Some Thoughts On Censorship
essay from
Matt Yotko
www.yotko.com
(tell him you heard of him though cc&d!)
A Rant of My Own is a poorly written attempt on my part to voice my thoughts regarding issues present in the media.
Or, I might just use it to whine about something that’s bothering me.
The reader can feel free to argue, debate or simply dismiss my views as sheer idiocy.
If you would like to debate, you can email me and I will be happy to discuss any views that you would like to put forward.
Who knows, if your arguments are compelling enough, I might just post your rebuttal as well!
Enjoy.
Some Thoughts On Censorship
A lot of discussion in the media lately has centered on the recent violence amongst the nation’s youth. Of course, as we’re all human, we feel compelled to place blame for these incidents. Much of this blame has been directed in two areas in particular. Violence in media (i.e. television, movies, video games) and violence available on the Internet. I would like to address this issue.
When the founding fathers of this country sat down to write the constitution, I’m absolutely certain that they could never have envisioned the magnificent expansion that technology has provided us in sharing thoughts, views, and information. However, their basic premise that thought should never be regulated, and information should never be controlled still rings true today.
Proposed laws, such as the ‘Victim Recompense Act of 1999’ seek to “hold accountable” the manufacturers of violent content. The basic premise of this act would be to allow the government to set up a set of media standards, beyond which the manufacturers of media would be taxed. Said U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) “The common strand in every school shooting and thousands of other shootings involving children each year is this: all of the children gorged themselves on a steady diet of violence and mayhem. This bill will go a long way in healing the wounds the media has caused. If one child is saved because we put a 50% tax on movies such as ‘Natural Born Killers,’ it will be worth it,”
Now, that certainly sounds like a powerful argument in favor of such a bill. After all, won’t somebody PLEASE think about the children! It is however a violation of the second amendment based on an obviously gross generalization. I have a better solution. Instead of expecting the government to assume a role that it was never intended for, namely the raising of our children, why don’t we instead take that responsibility onto ourselves?
The Columbine incident, while deplorable, is a perfect example of this lack of accountability of the nation’s parents. These students managed to collect an arsenal of firearms and construct literally hundreds of explosive devices without so much as a peep from their parents. Instead of saying “What can the government do about this?” we should be saying “What in the HELL were those parents so damn busy with that they didn’t notice the mounds of explosives that their children were producing?”
Lawmakers have very little motivation to pursue this line of thinking though, because the majority of the voting public is in the age range for parenting children. Their jobs depend on telling the people who are voting for them exactly what they want to hear. So, rather than placing the blame on those teenagers and their grossly negligent parents, laws are proposed to enact a proverbial “burning of books.”
This has never been, and will never be, a good or correct solution to any problem that occurs in society. Taxing violent content, banning Internet content and restricting information will only lead us down a path of ignorance and intolerance. Albert Einstein once said “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” People will always do stupid things, commit violent acts and seek to hurt and control each other. It’s simply in our nature. Banning an Internet site on bomb making isn’t going to stop that any more than taxing violent movies will. The only path to tolerance and peace is enlightenment, and any rule or law that hinders the sharing of thought, in any fashion, will ultimately slow our progress toward that goal.
(To steal a quote from Dennis Miller) Of course, that just my opinion, I could be wrong!
But I doubt it
--Yotko
The Rant’s Rebuttal
As promised, whenever I engage in an email debate regarding one of my rants, and I find my opponent to have a valid arguement, I’ll post it here.
Of course, I’m not exactly sure if this particular opponent was all that worthy, but if nothing else, she was certainly entertaining.
So, I receive this email just as I’m about to leave work on Wednesday evening...
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 1999 4:50 PM
Subject: You’re mean web page
I have a debate for you.
How about your an ass!
It’s people like you who are mesing up the country for the resrt of us.
if you werent so mean, youd realize that your atitude is really unkind a mean.
If i was you, Id watch my back because if i had you’re adress, id send you a bomb in the mail and wach you explode on my tv.
that woudl be very funny and youd deserve it because your an asshone!
SO GET OFF YOU’RE DAM BUT AND GET THAT MEAN AND UNKIND STUFF OFF YOU’RE WEB PAGE.
Im all for free speeck but if you think your so smart then ill bet you i’m twice as smart cause i brought another life into this miserable world and im smart cause i dont have to go around telling other people who i dont even know just how smart i am and how good i am and all that like what yo have to do.
If im not stupid then your stupid! i hope you have to go thru the miracle of birth someday so you see how hard
it is and how its good to help me anyway you can then you can see how smart i am!
Now, I really didn’t believe that any one person could generate so many errors in one piece of correspondence, so I thought one of my friends must be screwing with me.
After asking everyone I would suspect though, it turns out that this person must actually exist!
Deciding to have a little fun, I reply...
Subject: RE: You’re mean web page
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 16:49:52 -0400
I must admit, that’s an extremely profound statement you’re making.
To be perfectly honest, I may not be up to the task of replying in this debate, but as I said I would, so I will.
In once sense, it seems almost understandable that personal freedoms in this country have reached a point where some might view them as too
great. Certainly there is no such thing as complete freedom.
After all, we
must conform to at least some minimum requirements in order to function
properly within society.
I also recognize validity within your statement: “If i was you, Id watch my back because if i had you’re adress, id send you a bomb in the mail and wach you explode on my tv.” It’s true that relative morality has become something of a status quo
as of late, and it may in fact be caused in part by television, but I’m standing by my position that it’s the responsibility of the parent to insure that their offspring are engendered with suitable moral foundations.
If I might quote your rebuttal once again, you state “because your an asshone!
SO GET OFF YOU’RE DAM BUT AND GET THAT MEAN AND UNKIND STUFF OFF YOU’RE WEB PAGE.”
Now, I acknowledge that the potential exists for
minors to view the material that I present on my website.
Actually, I would encourage it.
The free expression of ideas in a frank and mature manner, such as the exchange occurring between us, should serve as a template by which today’s youth can pattern their own interpersonal communications. Perhaps viewing my rant in that light will persuade you of the acceptability of my content? But I digress, as we’re moving a bit off topic at this point.
You continue with:
“Im all for free speeck but if you think your so smart. then ill bet you i’m twice as smart cause i brought another life into this miserable world and im smart cause i dont have to go around telling other people who i dont even know just how smart i am and how good i
am and all that like what yo have to do.” Our citizenship enjoys the highest level of personal freedoms in the world, and it’s a testament to that fact that we are able to engage in such enlightened debate.
It is true that the creation of another life is a truly wonderful moment for any person.
I’m certain that experiencing the miracle of birth has provided you with an insight that I can’t possibly fathom, and it’s my hope that you will share something of it with me, that I might better myself.
“If im not stupid then your stupid!”
Of course, expressing the nature of debate at it’s barest essence, so that we might not become distracted from our purpose.
It is truely the sharing of opinions that makes us wise.
“i hope you have to go thru the miracle of birth someday so you see how hard it is and how its good to help me anyway you can then you can see how smart i am!”
As I mentioned before I cannot begin to appreciate the insight that can be gained from parenthood, and I appreciate your commendable attempt to educate me.
Ultimately though, I think you might have missed the true objective of my rant.
It was my intention to make the statement that violence in today’s youth was not only the responsibility of the government, but of the parents as well.
I’m sure that someone as educated and refined as yourself may find it hard to believe, but there are a certain percentage of parents who don’t act as suitable role models for their children.
This group is my primary concern, and the primary target of my writing.
I thank you for your brave expression on this subject, and I look forward to reading your reply in the near future!
-Yotko
Suprisingly, I was unable to win this debating demon over to my point of view, as she expressed in the following:
Mommy Cute wrote:
Yo think your so great, but you know everything you aren’t thinking but if you were thinking youd want to, thats for sure! im not going to put up with youres and the way you wrote to me acting like im not smart and i woudnt understandwhat you mean when you say mean thinga. Iknow im right and
thats all i need to know and if yo wnt to you can know what i know but im not going to say it caus i want you to gelt it it yoursefl. FUCK YOU and you’re people who are mean like you! I’m to machure to talk to a person like you so you can go to hell. i dont want you thinkng that your smart abot this and im wrong but im right amd thats all i want to sat so you can go away cause you aren’t worth my trime. by looser!
At this point, I got bored, so I ended it.
Subject: Re: You’re mean web page
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 1999 19:47:27 -0400
I’m afraid that my intellect is simply no match for your own.
Although I may not agree with every aspect of what you’ve said, I must concede to your superiority.
Thank you for being such a worthy adversary.
--Yotko
Of course, not to be outdone, she finally replies...
Subject: Re: You’re mean web page
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 08:52:16 MDT
jus dye!!! you fuckinng mean jerk,
Such vitriol!
