Censorship is Not the Answer

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Censorship is Not the Answer

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." - First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

"This is true liberty when free born men, having to advise the public, may speak free." -Euripides, Fifth Century B.C.

"There is room for all of us - and our divergent view - under the First Amendment." - Spiro Agnew

"... They have expelled Huck from their library as 'trash and suitable only for the slums.' That will sell 25,000 copies for us for sure." - Mark Twain, 1885

"Why teach us to read and then say we can't?" - Mowat Middle School in Florida, 1986

Throughout history, members of society as individuals or as groups have taken it upon themselves to judge who is too dangerous to be read, plunging books such as Huckleberry Finn, Little Red Riding Hood, and even well known dictionaries into the war of words. Censorship, or the act of withholding, confiscating, or deleting material so that it cannot be printed or distributed, is an issue that must be continuously debated to prevent the rights of all from being abused, limited or ignored (Evans 10). Although issues such as pornography and racism are legitimate concerns, in a democratic America, individuals have the freedom to choose for themselves, but not the right to choose for others - a sensible balance, not literature censorship, is the solution.

Balance can be achieved by applying common sense and staying within the legal boundaries. In the insightful words of Justice Oliver Wendall Holms, Jr., "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a therater and causing a panic" (Rpt. in War of Words, 21). Present laws protect Americans from false libel...

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...or "when one group decides for all."

Works Cited

Angelou, Maya. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." New York: Bantam, 1971.

Baker, Russell. Rpt. in Free Speech for Me-But Not For Thee. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Evans, J. Edward. Freedom of the Press. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1990.

Holms Jr., Oliver Wendall. Rpt. in War of Words The Censorship Debate. Kansas City: Andrews and McMee, 1993.

Book Ban Attempt Halted. Houston Chronicle. Houston: Houston Chronicle Publishing Company, November 17, 1994.

Noble, William. Bookbanning in America. Middlebury: Eriksson, 1990.

Pally, Becky. War of Words The Censorship Debate. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1993.

Stone, Geoffrey. Censorship Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1990.

USA Today Editorial. Rpt in War of Words The Censorship Debate. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1993.

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