Essay On Music Censorship

Art has always been a controversial subject, whether it be with deciding on what art is or what is acceptable. Music is a form of art that these questions are also asked about. Over time, music has been changed and banned by many governmental bodies and organizations because it was too suggestive or not acceptable for a governments’ traditional values. This is called music censorship (“Censorship Overview”). Music censorship should be abolished because one’s right to express himself should supersede traditional morality. The first amendment to the United States Constitution grants freedom of speech and expression. Censorship is against those freedoms. Artists spend time making art and then have it taken away from them by getting arrested for …show more content…
If a state obscenity law is thus limited, First Amendment values are adequately protected by ultimate independent appellate review of constitutional claims when necessary.
(“Three Pronged Obscenity Test”)
People who are appointed into office at the Supreme Court vote on whether or not a work of art is offensive. The small Supreme Court should not be able to decide what the whole United States would decide a work of art is obscene. There is no unequivocal test that says that a work of art is obscene or not. Music censorship seems to be nothing but a political and cultural war. Censorship has been a problem for centuries all over the world (Cloonan). Music censorship does not protect the human freedoms of speech and expression. The FCC should continue to restrict obscenities on public media but should open sales to all and any music. A musician should not be punished for expressing him or herself. Censorship does not protect a United States citizen’s civil liberties, and therefore should be