Essay, Research Paper: Tv Censorship

Families all over America spend evening’s together watching t.v. This seems to be one of America’s favorite pastimes. But with all the violence that is involved with television programs the question arises on weither or not network television should be censored. It seems unlogical for theses censoring to take place. Network television should not be censored because of our freedom of speech rights, more violence is on cable, and it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor what children are viewing not the networks.
“I do not favor censorship and I am jealous of my First Amendment Rights,” Eron pg 617 To evoke censorship onto network television would most definitely take away our first amendment right. We as Americans deserve the right to freedom of speech. Many people fought long and hard so that we, as Americans, have such rights as they are stated in the Bill of Rights. To start censorship on Network television may seem like a small threat to our rights, but will become so much more. With censorship television shows and producers would not be able to freely show what they want their viewers to see. It in turn is the exact same as telling someone they can not say something they wish to say. Censorship may stop our children from seeing violent acts on t.v., but in return will take away one of our most precious rights as Americans.
In addition to loss of one of our basic rights, it seems unlogical to censor network television when the most violent programs come from cable television. The acts of violence mostly show more evidentially in movies made for the box office. Films such as Natural Born Killers and Die Hard are made with such content of violence to attract audiences to the movies. We can not deny that action provokes humans. These movies rearely, if ever, come on Network television. They are more present in cable station such as HBO and Showtime. Therefore, if a parent does not want their child overly exposed to violence cable television should not be accessible in their homes.
“It has been said that violence effects our youth..In the United States, youth violence is a public health problem.. no one is claiming that t.v. Violence is the sole cause of the epidemic.” Eron pg616 There will always be violence on t.v. because t.v. Portrays our lives and regardless of circumstances there will always be violence. Censorship may stop the viewing of violence on t.v. but it will still be seen. It is not up to networks and producers to decide weither a show is to violent for children. Different people will have different views as to what is suitable. It is solely the parent’s responsibility, “American Psychological Association..reported in 1992 that be the end of elementary school the average American child has watched..many acts of violence on television.” The problem of controlling what children watch is not the networks responsibility it is the parents. A parent should decide what their child could watch at what age. The whole nation should not be punished because some parents do not know how to regulate television watching. The solution is better parenting not network censorship.
TV violence and its effect on children is a problem in America today, but censorship is only one solution. There are many ways to stop the harmful effects of violence. Censorship will take away our rights, when parents should be the censors themselves. It is also unlogical when we have both network television and cable. There are more logical conclusions to end this epidemic besides censorship.


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