Censorship, is it justified?

Ok, I had a post that got flagged and removed by an ATS staff member for being off topic. However, when I asked the member as to why the comment had been removed, it appeared that the post itself was deemed as containing innuendo in reply to a previous post which also contained references of a sexual nature which was relevant to the thread.

My response was not meant to be a cheap smutty reply as inferred by the Moderator but it was a genuine response to the question rose by the poster and was only written metaphorically in order not to use abrupt sexual terms as not to offend.

I must point out that I am not raising this issue as a direct response to the post being removed or against the ATS Staff Member who was only doing his job.

However, on reflection it gets me questioning how much we are as individuals are allowed to view or respond to the World we live in.

I agree that making offensive remarks against individuals is out of order and should be dealt with, but to make a judgement on morality based on people’s views goes against freedom of speech. There are plenty of views on this site I don’t agree with but I accept that they are what those people believe. Through debate, hopefully those views can be reasoned with; like I’m sure the same can be said for the opposing poster of the comment.

In society in general, we are censored in what we can see, read or hear. Which begs the question, WHY?

I watched a video clip posted on this site about the burning of witches which was linked to a thread.

I watched people being burned alive. I initially stopped the video after a few seconds but forced myself to watch the whole footage later on.

Why?

Part of me admittedly was curious as to what had happened, but the other part of me wanted to witness what people are actually doing in this World.

Should I of just ignored that link, living in bliss of ignorance only to imagine what that link contained? Or should I have actually watched it and seen first hand what the reality of that situation was like?

I watched with utter disgust at what those people did to them poor people. I saw what people are capable of who are so full of hatred and ignorance, yet now I’m glad I did see it. I’m glad I didn’t burry my head in the sand and not see for myself the actions of those people.

It made me sad and angry. Hell, I even had a cry later on in the night for those poor people wondering how on earth people can do that to others. I must ask people to see that clip to appreciate that.

To me it has been a good thing. I see it as it’s not what you see, but the reaction you feel afterwards that counts.

Should we as a society be told what we should witness or are we happy to allow others to judge what we should see or read? How is censoring beneficial to society?

Sure, you are not allowing people to see or hear about the “real” world warts and all. But shouldn’t we be all witness to it?

What do you think?

What should be censored?

I dont think that we should be censored, but do to the fact that we are on someone else's forum, we will have to do what makes them happy. Its just a reality, and one that I have noticed alot more lately. There will come a time when we will all be censored one way or another, or your statements will be taken out of context.

There will even be a point when you think that you may be censored more than another, and that I am even beginning to realize is the name of the game. Until we find a place to make our own rules, we will have to abide by others rules, until enough is enough.

We have all seen it, people losing there way, consumed by more and more, and in the process devaluing others, but even that is not fully noticed, until no one is left.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I agree with what you are saying, but this site is dedicated to opposing censorship to society.

I find it odd that a post that contains innuendo can be removed as not to offend viewing members, which again was a relevant answer to a question raised by a previous poster which was on topic to the thread in question, yet a link can be displayed where human beings are being burned alive is deemed as acceptable.

We are all grown ups, from all different walks of life, we all are adult enough to be able to view or respond to the real world in what ever way we feel at the time.

Again I must point out that insulting members is wrong and should be dealt with accordingly.

Censorship is driven by power by those in power.