Title: Against Censorship in Music This paper is about censorship in music. For those rock 'n'roll music with dirty lyrics.

Essay by kelvin2088College, UndergraduateA+, December 2003

download word file, 4 pages 4.0

Downloaded 235 times

Music censorship has been an extremely controversial issue in American society for over fifty years. Various musicians have had their music shelved and banned from videos and the radio just because some people believe these songs contain explicit lyrics. Although "inappropriate" lyrics can be considered as the major cause of censoring music, becoming the defense of censorship-advocator's argument, people who are against censorship may have better argument.

In this controversy, many people who are for censorship say that there should be censorship in music because lyrics from songs are telling youth that participating in illegal actions such as murder, rape or drugs is acceptable. For years, various government departments have passed, or have tried to pass, bills to strengthen music censorship. Censors believe these "explicit" content should be banned because they jeopardize the society.

However, these censors maybe ignore our basic right: freedom of speech, which states Congress shall make no law representing an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and petition the government for a redress of grievances (Nuzum).

In the United States, the First Amendment is aimed to prevent the government from controlling the media. The First Amendment gives everybody, include musicians, the equal right to speak freely about anything, in any way. Creating lyrics is just a way of expressing feelings on some certain things, considered as those artists' basic right, regardless whether their creatures are appropriate or not. If censorship on music is adopted, a violation on our basic right and an unconstitutional action then occur. For many people who support censorship such as the American Family Association (AFA) and the Christian Coalition, it may be a matter of personal disagreement with what...