Essay/Term paper: The censorship in the american society

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Philosophy Essays

The Censorship in the American Society


Jennifer Stern
ENC 1102
Essay 1
6 February, 1997

As society emerges into the twenty-first century, control amongst the
people is still evident in the actions sought by both houses of Congress.
Individuals, in many cultures, are being sheltered from the controversial issues.
By suppressing ideas or themes of materials in which a person does not agree,
portrays a false atmosphere of society. When the Congress feels that people do
not have the ability to form decisions for themselves, this is where the
censorship begins. The issue of censorship is currently being debated
concerning the violence on television programming.
Censorship is defined as "the supervision and control of the information
and ideas that are circulated among the people within a society.(Konvitz 1)"
Censorship is a form of controlling the members of society. Government leaders
and public officials, who believe that literary, artistic, or educational
materials are not suitable for the public, take the liberty of eliminating
and/or editing it. Censorship amongst the population in the United States of
America, regulates the peoples lives, similar to that of a communist country.
The individuals who examine and critique the debatable material, will
censor it when they find it objectionable or offensive. Milton R. Konvitz feels
that "objectionable material will be considered immoral or obscene, heretical or
blasphemous, seditious or treasonable, or injurious to national security(1)."
The spirit of censorship seems to exist in the minds of people, the objected
viewers, who has the power. There are no standards as to what is unacceptable.
If the material has an offending word, arouses a protest or an underlying
message conveyed and causes resentment to a person, the material is inadmissible.