Running Head: CENSORSHIP

Censorship
Jesus Aguilera
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Censorship is what keeps the little kids from hearing certain words on T.V or on the
radio. Censorship can also be found on the Internet when posting something and the post getting
deleted. When looking at through the Internet many things can be found some that is unpleasant
for some people. The government has put laws into place to make things appropriate for the
people and kids. Censorship can be looked at from so many different ways whether it is
censorship on the media or censorship on any social network, and censorship can be put on
music. Many people have debated whether censorship is necessary or not, many think that
censorship blocks peoples ability to write what they want and break the First Amendment.

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Censorship can be looked at so many different ways whether it is necessary or it is not

necessary or it is necessary on some level. Censorship has been in a debate for a long time since
the roman time where breaking those censorship laws can lead to death. Over the times the laws
have been broken down or change and laws being added to censorship. Censorship can bother
people and some do not seem to notice any kind of censorship weather watching Television or
listening to music.
What was Censorship During Ancient Times?
How is The Current Policy Viewed
How are the Proposed Policy Viewed
History/Background What was Censorship During Ancient Times
Censorship can be dated back to the year 443 B.C in Rome and the first law was not
made until 300 AD in China (Mette Newth, 2010). This was the first record of any kind of
censorship, with Rome any kind of unorthodox divinities corruption of the youth they would
have to drink poison (Mette Newth, 2010). The information that was given was a way to deal
with people who broke the rules and would corrupt the people around them. In China they would
also severely punish the person who broke the rules or code to protect the other people around
them in ancient times (Newth, 2010). In the next couple of years the Christians added the Nicene
Creed in 325 AD (Newth, 2010). After more changes being made to these books while they were
being copied the rules and those punishment from breaking the rules the punishment was more
servery. In the 15th century when the printing press was invaded it only became a battleground.
Pope paul IV introduced the Index Librorum Prohibitorum which was then changed by 20
other popes (Mette N. 2010). So many of these popes wanted to revise the Index Librorum
Prohibitorum the books got banned because it became dangerous with all the ideologies in these
books. One law that was created in 1543 was the no book could be printed or sold without the

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permission of the church (Mette N. 2010). The church was in charge during these times there
was no government no one could vote or anything it was the churchs way only. Twenty years
later Charles IX of France changed this rule to nothing can printed without the special
permission from the king (Mette N. 2010). Even though the church was still in charged the king
controlled what can be granted or passed as laws. After several years the church and state came
up with the dual system of censorship with those states who had a close alliance with the
catholic church. This affected all the people with countries being run by the Church because after
the first censorship law was made every pope wanted to change so the people would have to
follow all the different laws that kept changing.
In our modern day censorship is mostly seen is in history textbooks in school. History
and Civics textbooks in most societies present an official story highlighting narratives that
shape contemporary patriotism ( Laura E. Hein, Mark Selden 2000). This shows us censorship
because when reading these textbooks the event that happened that do not show acts of
patriotism is not mention in these textbooks. The government wants to show the noble things that
happen during the wars in Japan, and Germany showing the U.S as being noble and covers the
impurities of the country. History lesson not only model behavior for citizens within their own
societies but also chronicle relations with others (Laura H. Mark S. 2000). This affects kids who
only see how good the U.S and shows them the U.S never hurted anyone but show the U.S just
protecting themselves.
Current Policy How is the Current Policy Viewed?
In this article Law and Policy Around the World it talks about the laws and policy of
censorship and the parts of the censorship that these countries are using. The current policy that
was stated in March of 2002 can be broken up into four different parts. The first part explains

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Any kind of child pornography or any kind of racial hatred on the internet is illegal (EFA). The
United Kingdom, Canada, and most parts of the Western European countries. The second part of
the Censorship policy is Any kind of unsuitable content for minors can lead to fines or jail
time (EFA). In some parts of Australian states and jurisdictions. The third part of the policy is
that it explains that also Any kind of content that is unsuitable for adults can be blocked (EFA).
This part of the policy is used in the Australian Commonwealth, China, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The last part of this policy explains The Government can
prohibits access to the internet to the public (EFA). With the Government able to not garent
access to the Internet may lead to some people to riot.
This policy is used all around the world but each of those parts is used in different
countries not all of the mentioned countries use the whole Censorship policy. This Censorship
policy can be used all over the world but in countries the Government can make their own. In
this article the Electronic Frontiers Australia or EFA said What is illegal in one country is not
illegal in other countries. (EFA) Watching a foreign movie in the USA might be not appropriate
to watch in the theaters in the USA but appropriate in that country.
In this other article Censorship it talks about ACLUs project and protecting the First
Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union they are dedicated to into expand and protect
the First Amendment. The ACLU is trying to give More privacy and increasing the control that
individuals have over their personal information (ACLU). When the ACLU is talking about the
government they expresses how they feel about the subject of censorship. ACLU said
Censorship is like a poison gas a powerful weapon that can harm you when the wind shifts.
The ACLU wants to expand the First Amendments Freedom of Expression, Association, and
Inquiry. The ACLU and their project are working on many issues like political protest, freedom

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of expression online. Privacy of electronic information, journalist rights, scientific freedom, and
openness of in the courts (ACLU). These issues would are the most talked about when it comes
to censorship.
The ACLU and EFA have to different opinions on censorship. The EFA explains that
censorship laws are made by countries and their is one policy that can be used. The EFA also
thinks nothing much of the current policy and only explains what the policy is. The ACLU work
on changing censorship laws and also work on expanding the First Amendments laws. The
ACLU think about the censorship laws and policy and do not really agree with those policy and
laws that are being used.
Proposed Policy How Are the Proposed Policy Viewed?
The proposed policy of censorship can be viewed in two different ways the ones who
want changes in the policy that would take some of the policies of or change and the ones who
want to add more to the policy. In this article Fact Sheet For CDCR Proposed Censorship
Regulation Changes, 2014 The Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity talks about Prisoner not being
able to share what is happening inside these prison to educate the public (PHSS). There are some
points that are being said by activist in the CDCr or the California of Corrections and
Rehabilitations that affect the prisoners. One point that was said is that they want to be free to
pursue the maintenance of the SHU torture units and the expansion of the industrial complex
without the prospect of legitimate criticisms and the voice of oppositions (PHSS). The activist
feel that with this proposed policy that it breaks the First Amendment not letting the prisoners
write to their families. This picture shows how the prisoner are being treated in California not be
able to talk to or see their families on a daily basis. The prisoners were also not able to write to
their families or any contact outside the prison. A prisoner hunger strike that was performed in

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2013 in California that all the prisoners would stop eating for basic human rights and the
prisoners asked the help from the community (CA Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity).
This next article Proposed Seattle school-newspaper Policy Raise Censorship
Concerns talks about a proposed policy that will give the principal to review the students
newspaper and can decide weather or the paper can be published in a Seattle school board (Brian
M. Rosenthal 2011). This proposal was also one of the other policies introduced along with
others. Activist say that this violates the First Amendment Freedom of speech (Brian R. 2011).
With this proposed policy it can changed high school in the city of Seattle students might protest
or go on a strike when their newspaper not being able to be published what they want. One
student named Kate Clark said that is working with Kathy Schrier executive director of
Washington Journalism Education Association said, If our principal is looking at everything we
write, we may lose the ability to cover what we want to
cover.
These to article have to different views one wanting
to change the proposed policy and the other wanting to add
the proposed policy. The difference between these two is that
one can shutout the prisoners from their loved ones and friends and the other can start a strike.
There are some people trying to changed or get rid of these policies so those people can have
their rights instead of it being taken away.
Censorship can be consider good or bad whether it is breaking the First Amendment or
keeping children from hearing certain words or seeing certain things. There are laws that can be
changed and there are laws being added, censorship can be looked at since the first law was

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made of censorship the punishment has been reduce to things and post getting taken down
instead of death so is censorship necessary or not?

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References
Mette Newth, 2010, Becaon for Freedom of Exppression, The long Hisorty of
Censorship, http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/liste.html?tid=415&art_id=475
Laurua Elizabeth Hein, Mark Seldon, 2000, Censoring History
http://books.google.com/books?
id=J95YH3H2tjsC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f
=false
March 28, 2002, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Internet Censorship: Law & Policy
around the world, https://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens3.html
American civil Liberties Union, Censorship, https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/censorship
November 26, 2014, Prisoner Hunger Strike Soldiarty, Fact Sheet for CDCR Proprosed
Censorship Regulation Chnages 2014,
https://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/fact-sheet-for-cdcr-proposedcensorship-regulation-changes-2014-revised/
Brian M. Rosenthal, November 6, 2011, The Seattle Times, Proposed Seattle School
Newspaper Policy Raises Censorship Concerns, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattlenews/proposed-seattle-school-newspaper-policy-raises-censorship-concerns/
CA Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity, July 8, 2013, All out for CA Prisoner Hunger
Strike 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw4bgeZpgdU