Surfing the Internet is like strolling through a library. With just one click of the
mouse, a person can enter an amazing world of information. The Internet takes away the
inconvenience of having to drive to the public library, plus, the Internet is open
twenty-four hours a day. But, not only can a person research information on the Internet,
they can shop for products, read the latest news and stocks, meet new people, not only in
the United States, but in other countries as well, look for a job, and more. With the many
application of the Internet, so many more opportunities for individuals exist.
Also, a new meaning of "It's A Small World After All" comes to mind when
surfing through the World Wide Web. But not all is grand and spectacular in the Internet
world. The Internet has been a major concern of the American people and government for
the last few years with controversies over certain types of web sites displayed over the
Internet including pornography, hate group web sites, "inappropriate" literature, and other
kinds of web sites. Their main concern for these types of web sites is that this material is
easily accessible to a young, impressionable audience.
Some believe that censorship of the Internet is not the best solution. There are
other alternatives to censorship that will not violate the free speech clause as stated in the
First Amendment. First of all, the reason why censorship is not the best solution is because
the censorship of expressions of speech is a violation of the First Amendment of the
United States Constitution. In other words, anything printed on the Internet deserves the
same amount of protection as any book or magazine that is sold at a store or available at
the local library; this is why surfing the net is similar to going to the public library.
Again, I think that protecting the children is a very crucial element that must be
con...