Censorship In America
The United States of America is built on two fundamental factors: freedom and capitalism. We as Americans pride ourselves in possessing “liberty and justice for all,” as declared in the Pledge of Allegiance. Our government gives us the right to speak our minds, practice our faith, and express ourselves without reservations. The economic system of capitalism stems from this laissez-faire political ideology. It allows for private systems within the country to operate without government interference. With these two factors working together, American culture is able to blossom and American citizens are able to thrive. Placing censorship on any source available to the nation, such as movies with violent scenes, is a violation of both freedom and
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That way only audiences with developed minds can view the film, and the filmmaker will get the opportunity to express his or herself freely. But the impracticality of this solution is mimicked by the adage “locks are for honest thieves.” If a young person wants to see a violent film, he or she will find a way to watch it: whether it be through the usage of a fake ID, an illegal movie site, or a pirated DVD. In fact, it is likely that an age restriction would entice adolescents to watch the film even more, simply because it is not allowed. This scenario bears similarity to activities such as drinking alcohol. Because the legal age for drinking is 21 years, teenagers find it exciting to consume alcohol at a young age because they know it is something against the law. In European countries such as France and Belgium, children are allowed to drink at as young as sixteen years old, and statistically there are fewer incidents of teenage alcoholism as compared to the United States.
Censorship is an action that may seem well thought out, but is actually an ineffective and impractical stance of approaching violence in movies. Instead of developing solutions on how to shelter society, one should devote time to educating the youth on the dangers of violence and teach them the difference between fantasy and reality. This way, the United States of America will be safer and keep its capitalistic mindset in
That way only audiences with developed minds can view the film, and the filmmaker will get the opportunity to express his or herself freely. But the impracticality of this solution is mimicked by the adage “locks are for honest thieves.” If a young person wants to see a violent film, he or she will find a way to watch it: whether it be through the usage of a fake ID, an illegal movie site, or a pirated DVD. In fact, it is likely that an age restriction would entice adolescents to watch the film even more, simply because it is not allowed. This scenario bears similarity to activities such as drinking alcohol. Because the legal age for drinking is 21 years, teenagers find it exciting to consume alcohol at a young age because they know it is something against the law. In European countries such as France and Belgium, children are allowed to drink at as young as sixteen years old, and statistically there are fewer incidents of teenage alcoholism as compared to the United States.
Censorship is an action that may seem well thought out, but is actually an ineffective and impractical stance of approaching violence in movies. Instead of developing solutions on how to shelter society, one should devote time to educating the youth on the dangers of violence and teach them the difference between fantasy and reality. This way, the United States of America will be safer and keep its capitalistic mindset in