Henry Louis Gates once said “censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” Ever since the beginning of times, freedom of expression and censorship in a free society has been an extremely controversial topic. Freedom of expression is the ability to freely express one’s opinions and thoughts while censorship in a free society, is nothing else than oppression of expression. The First Amendment clearly defends the right to guarantee freedom of expression by prohibiting the Congress from restricting people the right to freely speak their minds. However, if the United States of America is a free country, why do people get censored or persecuted for expressing themselves?
Wheatear is in ancient Rome, Spain, Greece, or modern United States, censorship has existed in every society at every age. The arts challenge the idea of censorship, reaching a point where art that defies any beliefs of any society creates pressure for suppression. Books, paintings, sculptures and many other forms of fine art have been censored by society due to the fact that it has caused controversy in humanity. Writers, painters, musicians and all types of artists seek to confide in their work, meaning that as artists, they decide to express their deepest emotions to their work because it's what makes them feel safe. However, society is always looking for controversy where there is nothing to find. For example, parents of many Harry Potter fans claim that this story teaches witchcraft, sorcery and Satanism. The books and movies never prove such a thing! Just because parents can control what their children read or watch on TV, doesn’t mean that they have the right to ban every book, movie or show that appears slightly provocative. If the work of art challenges society’s “rules” then you can bet your heart that there is going to be a problem and it will definitely create controversy.
One of the most important functions of the arts is to make political and social commentary. All throughout history, artists have managed to express themselves throughout art in order to make a statement. For example, Pink Floyd’s iconic album The Wall, reflects on several incidents that affected him while he was growing up. According to the band the “wall” is the self-isolation barrier they built over their lives and the “bricks in the wall” are the people and events that propelled them to build this metaphorical wall around them. The song Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 is meant to be a rebellion against errand government, against people who bring others down and against what society believes is “right”. It was of course banned in 1977 since people started to rebel after hearing the album due to the fact someone finally stood up and made their voices be heard.
No one gets to decide what is acceptable and what is objectionable for adults because again, people have the right to believe what they want, to express themselves however they desire, and to make their own decisions. On the other hand, for children it is a different story. Up until a child turns 18, he/she is considered a minor in the eyes of the law. However, the fact that children under 18 are not legally considered adults, does not mean that they are not able to have their own opinions. No one has the right to oppress someone else’s ideas just because they don't see eye to eye. People should not be scared to feel free, to be different or to challenge society's "rules". We need to respect other people’s opinions and stop sewing their lips, stop being so closed minded and even though it's a free country it does not feel that way because overall we need to stop preventing people from freely expressing themselves.
We need to let them be free...
