by C.H. Chavez

Created on: April 14, 2009

Censoring the Censors

The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, " Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech " (qtd. in Noble). This freedom is granted to everyone, formed by people who fled the old world to find a place where they can speak their minds freely and without persecution. It is no wonder why the freedom of speech is the first amendment in the Constitution. However, why are many critics and people determined to censor books and artwork for their vulgar and inappropriate content? Nevertheless, certain people have banned many books, many that are deemed classic, ranging from William Shakespeare's plays to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher and Rye; and some have gone far enough to burn books in huge bonfires. Not only that, but certain artwork is considered to be disgusting and pornographic in nature because nudity is involved.

Without the freedom of expression, individuals cannot grow intellectually by experiencing the thoughts and images from various artists. All of this leads to the real question, whether or not anyone actually gets the freedom to express his or her opinions? With the government and people trying to censor certain material, our freedom is being undermined constantly; it is possible that the freedom of speech, the very freedom that our ancestors fought for is slowly being taken away.

Censorship can be defined as the omitting of any offensive material from the public that is considered objectionable. With that, people encounter censorship constantly it is an ongoing battle, of who is right and who is wrong. According to Gail Blasser Riley in her book, Censorship, "... Some feel that freedom of expression should be absolute, others believe that absolute freedom of expression can infringe upon protection of the individual or the government." (3) Riley then goes on to say, "Ongoing debates over censorship issues rage daily. For example, some claim that if the government is allowed to choose when to censor, people will never be truly free, that people will be oppressed because they will be unable to express themselves without the fear of reprisal" (3-4).
Can anyone imagine a world where people are afraid to express themselves due to the probability of being questioned?
This image is disturbing, it almost seems as if the citizens of the U.S. will one day need permission to walk, talk, and breathe.

Furthermore, in some cases certain books have sections considered immoral removed from the book. In one such case among many,

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