Censorship can never be justified. Do you agree?

Censorship is the practice of removing content from mass media. Censorship and freedom of speech always comes hand in hand. In present context, Singapore has been actively practicing censorship and we are even ranked 147 out of 167 countries with least freedom of speech. I personally support freedom of speech and therefore feel that censorship can never be justified.

Imagine your favorite artist singing a song that has many words censored? Singapore does censor especially songs that contain obscene language. In China, The famous band, the rolling stones have been told not to perform 5 songs in their concert. This has shown censorship been practiced even in entertainment sector. China is a relatively conservative country with a rich Chinese culture. Long-term censorship of foreign songs into China market may cause an imbalance in the music trade industry. As Chinese youngsters gradually become more westernized, the intense censorship of songs or any media may cause an uprising among youngsters. Assuming that everybody has social moral values, I do not see the big influence of obscene language in songs a big problem. Every word in a song makes up the music, censoring any one of them ruins the whole song.


Another case is the book burning in Nazi in 1933 as a form of censorship. At that time, university students burnt books that contain “Un-german” contents. They see this as a form of purifying their race with the execution of millions of Jews. In this case, the censorship had brought negative emotions of the Jews in the Nazi point of view. This sort of widespread censorship has suppressed feelings among non-Nazi supporters or have brainwashed them in order to escape death. Thus I believe that censorship suppress people of viewing things they want to and have infringed their human rights.


In America, despite being a country that upholds utmost respect for human rights a book by Irwin Schiff, a famous writer, had being banned. The government sees the contents in the book as anti-government as it describes sensitive issue like federal income tax and also encourage people to evade tax. However, Schiff claims that every word is his book is a fact! So, what position do the government has to censor stuff just because the materials are not to their advantages? Government may control and dictate the media but censorship may lead to removal of facts that reader and all have the rights to know.


Therefore I believe that everyone has the eyes to differentiate right from wrong, we do not need censorship to filter us from unhealthy content or inculcate certain “beliefs” in us. Censorship can never be used on human and will never be justified.


References:
http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0510almanac.htm


http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-04-07-stones-china-censorship_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA

http://www.newswithviews.com/NWVexclusive/exclusive1.htm

http://www.resonant.org/news/2003/2003.04.16-ban_on_anti_tax_book_renewed_by_federal_judge-rcfp.org.html