September 7, 2006
-
Grundy begone!
Just after reading about a recent assault on Xanga’s free speech, I was listening to attorney Stephen Weiswasser on NPR’s Fresh Air discussing the FCC’s crackdown on “indecency”.
He pointed out that a few noisy activists can generate thousands of
complaints, thereby forcing the standards of a small minority onto a
complacent and apathetic majority.Other guests speaking on that program included TV producer Louis Wiley and Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein
of the FCC. I came away from the experience with, among other
things, a renewed appreciation for the snow-shoveling mishap that cost
us our TV reception, and my subsequent decision not to restore
it. The idea of a “safe haven” time on broadcast TV, that
it is okay to show and say things after 10 PM that are forbidden before
then, strikes me as absurd.Those who read my take on censorship
last February, know that I find the whole concept of censorship not
only absurd but even harmful in a psychosocial sense. The
Grundies of the world have been mentally warped and they work to
impress their own fear-born pathology on everyone else.
Admittedly, some people go to sick and shocking extremes in reaction to
repression, but without repression we would not have those extreme
reactions.If we were allowed free expression of everything,
and there was no Grundian censor there to impose fearful filters and
lay the judgement of “wrong” on natural functions and innocent
expressions, we could eventually sort out the pathology, I am
sure. Why, in a sane world, would there be prohibitions and
restrictions on picturing or speaking of normal functions such as
excretion and reproduction? Everybody does it. To deny it
is sick and to “shield” children from it warps their minds.What is even more unjustly ridiculous is the reality that there are
legal penalties for telling the truth and picturing reality, while
there are no similar sanctions against suppressing the truth and
distorting reality. If I were not such a dedicated anarchist, I
might begin to think that there oughtta be a law….
Comments (5)
I love that illustration.
I remeber as a kid my father who encouraged me to read anything and everything decided that I might like to read some George Sands…so he went to the bookstore to find a book for me for my birthday, first the Lady in the bookstore who proclaimed that she was an English Teacher asked what my tastes were…My father replied catholic (with the little c) she replied the religous section is over here…my father asked for one of the books written by George she didn’t even know who it was and when my father explained it she simple replied it wasn’t appropreate for me to read the book.and refused to sell it to him..I was about 13 …needless to say he had a discussion with the general manager over how it was none of her buisness what I choose to read
I know that growing up, my mother forbade MTV, certain TV shows, and some music–especially Marilyn Manson. It just increased my resolve to partake in these things even more. I agree with you that we would “sort out the pathologies” I feel that as people have a chance to be exposed to viewpoints that may be valid or full of crap, they learn critical thinking and reasoning skills that prove invaluable to the functioning of society. As a trained economist, I’ve seen examples where huge social and economic change has come about simply through increasing literacy rates. People aren’t stupid, they can think for themselves when prompted and challenged, and we need some of that now more than ever.
…so he lays all the blame on consenting adults posing as minors…and nothing is said about minors posing as consenting adults…asshole. truth is…truth.
knowledge is power—arm yourself
Yeah, wtf are these attacks on Xanga lately anyway? Although I like the idea of having a higher age limit to join Xanga, for selfish reasons of not having to read censored material, I also know that it’s ridiculous. When I created my own children’s Xangas, I just put their birth year as 1992.