Webster defines censorship as, “to examine in order to take out things thought to be objectionable.” The person or people that do this are called censors. These are officials who checks writing, movies, or even art to take out things thought by the censor as being objectionable.
The question here is what is the definition of objectionable. Going back to my old tattered Webster Dictionary I discover that objectionable is defined as, “a reason for a feeling of disapproval. Being objectionable leads to the opposition of what is deemed objectionable. My first question is by whom? This would have to be the censor who is defined as being, “the official who take things out that he deems to be objectionable.”
Most people dislike the concept of censorship but it is an integral part of our society. Recently one of the stars of “Duck Dynasty” made homophobic comments in an interview. By the way, I’ve never watched the show and have no idea as to why anyone would watch any type of reality show. Soon after the patriarch of the family that makes duck calls was suspended. His comments were not surprising because his image is one of a far right conservative with a Baptist base.
The question shouldn’t be what the comment was but did he have a right to express his views. Should he have been censored and ultimately censored from his show? I don’t agree with what he said but why should other people demand he stop discussing his beliefs. If it offends then the people it upsets should simply stop listening.
The written word is something else that should never be censored. There have been times in our history when nationalism overwhelmed patriotism by not allowing anyone to disagree with our national policies. These times then evolved into a time in our history when conservative groups where undermining our first amendment rights. Attitudes change with times. No one should be told how he or she could express himself or herself. No official should determine what is objectionable.
We have a new President who dislikes the written word in that it does not support everything or everyone he believes in. He believes his word should always be believed as fact and any question of his word should be discouraged or even eliminated. This is another form of censorship in that it only allows one concept or one idea to be established as fact. This is also dangerous in that when the President is asked to establish a fact many will question him because of his practice of censoring what should be defined as fact.
Music is an art form I rarely understand. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. Personally I enjoy the genre popular opera sung by Andrea Boccelli or Sarah Brightman. Since I can remember, their have been groups of censors demanding anything they found objectionable should be censored from Elvis Presley’s swinging hips to the Beatles shaggy hair cuts. Lyrics have been banned for using certain words and the artists who developed their own styles were said to be undermining the youth of our nation. The best way to censor music would be to simply not listen to it.
The newest censorship has to do with education. The program entitled, “Common Core Standards”, tells the schools and the teachers what to teach. Of course, the program states it does not do this but the schools will be judged by how well their students do on standardized tests that are based on what the officials advised the teachers to teach. This is censorship with a bite; but most censorship is. As to what will replace this system of education is still murky because the President states his new system will be better but how can anyone trust his comments when so many of his comments have proved to be and are false.
Webster defines censorship as, “to examine in order to take out things thought to be objectionable.” The person or people that do this are called censors. These are officials who checks writing, movies, or even art to take out things thought by the censor as being objectionable. If anything is going to be allowed to destroy our nation and society it will have nothing to do with art or any of its forms. It will have everything to do with censorship and those proud to call themselves censors.
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