Freedom of speech is one of the greatest defining features of a civilised society. Those of us living in the free world can look upon our democracy with pride and the knowledge that we have the right to speak our minds. We are free to express our opinions, unlike in countries such as Afghanistan where basic rights are stifled. Yet how free though is our freedom of speech? There are still topics in life where we are restricted. Legal requirements to stop people talking on matters of national security, censoring upon the internet to protect the innocence of children and laws on slander to name just a few. Are these an obstruction to our freedom of speech or in the better interests of society? This is the area where censorship applies, and as in all cases there are examples of good and bad censorship. A person should have the right to express their views. This is a basic human right. However, does this apply to children? At an early stage a child can be very easily influenced: if we were to adhere to absolute freedom from censorship, would tobacco companies be allowed to advertise in primary schools? An extreme case, but one that adequately illustrates how freedom from censorship can be a dangerous thing. We like to believe we are in a world where innocence can be protected as long as possible, so censors can play an important part in regulating at least part of a child's intake. Parents also play a much more important role - a film may be rated eighteen and over, but if a parent chooses to show it to a child, the censors are not the ones at fault. On the other hand we have the cases where many people believe that censorship went too far. In Britain, there was a law banning the mention of homosexuality in schools. In denying teachers the opportunity to explain to children the different lifestyle choices people can make they were promoting homophobia. "Gay" is a common insult to school children, and any teenager who has decided that they are gay can be bullied terribly by their contemporaries. If understanding was taught at an earlier level a lot of this could be avoided and the law has since been repealed. A Government can censor the press, but it is very difficult to censor the people. The power of word of mouth is astounding, with sometimes great or deadly results. Trying to control how a person thinks is often against human nature. We all think that we aim to be the best kind of person that we can be, but almost everyone has at some point made a malicious comment of some sort. As we grow older we have to become our own personal censors as we learn to think before we speak. How does one person's freedom of speech affect others? Freedom of speech is a great concept if people were always to speak true and thoughtfully, but it is well known the dangers that rumours can cause. In a case such as known paedophiles, the Government refuse to inform local people of their presence in the area if they have been paroled. Several however have been found and harassed so badly there have been several instances of suicide. In circumstances like these censorship could mean the loss of innocence of children... or the death of a human being. Who can say if someone has been reformed? Certainly no one upon this earth, so censorship and lack of censorship can both have deadly results. Who is to censor the censors? It is a difficult process, as any decisions have to be voted through by boards of directors or politicians. It is hoped that there is some common sense employed, but it is always a very fine line between protecting innocence and privacy, and stifling freedom of speech. There are no clear right and wrong solutions, and one question very often merely leads to another. I am proud to live in a free country. I believe that censorship is an essential part of that freedom, for the protection of the people, but must always be carried out with immense consideration. |
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