Censorship is nothing new. No sooner did the first caveman open his mouth than his Cro-Magnon peer tried to shove a fist in it. Indeed, even the ancient Greeks, from whom we get the concept of democracy, appreciated Socrates’ exploration of ideas so much they gave him a (intentionally fatal) hemlock smoothie. While murder is (perhaps) less on the modern menu, shutting down free expression is still very much on today’s agenda https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/03/30/spotsylvania-school-library-book-removal/.

So the concept is nothing new, but leave it to America to innovate and extrapolate. That is, dusting off old ideas (even bad ones) and making them new again, only with a supersized dose of hyper-patriotism, self-righteous arrogance, and indignation. After all, as American communists of the 20s and 30s agreed, American exceptionalism makes it unique amongst all countries of the world.

As an American writer, I truly appreciate the ability to write what I want in a country that has (for the most part) allowed free expression. That is why I have found it disheartening to see all the efforts at muzzling free speech. Worse is the attempt to institutionalize the idea that free expression of ideas and concepts is to be expunged from our schools and children. I get that we don’t want lude and obscene material to fill our children’s heads with perverse ideas and values. But who makes this distinction between what is acceptable and what is not? And are we so complacent that we readily accept allowing others to decide what we should know and what we can say? History is replete with examples of what happens when people turn a blind eye to muzzling dissent. It is no surprise that the first action of oppressive governments is to round up and eliminate free thinkers, leaving the huddled masses no choice but to blindly adhere to the groupthink statutes of the majority.

So, with that in mind, I chose a project to explore the concept of censorship in the United States. It is a long (400+ years) and sordid road from when the early (1620s) European settlers arrived and promptly started hanging people they disagreed with to 2023 when public school board members in Spotsylvania advocated for book burnings. How did we get there, and where are we going? Will we self-adjust, or will we continue to shut our ears and eyes only to reap the bitter fruits of intolerance and hate?

With that in mind, here is what I intend to cover in the following weeks:

• Introduction — what this project is all about
• Free Expression — say what you will, with limits
• History of Censorship — muzzling the masses
  • Pre 20th Century — an American tradition
  • Post-20th Century — new forms of an ancient idea
• Efforts to Muzzle Free Expression — yin and yang in the courts
  • Book banning — why read ideas when you can just burn them
  • Targeting Libraries — ensure no one has access
  • Legally Compelled Expression — say what you want, as long as it is approved
  • Limits on Expression — you’re free to say what you want — NOT!
  • Hidden Agendas — saving the country through free lobotomies
  • Limiting the right to vote — how else is the majority to keep the minority silent
• Advocates for Censorship — who doesn’t want you to speak up
• Next Steps — for the future and the present

This outline is a work in progress and will likely change as I move through the topics, so be forewarned. Still, I hope you’ll walk with me on exploring the First Amendment and censorship, what it is, how we got there, and what happens next. If nothing else, I hope the information informs, at least until the powers that be decide that free expression is no longer possible. When that happens, we’re all screwed. But until then, let’s be vigilant and curious.