Let us suppose that you are in the position of a parent. Would you allow your children to read any book they wanted to without first checking its contents? Would you take your children to see any film without first finding out whether it is suitable for them? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you are just plain irresponsible. If your answer is no, then you are exercising your right as a parent to protect your children from what you consider to be undesirable influences. In other words, by acting as an examiner yourself, you are admitting that there is a strong case for censorship.
Now, of course, you will say that it is one thing to exercise censorship where children are concerned and quite another to do the same for adults. Children need protection and it is the parents responsibility to provide it. But what about adults? Arent they old enough to decide what is good for them? The answer is that many adults are, but dont make the mistake of thinking that all adults are like yourself. Censorship is for the good of society as a whole. Like the law, it contributes to the common good.
Some people think that it is a shame that a censor should interfere with works of art. But we must bear in mind that the great proportion of books, plays and films which come before the censor are very far from being works of art.
When censorship laws are relaxed, dishonest people are given a chance to produce virtually anything in the name of art. One of the great things that censorship does is to prevent certain people from making fat profits by corrupting the minds of others. To argue in favour of absolute freedom is to argue in favour of anarchy. Society would really be the better if it were protected by correct censorship.
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