What Happened To Our Rights?

Censorship in America today has gotten way out of hand. There always
seems to be some holier than thou group speaking out as if they were
representing the maority of Americans. These groups want to censor ust
about anything and e!erything we do. When it comes to watching tele!ision"
reading a book or maga#ine" listening to music" or buying products" people
should be able to make these decisions for themsel!es. Where do we draw
the line with censorship? After all we are Americans and we do ha!e rights.
Although censorship is needed with issues concerning children" maority of
censorship is an infringement of our rights because what one person may $nd
o%ensi!e and obscene does not necessarily represent all people and adults
should ha!e the right to make their own choices.
The word censorship probably would not e&ist today if all people agreed upon
all things. This howe!er is not possible for we are all uni'ue indi!iduals and
ha!e our own likes and dislikes. (or instance" a person who enoys
pornographic material has the right to read or !iew this material if he or she
enoys this type of material. On the other hand people who feel pornographic
material is obscene or o%ensi!e and do not care to partake in it do not ha!e
to !iew or read this type of material. This material is not being forced upon
anyone. Why take away something a person enoys if it is not hurting anyone
else? What people do in the pri!acy of their own home is their own business.
Who)s to say what a person likes or enoys is wrong because another person
does not agree. *layboy and *enthouse maga#ines are read and enoyed by
many Americans today+ howe!er" many people $nd these maga#ines
o%ensi!e and obscene and others $nd these maga#ines to be an e&cellent
source of reading for se&ual entertainment. ,ears ago people tried to ban this
type of maga#ine" now these maga#ines are in great demand and are
a!ailable on shel!es all around the world. The big 'uestion is who is right and
who is wrong? -either" because people ha!e their own opinions" likes" and
dislikes. After all this is America and we the people ha!e rights as stated in
the $rst amendment of the constitution.
Adults should ha!e the freedom to make their own choices in their e!eryday
life. Whether the person)s choices are good or bad is irrele!ant. As the old
saying goes" .to each his own./ Censorship takes away a person)s indi!idual
rights to make his or her own choices. -o indi!idual or law should be able to
control a person)s decisions in his or her pri!ate life. (or years the American
0edical Association has pro!en that smoking and drinking can cause
numerous health problems" yet millions of Americans continue to drink and
smoke e!eryday. This is a personal choice people are faced with e!eryday
and no matter what decision they make they should not be ridiculed. Whether
something is good or bad for a person" we as indi!iduals ha!e the right to
make our own choices. Censoring what we buy" what we watch on tele!ision"
what music we listen to" and what books or maga#ines we read strips us of
our indi!idual character and personality that make us uni'ue indi!iduals.
Censorship is an issue that will continue to be debated for many years to
come. Americans will continue to $ght for their rights and there will always be
groups of people who seem to think they know what is best for the maority.
,es there are issues in this country where censorship is needed+ howe!er"
adults should be able to decide for themsel!es what is best for them as
indi!iduals. There should be a $ne line between what should and should not
be censored. Too much time is being wasted on trying to censor ridiculous
things in our li!es. These fanatical groups who try to censor e!erything in our
li!es need to $nd more important issues to argue. 1nstead of wasting !aluable
time on our personal li!es" they could be working on their own li!es2 The
purpose for censorship is to protect children not to in!ade the personal li!es
of people.