Why censor?

Since I was talking about censorship in the public sphere in my previous post, I would like to bring up the issue on 'why censor?'. We already figured that we cannot possibly censor the Internet, but at the same time, we cannot deny that we need some form of censorship in our lives. We need to protect ourselves from things that can harm us mentally.

Hamilton's (2009) 'Web doesn't belong to net libertarian' brought up two point of views: the first is that access to porn can cause harm to those who view it; and the second is that everyone should have the freedom to view what they like. In Bernardi's (2009) words, 'censorship is seen as a powerful example of the loss of personal freedom and a step towards totalitarianism...' while it can also be 'a necessary part of protecting the values that have provided the moral foundation to our society for generations'.

Judy Blume, however, sees censorship as fear disguised as moral outrage. The adults are afraid of letting children be open to what the world is really like, with all the obscenity in words, actions and thoughts (Blume).

(Source: www.deeppencil.com/images/censor211.jpg)

So, why censor? Because we are afraid of what is out there? Because we want to uphold good values? Or why don't cenosry? So that we can have freedom of speech? All views are valid and true, but I think they also are extreme.

I believe, at the end of the day, we censor for the common good of every stakeholder. But, that also depends on the culture and collective value of the society. What one culture may deem appropriate may not be for another society. As Schriver (1997, p. 365) says, reading is a social act that depends on the shared meanings of the society. Therefore, if a society is 'okay' with pornography (just an example!), then probably the children in that society wouldn't be affected negatively.

Thus, I think that there is a need for censorship for good reasons. But the most important censorship is perhaps self-censorship. We can't possibly ban every pornography sites, but we can censor ourselves from going into those sites. Indeed, it is a choice at the end of the day. It's just the matter of making the right one.


References:

Bernardi, C 2009, 'Blanket ban on the internet a folly', Australian, 6 February, viewed 17 November 2009, <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/blanket-ban-on-the-internet-a-folly/story-0-1111118775787>.

Blume, J, 'Judy Blume talks about censorship', Judy Blume on the Web, viewed 17 November 2009, <http://judyblume.com/censorship.php>.

Hamilton, C 2009, 'Web doesn't belong to net libertarian', Australian, 16 February, viewed 17 November 2009, <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/web-doesnt-belong-to-net-libertarians/story-0-1111118869227>.

Schriver, KA 1997, 'Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers', Wiley Computer Pub., New York.