Censorship Kills Our Freedom
Censorship and music is a combination that brews a great deal of controversy especially over the past several decades. There have been many a diverse arguments concerning censorship, though with all the debate, the question still arises; is it appropriate to censor musical art? Censorship in the music industry has seemingly grown out of control in the last couple of years and only kills freedom by telling us what is good or bad for us. Preventing or punishing speech is a clear violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (The First Amendment). The First Amendment guarantees everyone the freedom to express their views. Censorship violates a person's expressive rights. Musicians express themselves through songs, just as we do through our everyday words, as the classical painters did through nudes, and as Elvis did through dance. "Toxic media" like violent movies or profane rap albums can lead to censorship and repression. Proponents of
If they choose to listen to something we regard as harmful, or at least not beneficial in any shape or form, they are free to do so. The American Civil Liberties Union is working hard to prevent the achievement of that goal, which would imperil the First Amendment rights of musicians, and of all Americans, to create, perform and hear music of our own choosing. This law stated that store owners had to place and "adult only" label on certain recordings. The organizations both in favor and against censorship will continue to wage wars with each other quite possibly forever. The question of music censorship has been going on for a great stretch of time, and it seems as if it will continue to endure for years and years to come. Finally, Montana has a House Bill 83, that is similar to the one in South Carolina but it has charges of up to $50,000 and ten years in jail. This law also stated that it was a crime for anyone to sell a CD or tape that had an "adult only" label on it to a person under the age of eighteen. Labeling laws limit an artist to express how he/she feels. " A three-page article, entitled "At a loss for Words: Record Industry Acceptance of Stickering is Already Having a Chilling Effect," was clearly an anti-labeling opinion piece. These organizations merely strive to get their point across and their beliefs out to as many people as possible. Ironically, through exercise of their Constitutional rights to free speech, opponents of the song "Cop-Killer" effectively have restricted these rights for others by gaining a limited ban on the sale of the recording. The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to stop these people and are trying to make these people understand that musicians have the First Amendment rights to create and produce any music or form of art that they believe in. In conclusion, it is clear censorship only kills freedom by telling us what is good or bad. The Arts Censorship Project said, "No direct link between anti-social behavior and exposure to the content of any form of artistic expression has ever been scientifically established.
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