We Don’t Need Censorship; We Just Need Adults To Be In Charge

The government has no business censoring books, music, or art. But that does not mean we must allow ourselves to be subjected to depravity. Freedom is not a one-way street, as in anyone is free to perpetually offend everyone else. I am a civil libertarian; I am against censorship. But I am not against knocking obscene and insulting music off the airwaves. Rappers and Hip-Hop "artists" are free to spout their misogynist, violent, sub-human noises. We are also free to drive it off the airwaves WITHOUT government censorship. A free society can, without censorship do something about protecting the public airwaves. And they need protecting! We just need adults to take charge.

Let’s take a typical hour in the car, listening to a pop music station, such as WPGC in Washington, DC. Fortunately most of the hour is commercials. Normally, you wouldn’t want that. But in this case it is a relief. Why? There was a song about birthday sex, a song about a large penis (The song production included Beyonce -- I had thought she had some class. I was wrong.), a song with masturbation references, another about sexual positions, and another about nudity and the joys of weed. This was all directed at kids, mostly sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders. We should not put up with it. But in today’s over-communicative world, it’s everywhere.

The key here is that for a free society, without government censorship, to work, there has to be something else: adults. For parents, that means turning off the radio. But we know that in this day and age, communications are a step ahead of parents. There are just too many sources, and the kids are too savvy -- they learn early on where the minimize button is.

Something should be done. This content is not OK. It is unhealthy. This isn’t prudishness talking here; it’s decency. In that hour of music there was not one -- not even one! -- positive message. It was filled with sexual content, but no hint of sexuality -- that passion, caring, gentleness, and other traits that separate human intimacy from the animal act. Basically, what rap and hip-hop talk about is what pigs do. That’s as elevated as it gets. And it goes downhill from there. It glorifies pimps and gangs. These are two things that in reality have always -- in EVERY case! -- been destructive. So to see teenage boys cheerfully talking about pimping, or teenage girls playfully trying to make gang signs is more than disturbing. It is a sign of sickness in a society that claims to care about kids.

A free society means we are going to have freak shows. It also means people are free to shake up the system and push envelopes. Freedom does not protect us from shocking behavior. But when Snoop Dog, on national TV, leads a woman on all fours around on a leash, we all know it is wrong. And moms and dads should work to stop it. In fact, anyone with morals should step up.

What can be done to foster a civil society? We are going to need adults in positions of responsibility. Adults would’ve said, "No!" to Snoop Dog and pulled the plug. Adults would’ve said, "We care about kids and we are not going to allow this music (like the hour I described) on the airwaves."

In a society that needs more civility and not less, adults are going to have to act. Not under government coercion, but because they are adults. With the incredible choices we have -- local music, world music, all styles and types, there is no call for adults to choose the type of airwave pollution with NO value. We aren’t talking censorship; we as adults have the power to choose from the myriad exciting, progressive, envelope-pushing musical expressions that are out there. Hear that, radio execs? You can lead the way and it won’t cost a thing.