PublicationsShouldBeCensored.What'sYourOpinion?
Supposeyouareinthepositionofaparent.Wouldyouallowyourchildrentoreadanybookorseeanyfilmtheywantedtowithoutfirstcheckingitscontentorfindingoutwhetheritissuitableforthem?Ifyouranswertothequestionis"yes,"thenyouareeitherextremelypermissiveorjustplainirresponsible.Ifyouransweris"no,"thenyouareexercisingyourrightasaparenttoprotectyourchildrenfromwhatyouconsidertobeundesirableinfluences.Inotherwords,byactingasacensoryourself,youareadmittingthatthereisastrongcaseforcensorship.
Perhapsyouwillsaythatchildrenneedprotectionanditistheparents'responsibilitytoprovideit.Butwithadults,itisanotherthing.Ofcoursemanyadultscandecidewhatisgoodandwhatisbad,butnotallofthemcandoso.Censorshipisforthegoodofsocietyasawhole.Justimaginewhatchaostherewouldbeifwelivedinasocietywithoutlaws!Likethelaw,censorshipcontributestothecommongood.
Moreover,whendiscussingcensorship,weshouldnotconfineourattentiontogreatmasterpiecesofgenuineart,butshouldconsiderthevastnumbersofpublicationsandfilmswhichmakeupthebulkoftheentertainmentindustry.Whencensorshiplawsarerelaxed,unscrupulouspeoplearegivenalicencetoproducevirtuallyanythinginthenameof"art",butactuallyareveryfarfrombeingworksofart.Thereisatendencytoequate"artistic"with"pornographic".Thevastmarketforpornographywouldrapidlybeexploited.Oneofthegreatthingsthatcensorshipdoesistopreventcertainpeoplefrommakingfatprofitsbycorruptingthemindsofothers.