"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Radio should not be censored Americans have a Constitutional
right to freely express themselves however they choose. When
the Bill of Rights was written to add a couple points to the basic,
fundamental laws of the newly formed United States of America,
the first article is about freedom of speech and the like, emphasizing
how important the matter is. Our American forefathers fought
off the British twice, in 1776 and in the War of 1812, to make
sure they were independent and able to have rights that they did
not have under the rule of the British monarchy, such as the freedom
of speech and expression. This particular right is one that many
people care greatly about, and they don't want to have to give
it up just because some people are getting offended. People can
say what they want, to whomever they want, whenever they want
as long as they are not being hateful under the guidelines of
anti-hate laws, and censorship of radio is a direct and flagrant
violation of the First Amendment- no ands, ifs, ors, or buts.
The law can be interpreted in different ways, but there aren't
any asterisks next to it saying that it can be violated when a
group of people is unhappy. If people do not agree with what
is being said over the airwaves, they can (and have the right
to) protest or right letters to the station stating their disproval
of what is being aired, and that they encourage a change to be
made. Howard Stern may be immature, perverted, disgusting, and
obnoxious, but his right to speak his mind cannot be taken away;
Dr. Laura's opinions might not always concur with those of the
majority of the public, but she is still allowed to say what she
has to say and broadcast it over the airwaves, giving people a
chance to listen in if they so choose. Many protesters want many
radio personalities to lose their right to speak freely, but they
would definitely not appreciate it if the shoe was on the other
foot and their right to protest and speak freely was taken away,
too. Censoring the radio would set a precedent for other anti-First
Amendment action to succeed, causing a catastrophic domino effect
that would essentially turn us back into the colonies that were
under British rule. Having a few people's feelings getting hurt
isn't worth giving up something that Americans have lived by and
fought for for over two hundred years.
Additionally, radio should not be censored since it would be
like using an Atom Bomb to kill an ant. If people do not like
what they are hearing on the radio, they can very easily change
the channel and check out the many options that they have on both
AM and FM sides, or they could just turn the radio off. Personal
taste does not need to be argued over strenuously in a court of
law; doing that just blows the matter totally out of proportion
since going through that legal mess could be as simple as flipping
a switch into the "OFF" position. Turning off an "annoying"
disc jockey on your own radio is no big deal, but when someone
tries to prevent other people from listening to something they
like, it takes away their freedom of individual choice. Millions
of people hate Howard Stern, but even more people like him, and
that is why his morning talk show is heard nationwide every weekday
morning. For whatever reason, whether it's the crude comedy,
the vulgarity, or just the sheer nonsense that turns people on
to the radio personalities in question, those talk shows get the
ratings to prove their popularity. Everybody wants to enjoy their
own lives in their own ways, and other people should not be able
to dictate what they can and can do, especially when an act like
passive listening does not affect anyone else but the acting party.
A popular argument for censorship is that the youth of tomorrow
is being corrupted and the stuff that is being allowed to be broadcast
over the airwaves is corroding our society; however, censoring
the radio would not stop the corrosion of society if it were already
heading downward. Some of the content aired is probably not suitable
for children, but a it d
oes
not need to be censored to prevent the children from becoming
"corrupted." At the beginning of many shows, such as
KSJO's "The Mikey Show," there is a warning at the top
of the hour indicating that the content may not be suitable for
children, and discretion is advised. Also, many adult-themed
programs are aired late at night after most children go to bed,
or sometimes during the early evening when most kids are already
watching their televisions. The government should not have to
step in and parent a child and teach him/her valuable life lessons,
that is the role of the parent, so the government does not need
to step in and control everything that is accessible to the child.
If a parent cannot monitor what his/her own child is listening
to, or teach him/her what is right and wrong after they have heard
something that is meant to be heard by adults only (even though
age acceptability standards are changing), then he or she is doing
a bad job of parenting, but other people should not have to suffer
from other people's miscues. Censoring the radio is only avoiding
the problem of how children these days are being raised by trying
to cover it up instead of actively getting involved with today's
youth and tomorrow's leaders. This predicament, on top of the
other reason, show that censoring what is played on the radio
is a bad idea and should not be done. Taking away people's fundamental's
rights always causes more harm than good.
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None could be found. Sorry. |
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Federdal appeals panel closes down unlicensed Prayze FM - by David Hudson, The Freedom Forum Online |
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Rock Out Censorship - A very vocal organization that is against censorship of anykind. The U.S. Bill of Rights - Has images, background, and word for word doceumentation of James Madison's work that is now part of our constitution. National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) - The Anti-censorship site with articles and columns that covers more than just radio. |
