Another Pen for Western Culture

Friday, February 03, 2006

To Censor or Censure, That is the Question.

Do you believe in censorship?

Not the censorship of ideas or debate, but the censorship of the base, the vulgar, the most vile and disgusting and proposition-free. What do you think? Is it ever justifiable? Could censorship serve a purpose that would make it worth the surrender of a set of rights? Do we need such rights? More on that in a future post.

Human Events has an excellent article on the cartoons that have set ten thousand tongues to ululating. I could only find one cartoon that was funny, however--second row, second from the left.

8 Comments:

  • I thought by now I'd see a pithy comment by Cliff or Mike H.
    Maybe later . . .
    Yes, I believe in censorship, but of course only if I can be the censor!
    That's the problem, as I see it. We all think we know what's best. Some things should never be published (smut) or produced (as in junk t.v.), but it's tough to force one's ideas of decency and propriety on others. And it's almost impossible to educate rude people who really don't care if they offend or hurt people in some way or if the moral, aesthetic, spiritual, or intellectual standards are influenced adversely by their behavior and choices.
    They are depraved and selfish and live for themselves and the present moment without regard to others' needs or the big picture.
    But they have rights . . .

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:19 PM, February 04, 2006  

  • But no one has rights the majority does not grant.... (arguments from natural law notwithstanding).

    By Blogger S., at 9:50 PM, February 04, 2006  

  • It is hard to even fathom how backwoods that sort of thinking is in the Middle East. Removing the Ambassador? Closing the Embassy? Please. Isn't the Prophet able to promote his reputation through his followers a little better than that? If Jesus is also one of "the prophets," then why are they never upset by the many many things printed that are derogatory towards Him? And do Christians in these days routinely use violence to silence the detractors? There's no need when one's God is powerful enough to take care of Himself.

    By Blogger The Doctor, at 3:49 PM, February 05, 2006  

  • Dennis, great comments. There's also a good article on this by William F. Buckley at http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/buckley.asp

    By Blogger S., at 8:09 PM, February 05, 2006  

  • Great points, Cliff. Sorry you've been sick. I just had to swerve into CVS (a/k/a Eckerds--what were they thinking changing to a name that is mere initials...) for "pink bismuth." Oh, the pain.

    Anyway, I agree with all that you said. So does Jeff Jacoby:
    http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby.php3

    (I can't wait to comment/post at length on this later.)

    SW

    By Blogger S., at 8:31 AM, February 07, 2006  

  • interesting post here, steven

    lots of good points, cliff

    i may have to think about this one a little more

    By Blogger J C, at 12:20 PM, February 07, 2006  

  • Cliff, ya done good! I knew
    you wouldn't let us down.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:02 PM, February 07, 2006  

  • Aw, I caught my first blogger virus--thanks, Cliff. (Assuming you had the common cold, that is.) What's 1200 miles, right? I hate being sick....

    By Blogger S., at 8:26 PM, February 08, 2006  

Post a Comment

<< Home