Censorship In Men By Anne Waldman

Censorship, defined as the “suppression of ideas and information that certain persons— individuals, groups or government officials—find objectionable or dangerous,” by the American Library Association, occurs every day. Many people think of censorship as a tool utilized by governments to control their citizens, but it occurs much more frequently than that. What people never realize is that the everyday scrutiny and judgement that we place on each other and our ideas is just as if not more harmful than government censorship. We do not suppress these behaviors out of malice, but out of true concern for the wellbeing of our society. We worry that exposure to adult topics will tarnish the purity of our children, or that the freedom to proclaim our beliefs will somehow affect the rights of others. It is this unconscious censorship, which causes people to hesitate when they speak out of fear that they may cause someone else discomfort, that is the root …show more content…
One poet still willing to give the censors a run for their money is Anne Waldman, author of the poem “To the Censorious Ones.” In this poem, Waldman stands up to the people who, like in the previous two novels, oppress ideas and limit the freedom of speech. This poem is written as a warning to the censors that the time has come for opinions to be shared, and argued, and debated, freely. Waldman warns that all that was hidden, and all that was buried would be thrust into the eye of the censors. (Waldman 1) She has hope that everyone who has been silenced because of their beliefs or opinions will find the strength to speak their minds and stand up for themselves. She is fighting for those people who have been oppressed and silenced, the ones who want so desperately want to fit in that they censor themselves in order to oblige society 's