Censorship and Freedom of Speech

The issue of censorship versus freedom of speech has always been a hotly contested topic. With the advent of the Web and the increasing use of electronic media for the dissemination of information, new questions over First Amendment rights are being raised. Thorny issues such as what to do about Web access to pornographic materials by minors, gambling on the Internet, and the posting of abusive content on newsgroups must be faced.

There are no easy answers to these challenges. Here are some Web sites which deal with freedom, censorship, and related issues:

Pro Free Speech		Pro Internet Regulation
The Center for Democracy and Technology site promotes "the future of the First Amendment and free expression in the Information age." (www.cdt.org/) The goal of the Electronic Frontier Foundation site is to protect rights and freedom in the electronic environment. (www.eff.org/)		American Family Association advocates filtering in libraries to prevent children's access to sexually explicit material. (www.afa.net/lif/default.asp) The Enough is Enough site aims to protect children and families from "illegal Internet pornography." (www.enough.org/)

The First Amendment protects speech of the minority, whether verbal, written, or artistic expression. That means we all have a right to our opinion and expressing our opinion, no matter how popular or unpopular. That is one of the things which helps make our country free. So whether someone advocates for world peace or for hatred toward a minority, it is all allowed, even though it may not be popular, pleasant, or even true.

Much of the attempted censorship on the Web has been an attempt to protect children. Some court battles have involved child pornography, others have involved protecting children from access to pornography in public places, such as libraries. The laws and court cases are continuing, so the outcome is not yet clear. The basic issues are those of the First Amendment rights of adults to full access to information versus the rights of those protecting children which may infringe on the rights of adults. Currently, the Internet protection software which exists to protect children, blocks out many legitimate sites with much good information for both children and adults. As technology becomes more sophisticated, there may be better solutions for both interests to be preserved in the future.

The Internet is a true free speech, First Amendment forum. Anyone can say or publish anything, and they do! It may be fact, opinion, falsehoods, hatred, pornography, fake Web sites, satire, selling you everything and anything, or it may be as mundane as a family photo album. It is all on the internet. It is all allowed (unless it is a violation of law, such as child pornography).