Only two types of people like censorship:
1. Oppressives who like to tell everyone what to think.
2. Lazy parents.
1- No- Censorship does not infringe on your freedom of speech, expression, religion, or free thought. It is not oppressive to support holding people to a higher standard with their language, than to use curse words, and sexually explicit imagery.
2- With all of the programs we have available to use, the V-chip, parental controls, etc.. sure- you could easily SAY that parents who support censorship are lazy. Saying this does not make it true, though.. Not everyone has the updated technology to even use parental controls on a television set.. and even if everyone did, and had a V-chip, then without the FCC, it would be up to the individual or company what counts as "good and okay" or "bad and not okay" for each individual age group. As it is, there are certain guidelines and limitations that are in place to ensure that the ratings for these shows are correct. BUT, without that standard, and without an agency to enforce it, it will slowly but surely diminish from being what was once considered "good and okay" for our kids, to "bad and distasteful".
Furthermore, when it comes to free speech in the political forum, like a news station's talk show, involving debate- all too often these guys already try to get away with using all sorts of abusive language, and all too often will use words that incite violence...
Examples of words and phrases that are NOT protected by the First Amendment, but that people ALREADY use in political talk-show dialogue, and news media:
"monkey" -in re: Obama (FOX) (hate speech)
"Shut up!" - Bill O'Reiley's favorite (which actually infringes on the other speakers freedoms more than him being censored would do)
"Allowing transgenders to exist, pretty soon it becomes normal to fall in love with the animals,..."I look forward to when [the transgender children] go out into society and society beats them down. And they wind up in therapy." (Speech that incites violence)
Read more at:
Michael Rowe: KRXQ Sacramento Radio Hosts Encourage Violence Against Transgender Children
"Obama held one of the first meetings of his political career in Bill Ayers's living room, and they've worked together on various projects in Chicago." Here, Palin began to connect the dots. "These are the same guys who think that patriotism is paying higher taxes -- remember that's what Joe Biden had said. "And" -- she paused and sighed -- "I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America, as the greatest force for good in the world. I'm afraid this is someone who sees America as 'imperfect enough' to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country."- Palin, during the 2008 Presidential Election
"It's a dangerous road, but we have no choice," a top McCain strategist recently admitted to the Daily News. "If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we're going to lose."
In a recent video clip from MSNBC, McCain asked a rally, "Who is the real Barack Obama?" In response to McCain's rhetorical question, a voice from the crowd can be clearly heard to shout in response, "Terrorist!" (speech that incites violence)
Read more at:
Jeffrey Feldman: Is Palin Trying To Incite Violence Against Obama?
Speech that is protected, but not punished-
*Bono uses the F word during the 2003 Golden Globe awards, which NBC aired live.
*Cher said "so Fuck 'em" live on Fox, during the 2002 Billboard music awards.
* Paris and Nicole on stage at yet another awards show aired live by FOX, allowing one of the girls to say "Why do they even call it "The Simple Life?" Have you ever tried to get cow shit out of a Prada purse? It's not so fucking simple."l
*Several shows aired by FOX also had characters saying "bullshit" or "bullshitter".. (aired on the Early Show, in an interview, so not even considered indecent)
NOW- since some of these were aired live, and the station did not have enough notice to bleep these out, the station did not get punished for these. No big deal, right?? Right.. At least the ones that were aired live, anyways.. The hate speech and inciting violence??? Those are not protected uses of your vocal chords.
No. 07-582: FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. - Petition
When you get to shows were they COULD stop this demeaning.to.all.who.hear.it type of language, and they simply CHOOSE not to, that is when those complaints come with a penalty.
WHY??
Because parents TRUST these stations to abide by their given rating systems, and to overall just not say things on national or even local television that they would not say (or not want said) directly in front of a child.
If my son wants to watch the news, he is welcome to it. I understand that during a live interview or discussion, some words that are FAR less than appealing might come out. That is okay, I can discuss that one word with him..
When it happens FREQUENTLY, though, what am I supposed to do or say? Allowing non-censorship pretty much makes parents powerless in trying to teach their children to hold themselves to a higher standard in their use of the English language. The more commonly a word is heard, the quicker it becomes a part of your vocabulary.
I don't know about you, but when I see a bunch of teenagers standing around cussing this way and that, I do not think "This is their first amendment freedom of speech hard at work" and applaud them. In fact, MOST people think "Ugh.. punk teenagers"..
Guess what? That brings property values down.. It makes the houses and the area to be less desirable.
Censor away, FCC.. Censor away. Nobody wants to take away anyone else's First Amendment freedom to express themselves, to speak on politics, to have peaceable assembly, or to have the freedom of religion.. We just don't want old people to see our kids, 5 years from now, standing around at some corner store saying Fuck this and Fuck that, and declaring the parents of that neighborhood to be, as you so eloquently put it, "Lazy", and resultingly, not want to buy our freaking houses.
Can you understand that??
