lunes, 2 de marzo de 2009

Entry nº 33: Should books, plays and films be subjected to censorship?

If we were living under an oppressive political regime which would subject all books, plays and films to strict control and censorship; do you think our right to freedom of choice and self-expression would be respected?
During different periods of history the arts have been the most common fields subjected to censorship, especially books, plays and films, due to the strong influence they have on the population. In ancient times, books which were banned used to be burnt in the public squares. In the present although this kind of censorship has been significantly reduced, it is still applied as is the case of very famous occidental films which were banned in some oriental countries. Through their work, writers and actors try to convey a message to the readers and the audience. Such messages are generally related to social issues that sometimes are considered taboo and their content can be declared immoral or subversive because they go against the cultural, religious and political principles of a nation o country. Many people sustain that mature adults are able to make conscious choices about what they watch, read and listen to and should, therefore, be permitted to make their own choices. Furtherman these prohibitions violate people’s right to freedom of self-expression because they are prevented from expressing their thoughts and feelings.
On the other hand, it is often claimed that censorship is necessary to prevent the broadcast and publication of obscene material which is considered offensive to public moral. For this reason, the government have to impose certain restrictions on the films and texts which contain explicit scenes of sex, violence or foul language. But when governments abuse censorship, it is used as an excuse to control the flow of information that reaches the population in order to keep them ignorant of other realities and posibilities. In this case it becomes an instrument to misinform society and maintain power.
Taking all these factors into account, I believe that certain degree of control over books, plays and films would be aceptable, depending on the requirements of the context where they are used or performed. But under no circunstancy these restrictions must violate or limit individual’s rights to freedom of choice and self-expression.

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