Considering Censorship - Essay Example

October, 2009 Paper Assignment One Topic: Considering Censorship: The very mention of the word censorship evokes instant uncomfortable reaction. Mostly, it is associated with the suppression of the human spirit as man, the unique creation of God, is a rational animal that has the inherent tendency to rebel against anything that challenges human spirit and holds up progress. Censorship has an impact on every segment of activity that concerns the society, like moral censorship, political censorship, religious censorship, corporate censorship, military censorship etc. The level of censorship imposed or removed by the governing authority depends upon what it considers appropriate for governance in such areas. The rationale for censorship may vary from time to time depending upon the demands of circumstances, one’s level of understanding and its implications. The reactions to censorship vary from individual to individual. The constitution of the most liberal and democratic countries have provisions for imposing censorship as it becomes a powerful controlling weapon in the hands of the governing authority. Censorship is also like the double-edged sword. Chances of creating unintended, self-inflicted injuries may occur if the situation or the mood of the people is misjudged and unwanted censorship is imposed on their aspirations. The ruler can use censorship as a weapon on some for all time or for all for some time, but not all for all time! History provides enough examples where the pursuers of the hard core policies of censorship are met with tragic end, thus no nation has ever prospered on a permanent footing on hard rules of censorship to govern people. Does censorship concern only the life, living and activities related to human beings? Are the plant and animal kingdom also victims of censorship? I am posted as a Captain in a missile base that concerns the country’s security. Its location, operations, and the like are top secret and strict censorship is observed at all costs. Hence, nearby residents are not aware of its existence. Being in command for a unit that is comprised of four long-range missiles, there is a need to perform my duty with utmost vigilance. Despite the secrecy, the inevitable never ceases to exist. Out of nowhere, a butterfly with bright, multi-color wings enters the base unexpectedly and lands on the tip of the nose of a twenty feet long missile! Our missiles are robots, programmed to converse like human beings, creating a moment of great humiliation for the missile. Seething with uncontrollable anger, it sends a thunderous roar and asserts, "O! Insignificant creature! How dare you do this? How you are able to enter this censored area? Are you aware of my worth? Million of dollars were invested for my construction and creation. Look at that galaxy of officers and men in uniform who guard and keep an eternal vigil around me. They are all decorated war veterans. A short command and a push of the button is enough for me to ascend and take my course immediately, emitting flames of fire! No one can stop me! In the area of my death-dance, all that is animate and inanimate, known and unknown will be reduced to embers in no time. I herald destruction and I love it. O! Tiny colorful! I revel in the land of annihilation. To combust all that comes in my range is my Real Nature. My salvation is, burn others and then get burnt! I immensely enjoy my heroics. This is the reality of my enormous power.I question you for the second time, how dare you sit and relax on my nose?" "Wonderful! Great! You live, waiting for the moment of total destruction! You say that you kill people, men, women and children, whom you do not know and with whom you have no personal scores to settle with! Very strange! As for me, for the sake of some honey, I visit and crave the friendship of thousands of flowers of many varieties, hues and colors! I dont know really what enmity and vengeance are! To love all and be loved by all is my divine mission. You have enlightened me about the importance of your nose. Thank you! Here I take off and go. I will fly to the heavenly land of my freedom. No one needs to command me for that! What is that button you refer to? I dont need it either. I fly anywhere, any time and in all directions--up and down, hither and thither, in waves and in circles, as per my will, pleasure and volition. When I am tired, I rest for a while, quietly like a boat anchored on the shore! O, missile-brother, I enjoy the beauty and grace of freedom and affection of one and all. Is this not the true demonstration of an uncensored life?”— Before I could react, the colorful butterfly flew and disappeared into the great heights of the blue skies to exercise its freedom! I am rendered speechless by the utterances of the little butterfly. That moment is permanently embossed in my mind-the strict rules our censorship for admission into the missile base, compared to the sense of freedom-loving life of the colorful butterfly! This colorful butterfly is just an example on how human beings live in mutual suspicion and animosity while Nature has stored great exhibition of living in mutual love. If the birds and insects, trees and plants can live together in symbiosis, why can’t human beings? By the secular standards as well, the example of butterfly is simple yet profound. A creature, howsoever insignificant may be its size or the purpose of its arrival in the strictly censored area, the entry raises security concerns. Its movement may affect the electronic defense signaling system, leading to unpleasant consequences. The security system in the missile base, therefore, needs a thorough review. The small negligence in a military installation may endanger the security of the nation. The missile has another important problem—that of ego! This is comparable to the ego of political and military leaders, who would like to govern the nation according to their whims and fancies and restrict, dominate the forces which are not amenable to their style of functioning. They resort to mindless censoring tactics in all areas where they can exercise authority. What necessitates censorship? This is an important question that merits examination. In certain contingencies, not enforcing censorship may irrevocably damage the interests of society. To give happiness and security to majority of people, the minority will have to be put under the scanner. “….censorship needs to be understood as a process in which two critical factors are related. First, it is imperative to explore the contexts in which censorship occurs—the general context in which the imposition of restrictions is seen as permissible, and the particular context surrounding the individual event. Secondly, it is equally important to investigate the consequences of such censorship— for the censors and for the censored.”(565) Inglis argues that the circumstances under which censorship occurs must be weighed not only in terms of the specific conditions surrounding the incident, but also with regard for larger historical and social influences. I agree that this is the most convincing explanation offered by Inglis for censorship. The imposition of censorship should be done at the right time. One’s motive of the action should not suppress the rights of the people; rather it must be towards the long term protection of their interests. It is not the end of the road once censorship is introduced. Even the best of the ruler/administrator would have compelling reasons to impose censorship in the interest of the society and/or security of the nation. For example, restrictions on energy consumption may be necessary when a nation is at war with an enemy country. Compulsory army drafting of young adults may also be needed. On the other hand, an administrative mechanism to review the clauses of censorship periodically and to oversee whether they serve the intended purpose is necessary. This was also the case of the Ed Sullivan Show as it became instrumental in the early stages of rock ‘n roll’s unruly history – and the censor of popular culture on lyrics that revolve around sex, drugs, and politics. Though the aforementioned themes explicit nature are highly debatable, it is inevitable for censorship to come into view, particularly for adolescents and young adults who view explicit and implicit music as “cool, inoffensive and rebellious.” Similarly, censorship should also be necessary in the household, not only to discipline children during their growing up years, but as well as to impose the boundaries of the cultural environment. Mass media occupies the larger chunk of the censorship pie, from adult videos to pornography over the internet; this is the reality every individual is trying to censure one’s self. Albeit, to say the least, in most of the cases the ultimate analysis is that censorship proves to be a grave error of the implementing authority who does not realize the power of censorship and goes on tightening its screws, thus curbing the rights of the people, with the fond hope that one can retain the authority by such measures. The identification of the censor with the censorship rules becomes complete; he sees no other way out apart from governing in that style. Works Cited: Inglis, Ian: The Ed Sullivan Show And the (censored) Sounds of the Sixties. Read More