Censorship in Boston

Introduction

Censorship is a term that has been enjoying special attention pertaining to the recent internet crackdown through agencies such as SOPA and ACTA. Censorship of internet is nothing new however, but it is an evolved form of censorship, banned books, performing arts and other forms have had a long history in the whole world, not just America. Suppression of speech and other communication has seen a lot of attention in the past ten years, and although the term only puts into mind the Middle East and religiously oppressive countries, this is far from the truth as America and other civilized First World Countries have been passing several laws under the pretense of censorship to oppress freedom of speech. The First Amendment in the United States Constitution protects the right for freedom of speech, but lately there have been several different manners in which this is being oppressed, whether it be on the internet, books, arts, theatres or others.

Discussion

The freedom of speech according to the First Amendment is a fundamental right, but ever since it came to light there has been controversy surrounding it, putting much focus on it through every light. For example, during the Cold War there were intense restraints on what political opportunists could say in their electoral campaigns, and the Westboro Baptist Church is the biggest modern example of the wrong use of freedom of speech. Boston has been the focal point of censorship ever since the early 19th century. The term 'Banned in Boston' has been employed to describe the motion that took place in Boston in late 19th century to mid 20th century during which plays, films, or other performing arts features were prohibited from display. Banned in Boston extends back to 1651, when certain objectionable plays were banned from being shown in public, since its content was said to contain sexual themes and foul language. There were several indignant works of literature published in outrage of this as well, the most prominent of which was 'The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption” by a non-Puritan writer. In the early 20th century, it was just a handful of Bostonians who took it upon themselves to ensure “inappropriate” material be banned, this group expanded further which impacted Boston history massively, especially considering how culturally rich it was, with original acts and performances that people from all over America would arrive to witness.

Not only this, Boston boasts of an intellectually sound heritage with many established authors hailing from there, who were later to express their outrage at the censorship laws. The New England Watch and Ward Society were at the forefront of this movement, as the Reverand J. Frank Chaseform led the followers to ban everything deemed even a little outrageous. This happened all the way back in 1907, but the Watch's legacy crops up every time the phrase “banned in Boston” is mentioned. Although an unnecessary motion, the badge of Banned in Boston also became a symbol for notoriety since some publishers would ...