Censorship

I currently live in what it possibly the only place in the country where you can't watch NYPD Blue on local television. Luckily the cable channel FX carries it. Also the local newspaper finds the cartoon For Better or Worse unsuitable because it had a homosexual character in it. I wrote a letter to the editor and I thought I would wind up with the Klan or something on my doorsteps. People were actually quoting bible verses at me. Called me a few names. Some I happened to considered compliments. Liberal, Hippie, radical, etc. After allowing a man to invest thousands of dollars in what they called an adult entertainment establishment (topless bar), the city passed new ordinances that all but put him out of business. He has survived but his business is probably about a quarter of what it was. Welcome to the land of the free.

What I don't understand is don't these people, that want to put restrictions on everybody else, realize that all of our freedoms are connected. Every time you take a freedom from one person you've given up one of yours too. I defend everybody's right to be a prude, racist, homophobe, bigot, conservative right winger, bible thumper or any other nutball thing they want to be. I'll even fight for your rights but stay out of my bedroom, leave my television alone, don't touch my Playboy and if I decide to go watch a woman who of her own free will decides to express herself on a stage in some form of undress, What business is it of yours? Don't watch public television (that radical propaganda machine). Don't listen to public radio. Don't watch television news (the liberal media, Oh No!). If you don't like it, in the imortal words of Bob Dole, "just don't do it" (was that a lame theme or what).

What's the problem with the National Endowment for the Arts? For every one distasteful project (yes I agree some of it is in poor taste, but if we regulate taste there are a lot of people, television programs, movies, newspapers, magazines, talk show hosts and politicians in big trouble) there are thousands of very productive ones. I find Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell in very poor taste but I'm not trying to get them banned from television. If everyone were able to force anything they might find offensive not to be seen there wouldn't be much left.

What I see a lot of is ,what I consider, lazy parents that don't want to take the time to check out what their kids are watching. There are all kinds of controls that can be used to regulate what comes into your house. There's an on/off switch. You don't even have to have a television or a computer in your house. For some reason these people seem to think that given the opportunity everyone will be corrupt. Everyone has evil underneath just waiting for the right temptation. Sounds to me like awfully weak people. I happen to have the ability to not only make my on decisions but to resist that which I think is wrong. Of course there's the rub. They want to think for me. Sounds a little like Big Brother.