-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.1/pageone.html <A HREF="http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.1/pageone.html">Laissez Faire City Times - Volume 3 Issue 1</A> The Laissez Faire City Times January 4, 1999 - Volume 3, Issue 1 Editor & Chief: Emile Zola ----- Censorship Cannot Stifle The Free Will by Michael R. Allen The tedious balance between rights and responsibilities in cultural media, and the proper societal and legal policies toward each, has inflicted turmoil on the rule of law as legislators try to censor "indecent" material and "hate speech." The answer to the problematic effects of morally and intellectually impure works on a free society cannot be found in government, and cannot truly be found in society. The individualism of the world would have to be altered, and no social actor could become powerful enough to change society's views of acceptable media unless he could change people's thoughts -- but such a possibility has already been criticized at length by other writers. Only an individual being has any authority over his cultural intake. Draconian restrictions will be rendered useless by the free mind. I do not suggest an all-out tolerance of every book, film, song, or artwork (especially not for those which undermine the values of a free society), but rather an individual approach to selecting appropriate materials for reading, listening and viewing. Legislative bans do nothing if society is unwilling to cooperate -- and who with an ounce of self-respect will give up his Playboy or his video of Death Wish 5 simply because the law says it is wrong for him? Some craven people might change their lives, but the individual's tastes will continue with or without an available outlet for satisfaction. Since the human mind cannot be changed without blatant neurological manipulation, the would-be ruler of all minds fails when he uses the law to accomplish his domination. The peaceful puritan can work to foster a culture that does not need to express itself in such ways if he is willing to work hard at it. If society is not persuaded to his views, there is nothing he can do but set a good example. Many puritans seem unable to do as much as that. Dedication to pursuing a meaningful life gives the educated less reason to partake of crude media, but why should the intellectual be granted the right to create the law? Adolf Hitler's brain trust certainly disproved the notion that the well-educated have a monopoly on good taste and common sense. Society can feel -- and often should feel -- that those creating violent and sexually-explicit art are merely trying to shock for shock value's sake, or perhaps are devoid of a decent vocabulary and taste in art. But the use of law to institute good habits cannot be supported by the refined and educated. Additionally, the free society cannot afford to blur the line between free speech and "civil rights" (i.e. the proclaimed right not to see what is offensive to oneself). Lately, even those commonly on the side of free speech have advocated policies that punish racist, sexist, and politically unpopular sentiments. These sentiments are not always evil, if one looks past the face value of such speech. What does a racist do but remind the free of the constant defense needed to preserve liberty? What does the Communist soapbox speaker do but remind us of our inalienable right to speak freely? Sometimes those who advocate full liberty for everyone are censored as well, as a 1998 incident in St. Charles County, Missouri shows. St. Charles County is a prosperous suburban county with a somewhat diverse population of some 360,000 in a metropolitan area of over 4 million people. T.L. Wahl is a member of the Libertarian Party and is vigilant in promoting a free society. There is an obvious reason why he decided to challenge a group of protesters at a book shop: they were seeking the shutdown of its pornographic sales (which are very discreet and only occupy one room of the whole store). Mr. Wahl happens to be involved in the so-called adult entertainment business, so he showed his solidarity by counter-marching dressed in a Revolutionary War costume. When he was arrested for allegedly disturbing the peace, he was taken to the St. Charles County jail where he claims he was not allowed to use the restroom.(*) Why were the other protesters not arrested? As Wahl admits, he was talking of oral sex at the (public) roadside where the incident was staged.(**) Certainly this is not a very tactful thing to do in front of screaming puritans, but all speech is just words and sounds, and can be met with counter-speech. Yet the picketers, for their strong number, claim to be unable to fight against Wahl. Wahl was in time released -- and apologized for his actions -- but it seems that local authorities are just as contemptuous of freedom as is the Federal establishment. Benjamin Franklin wrote humorous stories of a pornographic nature. Surely he would not be arrested if today's law enforcement officials existed in his day? Or would he? While the big cities may tolerate readers of pornography, most major cities do not allow actual sales to take place in their downtowns. They use restrictive zoning and other means to convince people that their cities are safe. To what avail? The suburban areas where these businesses congregate can either become terribly dangerous in terms of crime, or else financially healthy. The urban dwellers themselves have no clue when it comes to liberty. The residents think that they are progressive when Gay Pride parades are held, when homeless shelters can freely operate, and when diversity is found. Yet they cite studies from the likes of Catherine MacKinnon that link pornography to violence and will not tolerate its operation in their "diverse" neighborhoods. The "urban progressives" also are ever-so-fond of the tools of zoning laws and taxation so their schemes can be forced onto the less tolerant. In the end, the big cities are as banal as the suburbs which they are supposed to trump culturally. I am not surprised by the pitfalls of the St. Charles County puritans and the urban progressives nearby, since both do not accept the sovereignty of the mind. Perhaps they are too used to the way things have always played out over time under government that has powers to censor. Perhaps these people are impatient with change of the social variety, or they recognize its hopelessness, and they instead seek to force others to their plan. In any case, the law does not refuse to comply with pressure from cultural censors. Lawmakers are eager to place limits on human minds for their own reasons. However, the mind has no limits set by anything else but itself. If the self does not capitulate to the spirit of the censors, no matter if it obeys the law, it cannot be won. Free will is the reason liberty always exists, and this is why only the individual can make himself free. Notes * M.J. Trask, "Anti-porn group pickets bookstore," St. Charles Journal 7 June 1998, p. A1 ** Ralph Dummit, "Wahl claims arrest for remarks on sex violated his rights," St. Charles Post, 10 June 1998, p. A1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael R. Allen is the editor of SpinTech Magazine and a columnist for "Strange Disposed Times". -30- from The Laissez Faire City Times, Vol 3, No 1, Jan. 4, 1999 ----- The Laissez Faire City Times is a private newspaper. Although it is published by a corporation domiciled within the sovereign domain of Laissez Faire City, it is not an "official organ" of the city or its founding trust. Just as the New York Times is unaffiliated with the city of New York, the City Times is only one of what may be several news publications located in, or domiciled at, Laissez Faire City proper. For information about LFC, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Published by Laissez Faire City Netcasting Group, Inc. Copyright 1998 - Trademark Registered with LFC Public Registrar All Rights Reserved ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. 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