Do you want others censoring what you should see and hear?

2021-02-03T12:23:30-05:00

When I was a college student, a classmate invited me to join him at the theater while the Maryland State Board of Censors viewed a then recently released film. (His uncle was a member and was able to slip us in.) The film was "Sweet Ecstasy" starring Elke Sommer.

It was hard to get into the film inasmuch as one old lady on the panel kept stopping the showing to demand a scene be cut. To be fair, it was "appealing to our prurient interests".

https://youtu.be/qJiC9MGxsrY

Would you believe that my computer spell checker doesn't recognize "purient"? It seems that our ability to offend or be offended has risen above our waists. Ideology, it seems, is now more offensive than sexual arousal. (Or I misspelled it. Still you would think I was close enough.)

This lesson was brought home to me by a recent email I received from PragerU. My Norton's web security system flagged every link to PragerU.com as "SUSPICIOUS". I then had to go through extra steps to access the links to release Norton's from liability for allowing me to infect my mind with any unpopular thoughts.

Yes, I understand that many have a knee-jerk aversion to PragerU. That's not to say I understand why. But that's not the issue. I simply prefer to make my own choices of the websites I access unless, of course, there is an actual threat to my computer device or information. That's what I pay Norton to protect, not my virtue.

Sweet Ecstacy

Beatniks on a boat. From the 1962 film Sweet Ecstasy, featuring Elke Sommer and some beatastic bongos. And a great Banana boat dancer.

Response by SPC Nancy Greene made Feb 3 at 2021 12:40 PM

2021-02-03T12:40:16-05:00

Definitely Agree with You CPT Jack Durish! It ‘should’ be our right to free speech; however, it certainly does NOT appear this way. In regard to auto spell correct; I am definitely curious as to who wrote this program which is thrust upon us! I have been unsuccessful on numerous occasions to utilize vocabulary words and ‘proper’ English grammar. These practices and censorship could account for the failure of younger generations actually learning and increasing their vocabulary...just my two cents

Response by SP5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2021 12:49 PM

2021-02-03T12:49:26-05:00

CPT Jack Durish try "prurient". I agree that I need to be the one to decide what I SHOULD see/hear/read.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 3 at 2021 1:51 PM

2021-02-03T13:51:03-05:00

Should lies be censored?

Response by SR Kenneth Beck made Feb 3 at 2021 2:05 PM

2021-02-03T14:05:13-05:00

PC Matic doesn't have a problem with PragerU. I link directly to there website, not via U-Tube

Response by Cpl Mark A. Morris made Feb 3 at 2021 3:21 PM

2021-02-03T15:21:18-05:00

Norton's web security system may have fallen within the control of the Geheime Staatspolizei Sir.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 3 at 2021 8:24 PM

2021-02-03T20:24:15-05:00

In general, censorship is bad. However, there are no absolutes. As a parent, I absolutely censor what my child sees and hears, as well as what she accesses on the interwebs. As a (former) intelligence professional, I absolutely censored what information was released, to whom, and in what format.
The government does have a responsibility to its citizens and there may be times when it is appropriate to restrict, redact, or forbid the dissemination of certain information. I believe in these rare instances (and they should be rare) the onus is on the government to prove that necessity for censorship, not on the public to disprove it.

Response by Maj John Bell made Apr 8 at 2021 3:15 PM

2021-04-08T15:15:25-04:00

I don't. But If I owned a bill board, I'd want the right to tell someone "there's no amount of money you can pay me to put "______________________" on my bill board. So let's leave the 1st Amendment to limiting government over reach.

"Yes Zuzu, every time a business oversteps its place in the culture wars, a handful of entrepreneurs get their wings." It may take them time to show up, but those entrepreneurs ARE coming.