Censorship: Language and Politics
The First Amendment and the seven dirty words
Free speech is the essence of a democratic society. Must freedom be censored? Who defines it? How do these limitations guide consciousness?
CENSORSHIP
Censorship loosely defined is the restriction of expression based on the establishment of an arbitrary authority or standard. A typical feature of authoritarian rule, the act of censorship guides human consciousness by outlawing certain kinds of expression. Even the words that describe censorship contain a powerful emotion component. Adjectives such as profane, obscene, vulgar evoke strong emotional responses.
The self-appointed authorities of acceptable expression, generally governments and organized religion, seek to influence public perception of morality by creating a subset of expression deemed offensive or inappropriate. These subsets of taboo expressions include the general categories of morality, politics, and religion. Our focus is the use of obscene or profane language.
Our reference point, when dealing with free speech is the First Amendment to the constitution of the Untied States.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances
While the intent of the first amendment is clear, the interpretation and application of its principle is practically impossible. Words are instruments of subjectivity. What I say and what you hear may differ dramatically. In a landmark obscenity case, Pacifica Radio broadcast a comedy routine in 1973 by well-known comedian and social critic, George Carlin. The broadcast of Carlin’s “7 Words You Can’t Say on Television” tested the ever-shifting definition of free speech.
Pacifica Radio and the American people lost precious freedom that day. The seven words-“sh*t, p*ss, f*ck, c**t, mother****er, c*cksucker and t*ts”- made Carlin a household name and created a new category of criminal language. The reference for this new group of illegal words is “indecent.”
The intersection of religious prohibition and politics narrows the definition of “acceptable” speech. In the year 2000, prior to the election of George Bush, the FCC received 111 complaints regarding issues of broadcast obscenity. By the year 2004, the number jumped to 1,068,802.
Free speech is increasingly expensive in the 21rst century, with the middle class paying the highest price for their indecency. In the year 2000, the FCC levied fines that totaled approximately $48,000. By 2004, that number jumped to an incredible $7,928,000.
Over the past four decades, celebrities who have used the word "f*ck" with impunity include; Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Carter and Clinton, and his wife, Hillary Clinton. James Baker said it too.
In a well-known exchange in June of 2004, in a heated discussion about Cheney’s ties with Halliburton, on the floor of the Senate the Vice President told Sen. Patrick Leahy to “f*ck yourself.” Coincidentally, the exchange occurred on the same day that the Senate passed legislation described as the "Defense of Decency Act" by a vote of 99 to 1.
In a Times Magazine article in March of 2003, President George Bush, leader of the “free” world and avowed Christian was quoted as saying, “F*ck Saddam.” The FCC graciously refrained from penalizing either Cheney or Bush.
