Censorship
12:25 AM April 6th
2008
Today’s article is
brought to you by the Letter C, and the number 1. C is for censorship, and 1 is the number of censored
books (or plays) it takes to get the witch hunt started all over again.
When asked to define
censorship, implied is the banning of morally indecent materials. The definition Google gives, however, is
"counterintelligence achieved by banning or deleting any information of
value to the enemy". Interesting; nothing
about morals, or indecency, but a nod to wartime practices. Let's read on, shall we?
Even just uttering
the word censorship brings to mind images of book burnings, Pay-Per-View TV,
and the old-timey racism of books like Huckleberry Finn. Censorship has always
been poignant issue, leaving a trail of burning books and self-righteous indignation
as far back as anyone can recall. In
fact, I bet there was a caveman in every tribe whose duty it was to make sure
that all cave drawings didn't offend the gods.
Some of the greatest
books ever written have been subjected to censorship. Books such as Animal Farm, All Quiet on the
Western Front, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the Grapes of Wrath... the list just goes
on and on. These are books that are not meant
to offend, but to enlighten, and to fire up the imagination. These books were not written for shock value,
but merely for the enjoyment of the general public. And if they were written at a time when key
phrases were acceptable, then can we not forgive them this, considering they're
as much a part of history as any other media? It seems we cannot. We've gotta Save The Children! They
can barely read, and they're out huffing glue, but at least they're not being
offended by a phrase in a book. Howard Stern and Jerry Springer have NOTHING on
the offense people take to this literature.
It's not good
journalism to portray just one side of the story, however, so attempt look at
it from the other side. Lolita, I can see people not understanding. The Satanic
Verses, I can understand people judging by its cover. But how, I ask you, are books like the
American Heritage Dictionary, Alice in Wonderland, and Fahrenheit 451 going to
bring society to its knees? Yes,
Fahrenheit 451. The book about BURNING
BOOKS because they're ANTISOCIAL has been censored. Multiple times.
It occurs to me that
if one person had the power to censor this play, then the letter C could stand
for another issue, in this article. Yes
dear reader, C is for Communism.
Russia, under Stalin,
practiced censorship. North Korea has
always practiced censorship, from 1948, to this very day. Despite all the
backlash against Communism and its despised leadership practices, people don't
mind adopting Stalin and Kim Jong-Il's practices of moral purity, when it comes
to The Children. It's all for The
Children. Why, if we subject them to open-mindedness,
and free thinking, who knows what could happen? They might grow up to write books that open minds, and encourage
idealistic thinking.
Quite frankly, having
someone's morals forced down my throat like that wouldn't sit well with
me. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
states that:
2. Everyone has the following fundamental
freedoms:
a) freedom of
conscience and religion;
b) freedom of
thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and
other media of communication;
c) freedom of
peaceful assembly; and
d) freedom of association
(http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/#libertes)
Yes, I brought
freedom of the press into this. That
means, that under the same Charter that states I'm free from cruel and unusual
punishment, I CAN READ AND WATCH WHATEVER I WANT.
Our fair community has been called many things. We have been called many things. And if I look out the window, and watch the world go by, I'm sure to spot people who’s ideals don’t match mine. But are we so far behind the times that we need censor what's seen and read in our schools? I think not.