Censorship

[InbetweenDreams]

I picked the option I felt most comfortable with - that it should be minimal and really used as a way to alert others of questionable content. But I think I need to consider it and the implications more deeply before I'd be sure in that answer.

It depends on many things. Like who is doing the censoring and how did they get appointed to have that responsibility? By whose standards of decency or morality determines what is to be censored? I mean even minimal censorship can have a powerful influence depending on the answer to those questions.

I guess what I support is giving people a heads up. Having whatever material is out there, still be out there, but behind a closed door. Like I don't want to watch a show and suddenly see super graphic violence where I wasn't expecting it. Or look up to see a pornographic billboard, or go to a bookstore and see a children's book filled with hate speech. It's not so much that I want those censored, so that no one can see it or be exposed to those things, or that I want those things to banned from being created at all - I just want to be able to have enough of a heads up that I can decide for myself if it's something I want to see.

I feel like top down censorship makes me uncomfortable because I don't like the idea of someone else deciding what I should or shouldn't see, or what someone should or shouldn't say. But if there were a way to give people the power to decide for themselves, that's better.

Even that though bugs me to say because sometimes we don't push ourselves out of comfort zones as we should. Sometimes being exposed to something that you'd never expose yourself willingly to, can act as a major catalyst for positive change or personal growth. And I wouldn't want important works or ideas to be missed because people decided they preferred to keep themselves in the comfortable little box they have made for themselves.

But unnecessarily exposing others to trauma, incredibly offensive opinions, or obscene material against their will, just for shock value, or to push limits isn't something I really get behind either.

It's a complicated, loaded question. I'll have to think more about it and see if I can come back with any more definite thoughts. And I'll be interested to read what other people think.

Ah but that's the big question. Who get's to say what's is bad and what is good and by what moral values...

Now, I'd say most probably know I'm on a Frank Zappa binge. Back in the 80's the wives of congressmen formed this organization called the PMRC, the Parents Music Resource Center. They attempted to censor music albums based on their lyrical content. Orginally they wanted to rate music the same way movies were, G, PG, R, etc...

Here's one of many videos that covers the topic...





On the other hand one would have to speculate that if there no censors at all, would things be better or worse when it comes to things like hate speech or coming across pornographic billboards be an issue at all? Is there any chance at self regulation? Would being exposed to things of that nature make one more likely to realize that certain things are just bad?

What about other kinds of censorship? Say the more subtle type. For example. I'm on Facebook, if I were to post certain things I could lose my job for having a particular opinion on something. Might be that I'm gay for example.

A reporter on the Indy 500 was fired because he wrote that he was uncomfortable with a Japanese person winning the race on Memorial Day... Of course, the newspaper fired him to protect themselves over an unpopular view...Should he have been fired? Would an apology suffice? Not that I agree with the reporter or approve of what he said, but often enough censoring occurs beyond government reach, might be that we have to act a certain way or say and do certain things because our family, our employer requires us to be within a certain guidelines of behavior.

Oh and yes, it is a loaded question from hell. It is something I have given a lot of thought about and a great deal of the inspiration to think about it does have a lot to do with the things Frank Zappa had to say on the subject.