Henry VIII Essay - 1682 Words

Henry VIII Name: My name is Henry Tudor, Duke of York, or as I am better known, Henry VIII. Parents Names: My father was none other than the great King Henry VII, who was sovereign of England from 1485 to 1509, My mother was Elizabeth of York. Brothers amp;amp; Sisters: My eldest brother was Arthur, born in 1486, who married Catherine of Aragon. Margaret, my eldest sister was born in 1489 and married James IV of Scotland, and Mary, my younger sister was born in 1498 and married Louis XII in 1514. When amp;amp; Where I Was Born: I was born on June 28th 1491 at the Royal Manor of Greenwich (England), where ships sailed down the Thames to the sea. How Old I Am Now: I am 17 years old presently, nine weeks and four days off my†¦show more content†¦The trumpets sounded so very loudly. Francis I and myself spurred our horses forward to meet each other. Three times we embraced on horseback, we then dismounted, embraced again and vanished into the great golden pavilion where the summit meeting took place. Ostensibly the meeting was to dispel the old enmity between England and France, but the declared purpose was to give laws to Christendom. Two weeks of jousting and feasting will now take place, both of which I enjoy immensely. amp;nbsp; DATE: April 21st, 1521 I am passionately interested in theology and have only recently completed a book in staunch defense of the Universal Church and totally against the heresies of Martin Luther. Pope Leo was very pleased with the book and has today awarded me ‘Defendsor Fidei’ that is Defender of the Faith. I am pleased with the award. amp;nbsp; DATE: May 5th, 1527 The negotiations of Eternal Peace have been difficult but finally successful. Today I have sworn to the treaties and to celebrate I have laid on one of the greatest court festivities even known. Today, Sunday 5th May 1527, after I have attended mass in the chapel at Greenwich I signed the treaties with France. On Monday 6th May there will be great public rejoicing. All day jousts will take place in the Greenwich tiltyard, then in the evening there will be a great banquet, followed by a masquerade and dancing until dawn. I amShow MoreRelatedHenry VIII Essay1894 Words   |  8 PagesThe major endeavours of Henry VIII during his reign over England from 1509 to 1547 included the Field of the Cloth of Gold and the Reformation of the English Church. The sole reason for these actions is said to be love and seems to be related to the King’s obsession for a male heir but other factors were involved. Paramount among these is the influence of his family in the earlier years of his life. Other reasons such as general insecurities and competitiveness with other royal houses are also possibleRead MoreKing Henry Viii2987 Words   |  12 Pagesdynasty is the House of Tudor. Henry VII became king in 1485 and took Elizabeth of York as his wife.They had four children Prince Arthur of Wales, Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII, and Mary Tudor. Henry VIII was born June 28, 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. Being the second born son Henry was raised and educated to take a secular role in life, most likely as the Archbishop of Canterbury. His grandmother Margaret Beaufort supervised his early childhood education. Henry was reported to excel atRead MoreThe Life of King Henry VIII1814 Words   |  7 PagesKing Henry VIII Born the second son of a royal family, Henry Tudor lived a very interesting life. His future was intended to be the head of the Roman Catholic Church and that fate ended with the death of his brother, Prince Arthur. Henry’s majestic life was full of sports, women, and faith. The young King acceded his father to the throne, married six women, and began the English Reformation when he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and created his own religion. On the 28th day of JuneRead MoreEssay On King Henry Viii1961 Words   |  8 Pages King Henry VIII He is a womanizer that cannot stay faithful to save his life! That is what many people think about King Henry VIII, but he was so much more. He was both a Visionary Leader and an Unethical Leader when he transformed his country during the English Reformation. In my first main point, King Henry VIII displayed two lesson principles as a Visionary Leader. He was a Creator from the Team Dynamics lesson when he created his plan for change. Then he practiced Management-by-Exception-ActiveRead MoreHenry VIII: King of England1349 Words   |  6 PagesAs a monarch, the life of Henry VIII is one of which many do not attempt to describe because of the rich amount of history that goes along with him. No king has left such a profound impact on the past accounts of his country, or has been the focus of controversial topics that have made lasting contributions to his country. His means were immoral, but because of the greatness that he achieved, we look beyond his imperfection. On June 28, 1491, at Greenwich Palace, Henry VII and Elizabeth of YorkRead MoreEssay about Henry VIII1567 Words   |  7 Pages Early years Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 at Greenwich Palace. His Parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, were very loving and proud parents, even though they didn’t see much of their children. Henry was their second son. He was styled as the â€Å"Duke of York†. He had his own servants, Court Jesters, and to top it off he had is own whipping boy that would receive whippings whenever Henry did something bad. Henry was said to be charming, handsome and full of life. He loved music, soRead MoreKing Henry Viii Of England2253 Words   |  10 Pages Henry VIII of England[1509-1547] By Kent McMahon King Henry VIII of England is the most infamous and notorious of all the Monarchs of England. He was a vile and heartless man who beheaded over 72,000 people in his 38 year reign and called for public celebration when his first wife, Catherine of Aragorn died on the 7th of January,1536. King Henry VIII was born on the 28th of June,1491 in Greenwich Palace. He was theRead MoreHenry Viii And The Church Of England912 Words   |  4 Pages2014, p.1). Seventeenth century Britain was undoubtedly a dangerous place to be a dedicated Catholic under the reign of King Henry (Harrington, 2013, p. 1). Henry VIII created the Church of England, in response to the Pope’s refusal to recognize the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, ultimately speaking against Catholicism (Harrington, 2013, p. 1). Thus, King Henry created a serious distastefulness towards Catholicism and Catholics (Harrington, 2013, p. 1). When Oliver Cromwell came toRead MoreThe Monarch : King Henry Viii1792 Words   |  8 PagesThe Monarch King Henry VIII (1491-1547) ruled the nation of England for thirty six years, during which many changes eventually brought his nation into the Protestant Reformation. He married six wives in pursuit for a healthy male heir and political alliance. After annulling his first marriage, without papal approval this led to the creation of a separate Church of England. Of his six marriages, two of them ended in annulment, two with his wives’ beheadings for treason and adultery, and the lastRead MoreHenry Viii And Elizabeth Of York1038 Words   |  5 Pages Henry VIII Can you guess who this is? He will form his own church (Elton). He will also marry 6 wives(Crofton 130). Did you guess right? It was King Henry VIII. Henry VIII was born June 28, 1941 (Crofton 128). Henry was the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (Elton). After his oldest brother Arthur in 1502 he became heir to the English throne (Crofton 130). In 1509 Henry VII died and then Henry VIII was crowned on June 23,1509 (Crofton 128). Henry was the second

Use Of Satire In Canterbury Tales - 1301 Words

Chaucer’s Satyric Attack (An analysis of Chaucer’s use of satire to reach his intended audience in his Canterbury Tales) Satire is defined as â€Å"the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize peoples stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues† (Oxford). Another term that people would be more familiar with to describe this would be sarcasm. Language can be utilized in a nasty way, especially when wanting to demoralize another. Sarcasm is evil in and of itself and is a very Odyssean way of attacking someone. This is a powerful weapon used in Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales. â€Å"The Canterbury Tales is the major work by Geoffrey Chaucer, medieval Englands leading†¦show more content†¦It is so obvious what Chaucer is stirring up here that one would have to be completely oblivious to miss it. Chaucer is taking a figure who is held in high regards by everybody in the church and reduces him down to the level of scum. He portrays that mighty figures have many hidden reasons to be disrespected. These â€Å"great† people like the Friar are telling the people of their church to do one thing, but then they themselves go and do another that completely and utterly disprove what they just taught their people. These people that follow the leaders of the church are called yokels, and are Chaucer’s intended audience. Chaucer is stating that people like the Friar, who are in charge, take advantage of their ignorance and stupidity to feed their selfishness. This supports Chaucer’s argument for the hypocrisy in the Roman Catholic church. Chaucer’s next utilization of satire in The Canterbury Tales is in his attack of the patriarchy. Epistemologically, economically, and ontologically, women were held on a lower level in regards to men. That was the natural way that they world was. This is characterized in Chaucer’s literature, The Wife of Bath’s Prologu e. Chaucer uses the Wife of Bath to argue the fact that women are not only equal to men, but even superior to them. â€Å"Thus in speaking, the Wife of Bath attempts to overcome, and is yet caught in, the double bind of endeavoring to give voice to distinctively female experience in the face of authorityShow MoreRelatedThe Use Of Satire In The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer1406 Words   |  6 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, using his characters as the mouthpiece for his iconoclastic views. Chaucer had serious issues with the hypocrisy of the church as well as, many other sacred institutions. The only reason that Chaucer was not exiled or even imprisoned for his views is the way in which he exposed them. Through the allegorical meanings of this text and Chaucer’s claim that he is simply retelling the events of his pilgrimage to Canterbury as it occurred, Chaucer is savedRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer View and Change on Judgement968 Words   |  4 Pages gender differences, and hypocrisy. He wrote about these problems in a set of tales widely known as The Canterbury Tales. The first is The General Prologue which describes a pilgrimage to Canterbury that many people endure, but on this specific journey, twenty-nine different people travel together to Canterbury. He uses two types of satire to relinquish these opinions, juvenile and horacian. A general definition of satire is saying one thing, but meaning another. The author Cynthia justifies my definitionRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucers Use of Characterization Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesChaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses thoughts and actions, his word, and satire to characterize The Squire and The Wife of Bath. Geoffrey Chaucer is well known for his use of characterization in his works. A notable work of Chaucer was Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. This piece was notable because it appealed to a diverse base of readers. It appealed to a wide range of readers because of Chaucer’s characterization. Characterization is the process an author uses to develop the charactersRead MoreCanterbury Tales Satire Analysis866 Words   |  4 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s use of Satire in Canterbury Tales Directed Towards Church Hypocrisy, Class Nobility, and the Patriarchy) All well known, articulate speakers and writers throughout history use critical speaking techniques to rally support from those around them. One such tool is the use of satire in public speaking or writing. Satire is the combination of a poignant message along with sarcasm. Arguably the founder of Middle English, Geoffrey Chaucer was a mastermind in the use of satire within his writingRead MoreChaucers Use of Satire to Reach Specific Audiences857 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance. It is important to note that people do not only learn when they are at their destination, but also on the trip to those destinations. â€Å"The Canterbury Tales†, Chaucer’s unfinished work, was a group of stories about a group on pilgrimage, but the stories did not take place at the destination. These were stories told on the way to Canterbury. They were also very satiric stories. They showed great hypocrisy, and immorality. The stories seemed to have a purpose, and to be pointed towards speci ficRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer897 Words   |  4 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer had done many things including being a son of a merchant, page in the royal house, soldier, diplomat, and a royal clerk. Being all thing thinks he has seen quite of the world which helped him write â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† and through this piece of work he did entertains us. We consider this as a masterpiece that provides the best contemporary. He wrote a collection of stories to make a political point. He died before he was done righting all of his poems and short stories. AlsoRead More Chivalry in Chaucers Canterbury Tales802 Words   |  4 PagesChivalry in Chaucers Canterbury Tales In his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer fully explicates the cultural standard known as curteisye through satire. In the fourteenth century curteisye embodied sophistication and an education in French international culture. The legends of chilvalric knights, conversing in the language of courtly love, matured during this later medieval period. Chaucer himself matured in the Kings Court, and he reveled in his cultural status, but he also retained an anecdotalRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales2103 Words   |  9 Pagesthe Satirist. The true goal of any Satire is to point out the flaws in certain aspect of society, while also inspiring reform to that very same aspect in one way or another. In Chaucer’s Canterbury tales, Chaucer satirizes the corruption Catholic Church and those associated. Chaucer saw that hypocrisy polluted the pureness of the church and expressed his disillusionment through the use of satire. Fearless of discommunication Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of sat ire, dared to speak openly of the absoluteRead More Comparing Satire in Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice and The Rape of the Lock1351 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Satire in Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice and The Rape of the Lock Jane Austen and Alexander Pope had had a myriad of writing styles and techniques from which to express the desired themes of their works.   Satire, however, seemed to be the effective light-hearted, yet condescending, tool that enabled them to surface the faults and follies of their moral and elite society.   In Chaucers Canterbury Tales, satire is used to the full extent in revealing the glutton within a piousRead MoreEssay about Geoffrey Chaucer Used Satire in His Tales657 Words   |  3 Pagesseries of tales making fun of the people of England and the ways of the church. Even though he was purposely making fun of the church, he had to be careful of the way he said some things. With some of the characters he creates, Chaucer finds himself apologizing in advance for what he is about to say; or what the characters were about to say. By doing this Chaucer is using satire. Satire is when you say something but mean another or the opposite of the thing you say. Most of Cha ucer’s tales are not

Monsters Are Due on Maple Street Free Essays

Twilight Zone The series Twilight Zone is a show that combines science fiction with society. Every episode ends with a shocking, unexpected twist. â€Å"The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street† is an episode that informs society about the fear of prejudice and hysteria. We will write a custom essay sample on Monsters Are Due on Maple Street or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this episode, a loud shadow in the sky passes through Maple Street. The shadow is actually a meteor. Unexpected and strange things start to happen like the electricity and cars turning off. The people who live on Maple become very curious on what the meteor has done to the neighbors living on the street. A young boy named Tommy tells the adults that everything weird happening is because of the aliens from outer space, which he read about in a comic book. First the adults refuse to believe a child, but then they unconsciously start pointing fingers at who can and cannot be aliens. People were getting blamed for doing normal things such as insomnia, looking at stars, and experimenting on a radio, but then the neighbors would exaggerate and make it sound suspicious, strange and unusual. As the episode continues, the adults become paranoid and start to lose their minds. This twilight zone episode reveals to us that the real monsters in society are ourselves. The neighbors were very eager to figure out who and what was the cause of the power outage. Neighbors would blame other neighbors for the outage because they believed that one person was an alien. Even though they had no proof or evidence, they used their words to blame the suspects. A ruckus of mass paranoia occurs and everyone believes that everyone is an alien. Tommy compares the real life situation to a similar problem he read in a comic book about aliens taking over a town. The power outage that happened in the comic book is also occurring in real life. The adults do not believe him at first, but then they begin to slowly and senselessly start blaming other people for being an alien because they are afraid. Just like the media nowadays, mass paranoia affects everyone. The media exaggerates how something â€Å"might† happen and society makes it a big deal before anything is really happening. They cause concern and stress upon themselves because of what the media says. The central theme that exists within the episode is that words are mankind’s reatest weapon. I believe that words may not be able to physically hurt someone, but they can emotionally. Emotional pain is sometimes harder to endure than physical pain. In the neighborhood, some of the neighbors like Les Goodman are accused of being a suspect because his car randomly turned on, while everyone else’s didn’t start. Though he has no effect on the aliens, a woman claims t hat she has seen him look up at the sky late at night, as though he is waiting for something. She thinks he is waiting for the aliens or something from outer space. Therefore Goodman becomes an immediate suspicion to all the neighbors. Everyone in the neighborhood is now more aware of him, claiming that his family isn’t human, but aliens. The woman was being the real monster to society because she had no idea what she was talking about and jumps to conclusion about Les Goodman. Since she made a comment that didn’t have supported evidence, she dug Les Goodman into a hole, making people think he is an alien because everyone starts to believe her. This episode conveys propaganda to the audience. Everyone is following everybody else’s opinion, and they are all being biased. Just like in real life situations, propaganda occurs in the media. We are informed about a particular person’s point of view and their idea soaks up into our brain. Towards the end of the episode, all the neighbors are at their highest point of terrorization and fear. The mob starts to panic as they see a shadow figure approaching their neighborhood. Charlie assumes the shadow to be a monster. Therefore, he starts to act malicious and grabs a gun to shoot the shadow. Everyone comes near the monster and it turns out to be Pete Van Horn, who was one of the neighbors coming home from town. The lights in Charlie’s house randomly turns on and everyone starts to tell him that is he held responsible for the death of Pete. He is now accused of being a monster because of the electricity in his house turning on, and a murder of an innocent man. Charlie was trying to protect his people, but he ends up accidently shooting a person. Everyone starts to blame him for being a monster and throws rocks at him. He did something to help, but since someone said that he is a monster for killing and having his light turn on, he is evil. This shows that all of society is influenced to have the same viewpoint of a specific person, and sometimes they tend to follow counter-information. This episode challenges social convention because society expects us to have the same perception as what the government wants us to think. The people living on Maple were so afraid of what was happening that they believed anything anyone said. Steve has a radio in his garage which he has been working on by himself, and they assume that he is working on an odd electronic related to the aliens. Steve was one of the first to be suspicious of Les Goodman. When Steve was blamed of being an alien, he becomes hypocritical and yells at the neighbors and tells them they are all standing out on the street to crucify someone, and that they are all set to find a scapegoat. Steve knows the only thing that will happen to the neighbors is that they will all become obsessed with finding a scapegoat, and in result they are going to eat each other up alive. Out of fear and panic, they all ruin themselves and each other. Like social convention, Steve and Les have done something odd and different, so they have been frowned upon. In the beginning of the episode, everyone on Maple Street seems happy and cheerful. It is sunny outside and kids are playing in the streets. Once it gets darker at night, the power is still out and there is no more light outside or inside. Everyone is using candles for light, there are no more children around, and the streets seem very dark and mysterious. The neighbors are portrayed as mobs. They all stick together and follow each other wherever one goes. This shows society believing one person’s point of view. The people in the back of mob don’t have much to say. Instead they just stand there and agree with the main person speaking because they are weak and do not have anything to say. Their faces have a shadow and it is dark surrounding all of them leaving making it very suspenseful. The darkness adds a more mysterious effect. The secretive aura of the darkness represents a hidden truth behind society’s lies that are spoken to us. In the end, no one living on Maple Street was an alien. Though there really was an alien, the aliens believe that stopping a few machines, putting the street in darkness will ruin the neighbors without the aliens even being round the humans. The aliens assume that all the neighbors will pick on the most dangerous enemy and be prejudice towards the enemy and to others. But as this all happens, the neighbors’ most dangerous enemy is actually themselves. They destroy themselves by panicking and finding a scapegoat. Everyone is torn apart and no one knows or believes the truth. â€Å"There are weapons th at are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men† is said at the end of the episode. I believe this quote sums up the people living on Maple Street perfectly. Their suspicion destroyed the neighborhood to a point where an innocent life was taken. The people are all thoughtless and frightened and are lying just to protect themselves. Community and society are easily manipulated when they are terrorized. The government tries to takeover some of society’s weak minds and influences them to believe what is right and what is wrong. The community and society speaks before they think, even though sometimes it is not true. They create a monster to themselves because they are creating false facts for everyone to be concerned about. How to cite Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, Papers

Censorship in Australia Essay Example For Students

Censorship in Australia Essay No society has ever existed, as far as we know, which has not exercised some form of censorship over the conduct and opinions of its members Good morning teachers and students. Censorship by the government infringes upon the rights of the individual and inhibits freedom of expression. Now, censorship is a broadly used term so what exactly IS censorship? Well, censorship is defined by the Australian Macquarie Dictionary as the actions of a censor that is, an official who examines books, plays, news reports, films, radio programs (and more recently the internet), for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military or other grounds. Censorship has been around since the beginning of time. It has been used as a tool to control what others have access to. In Australia today, we are supposedly guaranteed the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press by our constitution. Yet censorship still exists. We are told censorship is necessary, but at wh at cost? National security and public interest, are these valid reasons? Why must the government decide what is best for me to read or watch in a cinema or in the privacy of my own home? Sure, we must protect our youth, but that is a parents responsibility, not the governments. I can understand censorship based upon national security; we cant go around selling all of our secrets without a major threat to our government and our way of life. Censorship is a way of controlling the population. This is exactly why we have laws that forbid random censorship. Some censorship is necessary in every culture, but only a minimal amount is required. Australians love freedom. The rest of the world regards us as one of the most liberal nations, which is why restrictive censorship is so out of place here. Censorship is a way of limiting the freedom we so love. Censorship affects everybody on a both direct and indirect level everyday. Whether it is at the newsagent, cinemas, music store or the votin g booths. When the boundaries of government censorship start to inhibit freedom of expression and information, the definition of a democratic society is challenged. We will write a custom essay on Censorship in Australia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now A majority of the censorship I have run into in my lifetime is due to my age. The government determined some years ago that myself and minors in general were not mature or old enough to deal with certain subjects and thus forbade us from obtaining these certain pieces of material. Aside from this I believe myself and the Australian public have been very fortunate in our academic freedom. Compared to other places in the world we have a very wide access to material from all over from a wide variety of points of view. One of the greatest aspects of life, without any doubt, must be the process of learning and acquiring information. Beyond simple facts, this allows an individual to better understand the world around them in all its different aspects and to better appreciate the diversity of existence. For these reasons censorship poses a serious threat to both the individual person and to society as a whole for it obstructs the search for all knowledge and is detrimental to a complete und erstanding of life as we know it. Within any nation it is in the best interests of its citizens to allow all ideas and information to be free from any restrictions and prohibitions. Free speech eliminates the possibility of one group imposing its own values and judgments upon another and instead creates a society of free thinking individuals, who, as a whole, can work together for the benefit of all. .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .postImageUrl , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:hover , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:visited , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:active { border:0!important; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:active , .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6 .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9b3a0c6cbc50b1033fc22f67647682b6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Why Abortion Should Be Illegal EssayThe freedom to read is essential to the democratic way of life. But today, that freedom is under attack. Private groups and public authorities everywhere are working to remove both books and periodicals from sale, to exclude certain books from public schools, to censor and silence magazines and newspapers, and to limit access to controversial books and periodicals to the general public. The suppression of reading materials is suppression of creative thought. However or whenever these attacks occur, they usually fall into at least one of the following categories: Religion, Violence, Race, Drugs, Sex or Inappropriate Adolescent Behaviour. All of these categories relate in some form or another to the issue of obscenity. What IS obscenity? Clearly something hard to talk about from an objective point of view. Obscenity is difficult to discuss honestly. After all, what makes a thing obscene? It is something too vague perhaps to be defined. Its an elusive term we use, but cant explain. Different people will always see things differently. This is human nature. Some see obscenity in nude pictures, statues, paintings, etc while others find obscenity in completely different things. All the same, obscene isnt the same as wrong or bad. The whole premise of obscenity relies on individual opinion. Recently we have been hearing a lot about the need for censorship of television and recording industries. Whether it is the cartoon Southpark, the controversial American television program Sex and the City or rap recording artists, someone always seems to arguing about their negative effects on society and the need for government regula tion. Being a fan of rap, I am particularly interested in issues effecting regulation of the recording industry and rap artists. Popular gangsta rappers include Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, and Eminem (aka Slim Shady). Many are outraged at the explicit lyrics of the songs and the lifestyles of these artists. Snoop Doggy Dog and Tupac Shakur are two of the most publicized gangsta rappers whose songs contain explicit lyrics and who have been indicted for criminal activities. I was once given a piece of advice when watching a particularly gory movie with my father in one of my younger years. He said to me If you dont like it, dont look at it, and I believe this applies to all facets of society that are affected by censorship whether in relation to film, literature or audio material. Nobody in our society is told what to watch, listen to or partake in, therefore it should only be fair that nobody is told what they cant watch, cant listen to or cant partake in. Our world is not perfect. We are a world filled with violence, sex, racism etc. Certain literature like hard-core or unclassified pornography should be censored to children. These types of explicit sex truly have no place in front of the eyes of kids. In extreme cases some of this literature degrades the human race by inciting physical, mental and sexual abuse against women, animals, and sometimes against men and should not be viewed full stop. These examples however are in the extreme minority. To make a tree grow correctly, you must start caring from the very beginning. You must not block itsnutrients, water nor sunlight, but allow it to move around a bit. Our society needs to be treated in the same fashion. There should indeed be ready access to information, but in varying degrees of freedom, determined not by censorship, but by controlled access. The government is trying to protect the population from the harsh realities of life through censorship of information, but are they really helping, or are they hindering by restricting the individuals freedom to information in a supposedly democratic nation? Make up your own mind.. its freedom of choiceBibliography: