Censorship in the media has been an issue for years.  The public tends to be divided on what should be censored and what should not. Arguments are waged on everything from language, to nudity, and even to what you should be allowed to say. Obviously there are images or language that may be highly offensive to some, but does that give them the right to be “sheltered” from what they deem offensive? Should there be a central organization that can control such things?

Americans tend not to think about the power that comes with freedom of speech and how precious that right is. Currently in China there is an issue between journalists and the Chinese government. More and more restrictions are being put on reporters. Many journalists must ask permission from the Chinese government to speak with foreign reporters, business officials, and politicians. A journalist can be thrown in jail for saying anything contrary that doesn’t aid the agenda of the Chinese government. Even the universities themselves are being targeted by the government by forcing Marxist teachings on students and not allowing journalists to do the one thing they are supposed to, which is to find the truth.

In Russia members of the punk rock band Pussy Riot were imprisoned for shooting a music video at a Christian Orthodox place of worship. The video was a spontaneous protest against the power of the church which has been linked to the Russian government for so many years, and against the current Russian President Vladimir Putin. One member of the band spent seven months in prison and the other two spent 21 months in prison. Many people in Russia were divided. Some felt that the band members should not have been imprisoned for peaceful protest while others felt that free speech does not cover anything that is offensive to others.

The western idea of free speech is one that contradicts the views of certain countries, but that is why freedom of speech is so very important. When governments, or any group that has power over a population, begin to censor the people, they start taking away their ability to stand up for themselves or make changes that they deem necessary. What is offensive to one individual may not be offensive to another and that is something we must remember. People have the ability to not listen to something or watch certain materials if they deem them offensive, so the need for censorship seems pointless when they already have a means to avoid certain materials. Remember, at the end of the day, censorship is bull****.