The Censorship In The American Society Essay, Research Paper

The Censorship in the American Society

Jennifer Stern

ENC 1102

Essay 1

6 February, 1997

As society emerges into the twenty-first century, control amongst the

people is still evident in the actions sought by both houses of Congress.

Individuals, in many cultures, are being sheltered from the controversial issues.

By suppressing ideas or themes of materials in which a person does not agree,

portrays a false atmosphere of society. When the Congress feels that people do

not have the ability to form decisions for themselves, this is where the

censorship begins. The issue of censorship is currently being debated

concerning the violence on television programming.

Censorship is defined as “the supervision and control of the information

and ideas that are circulated among the people within a society.(Konvitz 1)”

Censorship is a form of controlling the members of society. Government leaders

and public officials, who believe that literary, artistic, or educational

materials are not suitable for the public, take the liberty of eliminating

and/or editing it. Censorship amongst the population in the United States of

America, regulates the peoples lives, similar to that of a communist country.

The individuals who examine and critique the debatable material, will

censor it when they find it objectionable or offensive. Milton R. Konvitz feels

that “objectionable material will be considered immoral or obscene, heretical or

blasphemous, seditious or treasonable, or injurious to national security(1).”

The spirit of censorship seems to exist in the minds of people, the objected

viewers, who has the power. There are no standards as to what is unacceptable.

If the material has an offending word, arouses a protest or an underlying

message conveyed and causes resentment to a person, the material is inadmissible.