I'm Sorry, Did I Offend You? -- Prompt 28

To Censor: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable.

I believe censorship is against the rights of the American people, however, when uncensored materiel (explicit sex, drugs, violence, language, etc.) is published in magazines, newspapers, bulletin boards, or other public places I think it is improper and crude. Children are all around in our society and they are constantly being bombarded with images, language and ideas that should not enter their heads for a long time, but are blatantly displayed all around. We do have a right to free speech, but we need to consider those with innocent minds. Our opinions should not be restricted or suppressed, but we need to be respectful and courteous of other and their viewpoints as well.

The most common case of censorship I can think of is in the textbook industry. It is common practice for a publisher to write a text book tailored to his point of view, even though it may distort the truth. This is wrong. Untruth in the school system should definitely be censored, if that is the term you would apply to making sure our education material is worthy of the name educational.

We have rights given to us by the American nation, but we need to use these rights with respect and responsibility. If we expect others to accept our opinions and not be offended, then we must return the favor.