Censorship Poem

All over the world people aren't aware,
But the truth is that it's everywhere,
Truth and knowledge you don't supply,
All that people want to know is "Why"?

In this world truthful power is quite rare,
Tell me mister, what's the scare?
If we can't handle it, which i'm sure we could,
Then why is it that you are so misunderstood.

Wars and Violence you try to suppress,
But all that leaves is added stress,
So why all the lies from leadership?
Everybody knows that it's from Censorship.

Poetry Banned?

As i was surfing the internet trying to find a current issue related to censorship, i stumbled on to a website that was an archive of all the poems that have been banned from America Online. Of all the things that i have heard of, that should be censored, poetry is not one of them. The website posted comments from the author, and then the poem. Some of the poems had been edited from their original form. I found it amusing that some of the authors thought it was kind of funny that their poem had been banned over the use of a few common expletives that people use every day. What i want to know is, if people are censoring something as typical and unthreatening as poetry, what else are they censoring? If a few bad words give someone the right to remove a form of expression from the internet i believe that that is a step in the wrong direction towards an uncensored world.

Do Uncensored Videogames lead to Crime?

In the world today, many people associate violent, profane, uncensored videogames to be the cause of crime. It has long been certain peoples oppinion that the media is responsible for multiple forms of crime, and since video games are a form of media, they are often scrutinized. By now most people have heard of the video game series "Grand Theft Auto". This popular series allows you to commit crimes freely in an unrestricted environment, and often rewards you for your criminal enterprises. Some would say that this is a simulation of the life of a criminal, but where does the game end, and reality begin? Obviously most people are capable of answering this question by themselves. So then why is it that people often criticize uncensored games for desensitizing people into committing crimes? I do not think that there is a direct link between these games and the people that seem to emulate them. For instance the 2 shooters at Columbine High School played violent video games such as "Doom". That does not mean that if they hadn't played that video game, they wouldn't have brought guns into the school. Certainly nobody could blame a video game for that tragedy. So, the question remains, "Do video games lead to crime?" and I'll tell you no. If there is ever a case where someone commits crime based on something they saw in a video game, then that person probably had other issues prior to emulating the game. The bottom line is that video games are a form of entertainment and a way for people to express themselves. You can't associate the actions of a few with the rest of law abiding gamers, it is unfair, and intangible.

*Anderson, Craig A. (October 2003). Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions. American Psychological Association.

*Freedman, Jonathan L. (2002). Media violence and its effect on aggression: assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press