though time and time again court cases have ruled against censorship, many a(prenominal) continue to fight to pin down free speech in America. However, in restraining what the constitution guarantees, there is much at stake. Although many argue that censorship is necessary to protect Americas citizens, it violates ones freedom of speech found in the First Amendment and should therefore not be practiced.Granted, there are many reasons for advocating censorship that could be justified. Much material that is available in magazines, at the movie theater, and on the internet is considered by many to be extremely offensive. For example, the rock band Rage Against the mechanism at times seems to exclaim violence. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine High School gunmen, were fond of this band, and some of Rage Against the Machines lyrics have been assumed to have inspired the boys violent act. In many cases, disgust can be advocated in forms of speech, causing many to believe that in ord er to prevent wrong from prevailing, censorship must(prenominal) be practiced with a fervor. In his essay Censorship force out Be Beneficial, Thomas Stork says, Now if we can identify certain evils, and if protagonism of those evils seems likely to encourage people to commit them, then why should we not take the next and logical step and prohibit such protagonism Must the authorities be helpless to restrain the source of the evil? (20) This statement is a logical one, for one of the American governments greatest concerns is protecting its citizens from violent acts.