Censorship vs. Freedom of Speech

Censorship and Free Speech have always been hotly contested topics. 

 

Freedom of Speech is defined as the right to express an opinion without government censorship or restraint.

Free Speech includes the right to speak your mind, to participate in symbolic speech (i.e. burning the flag in protest), as well as the right not to speak (specifically, the right not to salute the flag). It does not give a person the right to incite actions that would harm others (i.e. shouting ‘Fire’ in a crowded theatre) and does not protect several categories of speech such as obscenity, child pornography, libel and slander. With the increasing use of electronic media for the dissemination of information, new questions over First Amendment rights are being raised. For example, should we limit access to pornographic materials by minors, gambling on the Internet, or the posting of abusive content on newsgroups?

 

This limiting of access to information is called Censorship. 

Censorship is generally used just to suppress ideas or information that are considered unacceptable or a threat to public safety. There have been many cases brought to the U.S. Courts over the years trying to clarify the rights provided by the First Amendment in regard to the issues of Freedom of Speech and Censorship and it continues to be tricky as not everyone agrees on what falls into the disallowed categories. There are no easy answers to these challenges. You can learn more by searching for articles on the topic in the article databases for topics such as freedom of speech, censorship and the Internet.

Free Speech & Censorship in Schools and Libraries

Public schools and public libraries are protected by the First Amendment, however they often have to fight to keep items on their shelves that might have offended someone. These challenges can result in the banning of an offensive item. Anyone has the right to question the place of a book/magazine/movie/etc. in a library or a school, but they won’t always see the outcome they desire of having a book removed. Librarians generally advocate for keeping items in order to provide an open exchange of information. Libraries see themselves as neutral places tasked with providing access to information rather than as gatekeepers who censor information and limit access.