Comments

• Walter H.

  I think that Censorship is a major topic and should never be used. In the book Fahrenheit 451, censorship is used when books were burnt because they thought they may be harmful. Guy Montag and the men in the forest read books and keep them in there minds so they can be taught to there kids and other people so books will always be known. These men take a stand against the government and there censorship against books. This could in the future have been the deciding factor over censoring things in this book. This book shows how bad censorship is and I think it should never happen.

  6/16/2009 9:43:45 AM
• Nancy M.

  I believe that the government should have right to censor some information. Sometimes books, movies and other things related to those can cause harm in our society. Porn for example is one thing that needs to be censored. Censorship protects people in a way. I do not believe that the government should go around bannig and forbidding everyday things, but they should have control over some things that are not good to our society.

  6/16/2009 1:55:36 PM
• Andrew S

  i feel that censorship is okay dependig on the circumstances i think that if a movie with explicit content such as nudity or drug usage is going to be put on television then yes it should be censored so that chldren flipping chanels do not see or become intrested in such content at a young age however if you are going to see that same movie in the theater then it should not be censored because the ratings of the movie (g,pg.pg-13,r) should keep viewers who are not intrestedin that content away and then only those who are will see it.

  6/24/2009 5:11:37 PM
• Kaitlyn C.

  Many things are censored so that us kids don't have to see, read, or hear anything that is innapropiate or considered wrong, yet no mater what people do, not everything can be censored. I supose that we are trying to be protected from the "bad" things in the world, but if we don't learn about them and see what happens when bad things come around how will we know not to do them. Though censoring things can be a good thing at times i think that some things should not be censored. Though some information that we learn may be strange or scary we need to learn about it and be ready to do the right thing if an awful situation arises.

  6/26/2009 1:37:29 PM
• anessad

  I think censorship isn't right in writing of any sort, however in other places like tv shows or what not it's fine.I don't think censorship should be aloud in writing though, I mean if it's really that offensive to you then you aren't obligated to read that book or any piese of writing, just find another thing to read. I don't think any writing should be re-written or re-worded for anyone elses judgement it wasn't that persons creativity who wrote it.

  6/30/2009 1:21:01 PM
• Ciara M.

  I do not agree with censorship by the government. In Fahrenheit 451, the government has firemen burn books because it was illegal to read them. As Faber explained to Montag, the books give the public social and emotional ideas, with that would come controversy in society. To keep that risk low, the government takes away any and every opportunity they have to learn something other than numerical and governmental facts. I think this takes away from the human side of people. It’s wrong to strip them of discovering ideas and chances to think and learn about more of “how” and “why” things are done, as opposed to what is done.

  6/30/2009 3:04:18 PM
• McKuen H.

  Censorship is acceptable in some cases. If people don't like a TV show or book they can turn the channel or not read the book. That is called self censorship, and is the only censorship that should be aloud. I think that if groups of people don't like something that others should not have to change it. We should not censor things just becuase "some" people don't like it. Just as the book Fahrenheit 451 they burned books because the government didn't like what was in them. They censored all the information to control the masses.

  7/1/2009 3:53:11 PM
• Gary J.

  somthings are cencored for our protection,but I think that the majority of information that is out there should be known by anyone rho whants to retain it.If everything was cencored in the world we would have no knowlege,no power .the world would be caotic just like in the book Fahrenheit 451,under age kids trying to fun over montag for laughs.if they cencor our knowlege they cencor our commen sence.

  7/2/2009 11:20:40 AM
• ashley c.

  In my opinion censorship is alright, but it does need to have a limit. In 451 they burn all the books in order to censor what people know about the past. This was a form of censorship that is not ok. People deserve to have access to history. In todays society it's not right when the government censors information about what's happening. Also the media has the power to stretch or over-exagerate news. This is unacceptable. It doesn't allow people to understand whats going on. However, some things do need to be censored. For example, television shows and movies with explicit material should be censored so young children do not have easy access but that same material should be available to older veiwers. Basically, I think censorship is over used in the government to hide information from civilians but it is someimes not used enough in television shows or movies.

  7/3/2009 6:05:40 PM
• Amanda F

  Real life cannot be censored. So why should we censor the media? We're gonna know about certain things sooner or later. Censorship might even be provoking certain behaviors nowadays, since people enjoy rebeling so much. Sure, i'm glad that i don't have to see certain things on tv and such, but it's a bit pointless, since we can just go online and find what we need in most cases. Instead of censoring everything, why can't we just block certain things, we must have that sort of technology these days, or have the sensibility to turn your head the other direction. (or other younger people's heads)

  7/4/2009 9:35:14 PM
• Michelle C.

  Censorship, I beleive that in some cases certain books, movies, or websites should be censored but in most cases no. People know whats right and wrong for them and still choose to do something knowing if its right or not. Younger children should have to be watched and explained to whats wrong or right, but in cases like Guy Montags people knew what they were doing and were old enough to understand. So being censored for younger children and certain teenagers is okay, but for a young adult or grown adult censorship should not be allowed, because they usually know what there doing.

  7/8/2009 2:36:46 PM
• Kayla R

  In the book Farenheit 451, the government allows censorship toward books because they believe that it will destroy the flow of their authority or not keep the ''peace'' in the world. In this case, I disagree with censorship because it's not allowing the world to progress. For example, it would be inhibiting one's knowledge and imagination. In addition, it preserves our human rights. However, it is okay to censor inapropiate things such as nudity or drug usage.

  7/9/2009 12:58:55 PM
• Samuel McBride

  I believe it is against our rights to censor what we read, unless it contains inappropriate content such as the ones stated by my peers. The government in 451 is the exact thing that our forefathers were trying to prevent. The federal government should never be that strong. Books are a way to share knowledge and information, and they should never be taken away.

  7/11/2009 11:09:41 AM
• Ronnie B

  I think that if Censorship is used, it should only be used for wrong things in this world. In 451, Bradbury creates a world in which everything is censored, except for the real things that are bad, it seems. Firemen are sent out to destroy information that could be useful to crete a better future. Info about the past that we should know. But instead, everything that they want people to know is relayed by pure non-sense. Kids sit in front of a tv in classrooms to write down this absurd past. People go around believing there was nothing important to beieve in the past. But some still know...
  Being able to censor things is a great power, but abusing it can leave a generation from many things that they should know, such as our history, and how the imagination we all have now was created with books.

  7/12/2009 10:04:33 AM
• Krystyna M

  I think that censorship is a not way for the government to try to create a Utopia, as they would lead us to believe, but a way for them to gain more control or make their jobs easier. The government whether democratic, republican or independant should NOT have the power to Censor things. Parents should be more involved with their children and should censor things for their children. In Fahrenheit 451 the government uses the firemen to dispose of books because they believe that books plant ideas and images in the minds of people. Beatty says it was because people fear and shun those who are different which led to unnessecary violence. But denying anyone the right of knowladge is completly unethical and if there is to be any order in this world we must establish and enforce ethics.

  7/15/2009 7:55:16 PM
• Forin H.

  Censorship is very controversial in some cases, but it has to have a limit like in the story. It cuts off information that could give people of all ages to discover, enjoy, learn, and create new ideas and theories. However, inappropiate movies, books, and other things that won't be beneficial to teenagers and younger should be censored.

  7/16/2009 9:31:38 PM
• Leah G.

  Censorship is a wall that's put in place to keep certain people protected. But, no matter how well the design, or flawless the structure somebody is just going to scale it anyway. In Fahrenheit 451, the government surrounds the masses with a web that doesn't allow thoughts or ideas to circulate. That leaves the population naive and the government 'protected'. Censorship varies between generations, but what should never be blocked out is the right to learn and form opinions.

  7/16/2009 11:17:27 PM
• Katie S.

  How do i feel when okay?
  Censorship is something that I feel is nessicary in some situations. It's a good thing to use on television, radio, and movies. All three of these can be watched or listened to by everyone including young people. Curse words should always be censored because nobody should use curse words at all. I also think that nudity should be filtered out of TV and movies It's unneeded and it's showing kids that they should do the same thing. Censorship is a really good thing until it's over-used.

  7/17/2009 6:59:12 PM
• Chloe A

  Censorship is used in the book Farenheit 451. I believe the goverment can have some rights to censor things, but it shouldn't be just what they think should be censored, it should be a vote to see if it should. There should be a group of people chosen to vote. Some things shouldn't be censored just because it will keep everyone happy and not have them fight because the world would not know these things if they were taken out of our world. Things that can be a negative influence should be censored, but in Farenheit 451 I do not think it was okay for them to censor books because they can help us find out about something thats important to us.

  7/19/2009 2:34:47 PM
• Brittany A.

  I feel that censorship is alright to a certain extent. In the book Farenheit 451 i felt that the censorship was taken too far because of the fact that they burned all the books to keep the people from knowing anything of the past. People should have the freedom to know about the past because they are living in this world just like the people in the past did and stories, lessons, and happenings of the past can help us to be better citizens of the present and future. In my opinion it is ok to censor information sometimes just as long as you use it as needed. For example, if there is a book that is too vulgar and isn't right for the school environment then it would be ok to ban that book from the school library. Censorship has to be balanced and if it isn't then things begin to get out of hand and then more amd more problems arise.

  7/19/2009 2:47:40 PM
• erik c.

  no it is not ok to censor stuff because when u censor something you distort it into something else but however it is ok to censor things that you dont believe in or is not good to your morals.when you censor something you take away the whole part of something .

  7/20/2009 12:22:01 PM
• Victoria N.

  In the book Farenheit 451, they use censorship by burning the books, because no one book agrees with the other. I don't think it is okay, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether it is right or wrong.

  7/21/2009 12:38:04 PM
• Catherine S.

  Censorship, in my opinion, is okay under certain circumstances; however, it should not be used for movies being shown in theatres. There are ratings for those movies and it is your choice whether or not you see it. Books, also, should not be censored. Writers should have the right to their freedom of speech and everyone should be allowed to read the original piece of literature. In other cases, such as television shows, inappropriate content should be censored because every show has access for any child who decides to flip to that channel.

  7/24/2009 7:59:45 PM
• Meredith M.

  I think censorship can be a very powerful thing, and it should be controlled. Censorship can be very useful, fore example it can prevent certain language and content from leaking into children's shows. But it can also be a very negative thing, for instance when the government shields us from information that is vital to the public. I believe when it comes to government, censorship should be used very cautiously and only when absolutely necessary. I believe its ok to censor out certain language and content from books, movies, games, etc. I believe a certain level of censorship is needed to maintain a level of control. Information, however, I believe should very minimal censoring. Information is solely based on fact, and I believe that most, if not all those facts should be kept in the information. For example, information on a war, health threats, and government decisions should mostly be revealed to the public. Censorship is a useful and dangerous tool that should be used with much discretion. It definitely should not be used to the level as in Fahrenheit 451.

  7/25/2009 9:23:20 AM
• Kyaw W.

  In my opinion censorship is fine in some cases. It depends on what it is. But in Fahrenheit 451,the censorship against books is simply crazy and I hope it will never happen. I mean some censor are for our safetly and protection like inapropiate stuff.

  7/25/2009 4:58:57 PM
• Bethany F

  I believe that cansorship is a great idea when used in the correct manner. It is okay to censor T.V. information that can be offensive to children or minors; information from police to public when it can cause the suspect or fugitive to run; books from libraries if the information shared it those books can be used in the wrong manner; and nudity. It is not okay to censor information when it can be helpful to people, and when taken to extremes as in Farenheit 451.

  7/26/2009 8:08:42 PM
• Sarah B.

  As for censorship, i think that it is ok to censor things for our protection (such as nudity or drug usage) but to a certain extent. However, I disagree with censorship by the government. In Fahrenheit 451 books were illegal and if they were found, they would be burned along with the house which hid them. Books were illegal because government thought that the information inside them was harmful. They thought that reading books could cause conflict in society so they were banned. However, I think it isnt right to hide information and knowledge that can even be benificial from the public. In the book, it seemed that by censoring the books, a greater conflict arose than if they had just left things alone. Houses were burned, people died, and in my opinion things even seemed chaotic. So I think censorship is fine in some cases, but it is important to consider the fact that censorship can sometimes be harmful instead of helpful.

  7/26/2009 10:01:09 PM
• Serena H.

  I feel that censorship should not be used toward books, in the case of Farenheit 451, because that would prohibit the world from evolving. It would also take away the ability of others to imagine from the books. Plus, I think that censorship would lead to dictatorship which would take away our rights of freedom and democracy. However, with kindergartners, these days, knowing more about "the body" then I did until middle school, it would be best to use censorship in their reading level books and movies.

  7/27/2009 4:24:45 PM
• Cody

  The government in the book Farenheit 451 censors books from the people so they can't read or gain knowledge about people or places. The government wanted everyone to be equal so they burned all the books that they found in peoples homes. I disagree with censorship because it doesn't allow people to gain knowledge or educate them about different thing in the world. Censorship should only be used when censoring badthongs from people such as websites, movies or images with nudity or drug use. I think that objecta that can help the human race shouldn't be censored.

  7/28/2009 1:51:06 PM
• Zoey B.

  More things are censored then we realize. But sometimes it is necessary to censor certain information, such as advertisments. If it weren't for censors, I'm sure that companies such as Budwiser, or Miller Lite would gladly put their adds on T.V shows where children are likely watching, but we have censors. Certain things are appropiate at certain times. There is a time and a place for everything and I believe that censorship aids in that belief and it is helpful... Until it gets out of hand. Now we are one of the few countries who has the right to freedom of speech, to a certain extent of course. In 1798 John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts. The fourth act in the Alien and Sedition Acts made it illegal to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" that went against the goverment. This was a while ago obviously, but even now, the goverment doesn't take to kindly when people dig into things that they don't want us to know. In Farenheit 451, the main censorship is on books, and they get rid of the books by burning them. To this day, there are many classical pieces of literature that are censored in schools, librarys, and even entire counties. For example, recenetly I read To Kill a Mockingbird in school, and had to have a signed permission slip from my father. Othello by William Shakespeare is censored in many parts of the south, as is Uncle Tom's Cabin. Ray Bradbury wrote Farenheit 451 fifty years ago, but I think he was pretty spot on about the future. Bottom line, the goverment controls the information we recieve, such as the news, information about the middle east, about Africa, the censorship that they choose is both helpful and depriving. Even people who have connections can censor certain books they find "unfit" or "a poisonous piece of literature for our youth" sometimes they can be right, but other times these censors can be for personal beleif. I don't think it's possible to perfectly censor everything. There will always be a few people in a batch that will be mature enough to view whatever it is that's censored, and there will always be a few who aren't mature enough to view what isn't censored. Bottom line, it's up to us to decide how much say the goverment has in what we learn, read, or teach.

  7/29/2009 12:13:19 AM
• Caraline M.

  Censorship is a powerful and useful thing in our world. It helps to shield us from the angry and violent happenings that go on around us every single day. It can be a bad thing as well, if you use it in the wrong way. Censoring good things from people, for example; not to hurt their feelings... May be bad for them. As in the book, the people seemed to completley be in their own fantasy world, and totally cut off from reality. The absence of books in the world of Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, knocked the characters in the story out of reality and they slowly, yet unconsciously were losing their minds. It may have, for the most part, kept them from being sad on the outside, but on the inside, they were lost souls in a deep dark river, trying to paddle their ways out into the beautiful life of consciousness.

  7/29/2009 6:53:54 PM
• Ashley B

  Censorship is highly controversial, not in itself, but in what it censors. People are fine with the blockage or nudity or harsh language in television shows, but they still want to enjoy books from the past that the people in Fahrenheit 451 weren't able to. I think that people do have the right to keep their books and personally believe that book burnings are slightly barbaric. In the book, the burnings and censorship gave the government power over them and caused most to become fugitives or even martyrs for the cause. This is not how any country is supposed to be. I will admit that in the view of protecting younger children from inappropriate material censorship can be acceptable. This would be the only place that I would want to find censorship in this country though. Even if the people simply stop reading on their own, like in the book, it doesn' give the government the right to censor the material.

  7/30/2009 10:42:08 AM
• Vivian B.

  The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury created a world where the government has the ability to censor information. I disagree with the power the government has over the citizens of the city. They seem like they are brain washed into thinking books make people sad and should be forbidden. The government practically controls the people's lives. People don't even have conversations or think about things in the book. The imagination seems to have no existence in this world and is banned. Books bring us to a new world, and can give us new perspectives of the world. Sometimes you might read something sad but that’s one of our emotions, were human, it’s okay to be sad. Or we may read something controversial but everybody has there opinions and that’s what makes us unique. Books help us not repeat history. We learn from our mistakes but how can we learn if we don't know what we learned in the first place. And burning these precious things, that can alter our lives for the better, is cruel. And for the government to have control of that isn't right. We should be able to make our own choices. Sometimes, there are reasons we can't read things due to the content (meaning our parents won't let us) but we should be able to read what we want to as adults. Making mistakes, seeing other people’s perspectives and sometimes being sad or hurt are all things part of life and are things found in books. The government in this book is only shielding the people from life (which is pure beauty in itself) and that’s a crime.

  7/30/2009 12:26:52 PM
• Vivian B.

  The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury created a world where the government has the ability to censor information. I disagree with the power the government has over the citizens of the city. They seem like they are brain washed into thinking books make people sad and should be forbidden. The government practically controls the people's lives. People don't even have conversations or think about things in the book. The imagination seems to have no existence in this world and is banned. Books bring us to a new world, and can give us new perspectives of the world. Sometimes you might read something sad but that’s one of our emotions, were human, it’s okay to be sad. Or we may read something controversial but everybody has there opinions and that’s what makes us unique. Books help us not repeat history. We learn from our mistakes but how can we learn if we don't know what we learned in the first place. And burning these precious things, that can alter our lives for the better, is cruel. And for the government to have control of that isn't right. We should be able to make our own choices. Sometimes, there are reasons we can't read things due to the content, meaning our parents won't let us. There are some things the government should censor, like nudity and drugs which bad for us. In the end, making mistakes, seeing other people’s perspectives and sometimes being sad or hurt are all things part of life and are things found in books or movies. The government in this book is only shielding the people from life (which is pure beauty in itself) and that’s a crime.

  7/30/2009 12:47:06 PM
• Vanessa K.

  I believe that censorship is a contradiction. It is an "edited" writing, if ever there were such a thing. Strike that, due to the fact that the majority, if not all, of what we read today is in fact edited. Like many before me have stated, it cages in the passion. The raw, unclean sentiments the author/producer was feeling the moment of the creation of his/her “child”. True, certain things are not meant for certain people, ergo, the ratings in movies, warnings on CD's, and labels on books were created, as a precaution (I still haven't figured out whether this system was designed for the conservation of the reader's innocence, or for the safety of the publishers from legal issues. I, personally, think the latter is more probable.) But, what happens when a point is reached when the reader cannot tell what they are taking in is censored? What would transpire the day when the government begins lying about labels? Saying truth is fiction and vice versa? We, as a species, of course, are already a gullible bunch, who's to say our "reality" isn't actually censored right now? As Montag’s was? Obviously, these are the ramblings of a sleep-deprived teenager, but, what if, in reality, everything we knew was a lie? And the difference between right and wrong were lost long ago, along with any real independence? This, is a radical case scenario of censorship, meant to scare whoever read it into really thinking about all that they see/hear everyday, and of it’s solid foundation on truth. It is biased, but an opinion was asked. This long passage leads to and explains one thing-the feeling this teenager has on censorship. It adds to the truth that censorship is already surrounding us all. The one truth that really is all true(well, the second part is). To this teen, censorship is wrong. But censorship is also inevitable.

  8/1/2009 8:13:25 PM
• Holly S.

  I believe that censorship is both a good and bad idea. Censorship, when limited, is very useful for the development of young children. It protects them from things such as nudity, language, violence and any other behavior a child should not see. Censorship has a bad side. It is bad when it's used to hide the truth from the people. For example, in the book, the government uses it and goes control-happy and decides it is tired of the entire constitution this nation was founded upon. Books are a wonderful way of recording information and truth. Although, there are books which tell nothing but lies, it's still the people's right to decide for themselves.Before books, everything was told and learnt orally, now we have books- so that once someone writes something down, it can't be forgotten. Truth, or lies, it's freedom to your opinion.

  8/2/2009 1:49:28 AM
• Adam L.

  Censorship, when used, can be positive or negative. It all just depends on WHAT is being censored. In the case of Fahrenheit 451, censorship was used by the government to block anything and that made one's mind ponder or ask questions, which mainly came from books. That is a great example of negative censorship, because the government was stifling mans' free will and knowledge of the free world, along with what was going on outside their fake-happiness of a civilization that they obliviously live in. But, there is of course a time and place for censorship. For example, thousands of adolescents use the internet daily, like all of us have to answer these blog questions. Without censorship, almost every single one of us more than likely would have seen an unpleasant pop-up in the process of accessing your website. The government has tried to block these pop-ups because it's for one's own safety, as well as to protect their computer from viruses. In addition, television editors censor cussing on most t.v. stations, because they are aware that young ears are listening. This is also done for the protection of one's self. But thankfully, our government has not yet gone to the extreme of banning harmless objects, such as books, and it will be up to us to keep it that way.

  8/2/2009 4:20:40 PM
• Peter W

  In some cases censorship is ok. Things like nudity, drugs, and some violence depending on the cituation should be censored. But in the book Fahrenheit 451, very important information like books are being censored and that is wrong. Important facts and things that can be taught and passed down generation to generation should not be censored. It's these things that let us know what happened in the past so we can learn for the future. So some censorship is ok but it should never be taking away things important like this.

  8/3/2009 3:17:49 PM
• Rachel H.

  I feel that censorship takes away some of the resources that make learning anything and everything possible. Even though it may not be pretty, everyone needs to be educated on wars, poverty, sickness, crimes, and obscenity. I understand the movie ratings because the material may not be appropriate for everyone because of their age, but there's a certain time where nothing should be closed off anymore. I don't think books should be censored, but I do beleive parents have the right to discern whether a book is appropriate for their child at that point in their life. I beleive those are the only points during which censorship is okay. Other than that, censorship limits learning in every aspect, which ic most definitely not acceptable.

  8/3/2009 3:35:35 PM
• Elliott B.

  I feel that censoring information is good only up to the extent to protect people. Censoring profanity and nudity is understandable but wiping out information they thought was intellectual will only lead to problems later. Making people ignorant of important information so the government can lead them blindly like a herd of sheep will only make more damage in the future. Not learning what happened in the past will only make it more likely for the past to repeat itself. I think that censoring information and truth is just as bad as lying. Censoring is good only for the right purposes.

  8/3/2009 3:56:16 PM
• Christy W.

  In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury the government has the ability to censor information, my veiw on censorship is that it is wrong the government trying to hide and keep secrets from the people, because I don't think the government should control the world and making us believe and think what they want, but that is my personal veiw. Some people might think that the government should be able to censor information because security reasons, but i believe that censorship is never okay and that the government should give the people their privacy and let them read books and watch movies and the government should not be able to hide important information from us expecially the truth. We the people should know the truth and the government is hiding it and not allowing us to know the truth because they censor us from everything and thats what I think about censorship.

  8/3/2009 6:43:19 PM
• Clifton H

  i dont think censorships alright, people can listen, watch, and read stuff the way it was made and if they dontlike that they can do something else.And its never alrite to censor stuff.

  8/6/2009 7:13:21 PM
• Devin S.

  Censorship. You see it everywhere, not just in books. Television, music, online; everything seems to be covered up. Censorship can be good or bad. I think it's okay to use it if it is for a good reason, such as if it was uncensored it could make a big controversy between others, or if perhaps it could do with religion, everyone has different beliefs. I think it's bad to use censorship though, when you're trying to cover up the truth, which is exactly what everyone was trying to do in this book. They were trying to hide the fact of what really happened in history by making others think different things. I don't feel that is right, people should know the truth, it can hurt sometimes, but it's better than a cover up. Overall censorship can be good or bad, depending on the situation you're in and the circumstances.

  8/7/2009 9:43:09 AM
• Makenzie D.

  I believe that censorship should be used to a certain extent. In the book censorship had gone way to far. Censorship should be allowed on television, because a young child could stumble upon an inapropriate T.V. show and think its okay to do or say things that were on the television. I believe that censorship on a book or a movie(unless its on T.V.) should not be allowed. Books are a way to share knowledge and build imagination, if they are censored like the books in Fahrenheit 451 then there is no way to learn new things or to have a brillant imagination.

  8/8/2009 7:04:51 PM
• Kennedy M.

  While I believe young children should be allowed peace in their time of ignorance, information should not be suppressed from mature, adult humans, because they have the innate need to learn from the world around them. Sinful behaviors such as drug usage or alcoholism, while not recommended, should be shown to them to at least let them correlate such things with their consequences. However, these actions should only be projected in a darker light, without the glorifying ways of the commercial industry. Drug usage and alcoholism should be embodied by poverty, disease, grief, and death. Everything should be shown to people as they are – however clean or dirty some things may be. It is only then society will be able to understand the realities that are constantly occurring around them, instead of being unaware and useless while wars rage and resources dwindle.

  8/9/2009 6:59:38 PM
• Kendall K.

  Censorship is not necessary. My opinion is that, in this case, the reader of a book finds the information offensive, then he or she can chose not to support it. Many editors of movies, books, plays, and songs, cut out what they think the public should not have the right to obtain. Only the veiwer themselves can decide what is appropriate for them. Movies are rated PG-13 which advises that the veiwers should be atleast 13 years of age with a parent/guardian to watch the movie. I have seen many PG-13 movies that I don't find appropriate for even a mature adult. Therfore, in the book Fahrenheit 451, the government is burning books for the "protection" of unhappiness when people should be making the choice to read or not to read on their own.

  8/10/2009 3:19:51 PM
• Colby b

  I beleive censoring can be good and bad. It can be good because if you are watching tv and you hear bad words, you wat it to bleep it out so little kids don't hear it. It can be bad beacause if it is a opinion that someone has, you want to hear the whole thing not just parts that are appropiate

  8/10/2009 10:39:42 PM
• Brittany

  Censorship is acceptable in some cases, but in the book Fahrenheit 451 they go over board with it. They take all the books and burn them because they don't want any of the people to know about their past or science or anything. It almost seems like they don't want the people to have a life. The government should only censor certain things that are bad for kids. Such as violence, nudity, and drugs, which are bad for us. In the book they are shielding the people from basically learning about life and that is just horrible because life is just amazing to learn about and every person should understand things like that. Instead of being shielded away.

  8/12/2009 7:41:15 AM
• Brittany T

  I think that in the book Fahrenheit 451 they take censorship way to far. They burn all of the books just so people won't have any knowledge of their past or anything. The government should censor bad things suchs as violence, nudity, and drugs, which are bad for your health. Those are some things they should censor because those kind of things children shouldn't see or know about. In the book though, it seems like they are shielding those people from the understanding of life and that is just horrible becuase that is one of the main things everybody out in the world should know.

  8/12/2009 7:47:30 AM
• Rachel H.

  Censorship is never good. No matter what. It violates our rights as an American Citizen. People everywhere need to know the truth about everything and anything, for that leads to tru knowledge. Being blocked off from learning something, no matter how ugly it is, whether it be world corruption, issues within out government, even obscenity, gives us less of a chance of being able to use more than ten percent of our brains. I do, however beleive that censoring from parents because of age is necessary. Young eyes and ears are precious, and we should keep it that way. I don't think the government shold censor any media, just controll it well. We don't want to even consider the posisbility of something occuring similar to what happened in Farenheit 451. Ever.

  8/12/2009 2:23:11 PM
• Isabella A.

  I feel that censorship is sometimes taken to an extreme level, by various groups wanting to control reading selections in libraries. Books should be available to all. As far as movies, censorship through age ratings are needed to provide a guide line for age appropriate material.

  8/12/2009 4:22:47 PM
• Ciara C.

  Honestly,it depends. Certain things need to be censored like movies,and certain television shows. But not everything because people can avoid the profanity,or the physical stuff. Because nobody is forced to watch or learn about anything,tey choose to. So they can also choose not to.

  8/12/2009 10:05:12 PM
• Susan G.

  I feel that censorship is not okay, there should be information about everything no matter what the information says or informs, in that case it is never ok to censor information.

  8/13/2009 9:38:09 AM
• Michael M.

  I think censorship is only appropriate in certain instances. For example, I don't think young children should be allowed into rated R movies. I also think porn magizines and books with a ridiculous amount of swearing and slurring should be censored. However, I think it is wrong for the government to censor information. I think the citizens of the U.S. have a right to know what is happening in the world. For instance, what if a hurricane was traveling torwards Florida but the weather reporters decided to not tell the residents of Florida? That would be censoring important information just like the government, just on a more "dangerous" scale.

  8/13/2009 9:44:56 AM
• Dylan M.

  I feel that cencorship should not be used in any society. I do not believe that cencorship should ever be used and this is because people are expressing how they feel about a certain subject. I believe that the government should not censor something that people believe because they are only expressing themselves.

  8/13/2009 9:58:18 AM
• Alexis N.

  In my opinion censorship is a very good thing but it has to have limits, for example, im all for censorship towards movies, TV shows, and even some books and magazines because it prevents children from seeing/reading things there not supposed to see/read at there young age, but as they grow up and become more mature they can watch whatever thay want to watch and whatever they want to read. It goes to far when the government censors certain information by keeping it from the public because they believe they shoulnt see it or know it. It just isnt fair to the people if there left in the dark about whats going on with the world THEY live in. As long as the government doesnt use censorship to mold the world into there perfect little paradise by banning what they "BELIEVE" isnt right for society, and instead allowing the people to grow up and decide what they want to know, see, and read then censorship is okay to me.

  8/13/2009 1:25:27 PM
• Daniel P.

  I think censorship is completely necessary but shouldn't be taken so far like in the book, Fahrenhiet 451. The government made it where no one could read books and a side effect from that was having no emotion or thoughts at all. But censoring some books and movies is for our own good, so that we dont do it our selves. Its for our own protection.

  8/13/2009 4:11:08 PM
• Vanessa W.

  Censorship is only okay in certain situations. Such as bad language on t.v. or in books. Also censorship goes to far in Fahrenheit 451 because destroying books so people wont know their past is morally wrong.

  8/13/2009 7:43:51 PM
• Alicia E.

  I feel that censorship is okay to an extent. I think that the censorship demonstrated in the book was a little over the top. If a person feels that they shouldn't aknowledge a piece of information they won't. I don't think government should control what a person can or cannot intake when they can make descions on their own. Censorship is nescessary for someone that can't make decsions on their own such as young kids. Our government has already provided censorship for these people such as rated movies and parental advisory on music.

  8/14/2009 2:56:31 PM
• Jason H

  I believe censorship should be allowed in some cases such as in T.V. shows where they are showing unnecessary comments or nudity. I also think that all books were created to be read and they all have a purpose to something so they should not be censored. Most people think that because they are older they can see more mature things but really the things they are watching should still be censored because nobody needs to see that or hear it. I believe the only exception to that is when it is giving you valuable information such as a movie on the holocaust because I think that historical event should be seen and remembered so it never happens again. In my opinion censorship should be allowed but only for things that people should not be hearing or watching.
  

  8/15/2009 7:47:13 AM
• Jesica A.

  After reading Fahrenheit 451 I feel that the government should not be allowed to tell you what you can and can not do. In so many countries they have dictators which doesn't give anyone any say of what they believe. The fact that we live in America gives us so much more individuality and each one of us can believe something different and yet still live in peace. The fact that they tried to make everything "perfect" by taking away books didn't help so much. Still people were unhappy, still people didn't get along. So what was the point of taking away the books? Is it the fact that if you watch someone fall and hurt themselves on T.V. you find it entertaining, but if you read about someone falling you would feel the pain he was going through. How can that make you a better person? No one will care about another, and that was happening in this novel. I do not believe someone can tell you what you could do, but what you should do is a different story, you could listen or not.

  8/15/2009 8:34:56 PM
• Erin C.

  Censorship can be both good and bad. It can be a positive thing in many ways. For example, the television. Not only children, but even some adults do not want to hear profane language or watch explicit scenes. Censorship is also used for movies, books, magazines, and somewhat the internet. This is when censorship is used in a constructive way. What makes censorship a negative factor is when it is taken too far. Yes, don't let your young child read a book with a lot of swearing, but the publishers do not need to bridge a master literary work for a few swear words. On a more serious note, Not only the government, but even parents can shield too much by not telling the whole truth. Which in the long run, could actually hurt the person more than protect them. The book, Fahrenheit 451 is a great example of negative censorship. Censorship was taken too far, and the government blocked out anything that made one think too hard about something. Not only did they censor books, but the government also made it seem like the "war" (which to me seemed more like a thirty second wipe out) was not nearly as bad as it turned out to be. They feared violence or confusion from those who knew the truth, letting their community live in an uneducated lie of happiness. In the end, the government actually hurt their society through censorship, instead of helping them.

  8/16/2009 3:05:15 PM
• Reed H.

  I think censorship can be a good or bad thing. I think bad movies and books should be censored because it might offend some people, but other information shouldn't be cenosred by the governement because the public needs to know what is going on in our world.

  8/17/2009 3:59:11 PM
• Maya S.

  I think censorship is okay to a certain point, but in the book it's overdoing it. Movies or tv shows with explicit words or actions are okay to censor, but books were made to inform the public and in Fahrenheit 451 the censorship towards books and reading is really over the top.

  8/17/2009 4:51:16 PM
• Zoee C.

  I believe that censorship is against our rights (to a degree). I think that if there is information out there to know and discover, humans should have the right to use it to their advantage to create a better society. I even believe that inappropriate content (such as the death, pain, and suffering that you may see in a movie about war or even read in a book) should be taught to children at a younger age so they can grow up with an earlier understanding of what happens in this world. I believe that It doesn’t matter what humans do, information that is considered “inappropriate” will still exist and maybe with such an early understanding children may learn how to avoid such things as war. They would learn to strive for peace and learn that war is an ignorant thing, thus the earth would become a better place. Now as for offensive content (war may be considered offensive to some as I have heard), not all of it can be censored in order to teach people what happens on Earth, other offensive content (such as hurtful statements, name calling, insults, etc.) should be avoided by everyone if at all possible but not censored in order to teach of it’s terrors and demise.

  8/17/2009 7:08:33 PM
• Heather H.

  I believe that censorship can be used positively and negatively. Censoring people from any information limits their knowledge. I believe that children should be censored from swearing and nudity. But as they mature and age they should at least understand it. Just so they have the information and can know about the world they live in.

  8/18/2009 11:47:51 AM
• Summer B

  I think that censorship is okay in some cases. I don't think it's necessary in movies, books, CDs, or video games, because those things are given ratings. As long as it's marked "explicit" or "parent advisory recommended", I don't think it needs to be censored. However, I believe that television shows should be censored, because anyone could come across inappropriate content just by the click of a remote control. Books especially shouldn't be censored, because there are so many different opinions in the world, no one is ever going to agree 100 percent with each other. If books were censored, people wouldn't be exposed to different ideas or opinions, and people would be much more ignorant, just like in Fahrenheit 451.

  8/18/2009 1:16:16 PM
• Kirsten S.

  I fell that censorship can be both a good and bad thing. I think that it's a good thing when information/books/movies/etc are censored when they are being seen or read by young children. It keeps them from learing bad behaviors that childrem under certain ages shouldn't be exposed to such as nudity, violence, or bad language. Censorship can also be a bad thing though. When something is censored and given to an adult, its hiding truthful information from people. The goverment uses it and then that way people dont really know the truth about whats happening.

  8/20/2009 1:18:33 AM
• SaraJayne S.

  I believe censorship is a very debatable topic, it can be a good or a bad thing. It can be good in the case of parents wanting to censor what their children can watch on tv, or what websites they can go onto on a computer. On the other hand it can be a bad thing when the govvernment wants to censor something that its people should know about. In the book Farenheit 451 it shows many examples of bad censorship. The government did not allow the people to read any book that the government did not want them to be able to read. The government also censored the people in the information they gave them of their political state and their state in war. The government made the war seem like no big deal and they were all destroyed in a matter of minutes. Also, when Montag is on the loose they make the people think that a highly dangerous criminal has been captured and they don't have to worry about him anymore. The government thought they were doing the right thing by not telling the people the entire story, but they were doing the wrong thing for the people. They pulled the wool over the peoples' eyes and did not allow them to think freely for themselves. In this book the government's censorship literally killed the people. I believe that government censorship is the worst censorship. With our current situation of war and recession, we must know what is going on in our world. It makes me happy to live in the United States where I know the government will tell us everthing we need to know. They keep us updated and well informed. I believe censorship is a bad thing but, in certain stituations it can be a good thing, when used in the right way.

  8/20/2009 6:28:36 AM
• Caitlin C

  I beleive that certain things should be censored and other things not censored. I mean somethings are just plain in appropriate butm other times things are censored for a good purpose. But censoring books and information and stuff is wrong.

  8/20/2009 8:53:50 PM
• Mary Beth R.

  Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 is a completley different concept than how it is in present day. In the story, banning books kept the community at an equal mentality, allowing an extremely warped since of reality.Censorship in modern society is in my opinion at a good level. In movies, you are warned of the content by a rating. With CD's, there could be a parent discretion label. This also goes with television. The goverment isn't trying to "block reality" or sugar coat the real world, they are just giving a heads up to the public and it is their choice to decide what they are exposed to.

  8/21/2009 5:15:55 PM
• Jess K.

  I think that censorship is not a good thing. When you censor opinions and certain facts, like in the unique world Ray Bradbury created in Farenheit 451, you are making people believe only what you want them to believe or understand, almost like brainwashing. Some of this is even going on today in our own media. Certain news progams give one-sided points of view about certain information.

  8/22/2009 6:07:22 PM
• Kayla M.

  To me it depends on how you censor things. People have no right to take a book out of a library that I and many other people use just because there are things in it that they strongly disapprove of. If someone doesn't like it and doesn't want their children reading it then that parent should have a good enough control on their kid, that they can tell them not to read it and trust that they wont. This goes for many other things too, but no one has the right to banish a book or, anything else, from anywhere. I will read what I want and personally dislike anyone who tries take out a book that I may want to read because personally I don't care what they think and want me to read. Now if people would like things, such as books, to be censored in a way that the maturity of it is plainly stated and warned, then fine. Nothing should ever be removed or blocked though, I will not be told what i can and can't read by a group of ignorant, upset people. The fact is you will always have your own opinions and choices while other people will have theirs. So stop trying to force your opinions and choices onto people because they don't need them, they have their own.

  8/23/2009 7:24:45 AM
• Ashley D

  I believe that censorship can be used positively and negatively. For example, in films seen in theatres content should not be censored because the viewers are warned by the ratings how appropriate the content is for the audience. However, shows on television should be censored because a younger audience should not be at access to inappropriate content. I think it is down right wrong to have the government censor things like books as they did in Fahrenheit 451.

  8/23/2009 12:07:04 PM
• Cheyenne S.

  I don't think that censorship is a good thing because we as Americans should have the right to make decisions for ourselves, with access to all the information. It should be a personal decision of whether or not we want to read it. I don't think that someone else should be able to make decision for you. The only type of censorship that I would tend to agree with is age apropriateness. For example, I like the idea of having certain magazines blocked from the view of younger children in the checkout lines at grocery stores.

  8/23/2009 1:26:41 PM
• Joseph L.

  Censorship is basically the removal of freedom of speech. If the government censors books, then next they might censor radio and even T.V. shows. Without freedom of speech, the government has full control over everything including what you can and cannot do. No one will be able to know what is really going on in the world, they will only know what the government wants them to know and the society will collapse.

  8/23/2009 4:07:24 PM
• Victoria W.

  Censorship. I am not going to say that censorship is a "good" or "bad" thing, because it all depends. In 451, the government went totally overboard and it was just ridiculous. The type of censorship used in the book hurt the members of society, instead of protecting them from something.
  As for TV channels, the material should definately be edited if it could cause harm to innocent little kids who are flipping through channels. Movies and books in my opinion should not be censored. That is what ratings and warning labels are for. If something is rated R, or has an "Adult Content" label on it, kids should be smart enough not to watch or read it. Things in our everyday lives, like posters and billboards should be censored because you have no choice as to seeing those. So in my opinion, censorship is fine to a certain extent. Our world would be corrupted without it, but too much is also harmful to our society.

  8/23/2009 4:12:26 PM
• Jacob G.

  Censorship is good in some cases, such as in movies. Movies should be censored to the specifications of the rating they are given. For example, if someone goes to see a rated G movie, they will not want to hear explicit language. If someone goes to watch a rated R movie, they should expect to hear, and see, a lot of inappropriate language, scenes, etc.. In this case, censorship in movies is not a bad thing. Books should not be censored because there is nothing physically harmful in them, unlike how they were thought of in the book. In the book, books were thought to hurt people and make them go insane.
  

  8/23/2009 5:43:52 PM
• Caitlin C

  I believe that censorship can be good or bad. It can be good in a way that blocks bad or inappropriate things from young people's eyes, and it can be bad if the government is keeping important information from the citizens of the country.

  8/23/2009 7:19:42 PM
• Meredith M.

  Censorship can be a good or a bad thing. I am opposed to the kind of censorship that happens in Fahrenheit 451 because writers have a right to express what they feel in their books and the government should not be allowed to take away the rights of the citizens and the authors. However, censoring television can be a good thing because if someone were to flip to a channel with inappropriate things, they could be offended.

  8/23/2009 7:22:44 PM
• Joshua B.

  I feel that censorship is needed at times when there are things that young people don't need to be hearing and or seeing. But I also feel that the government should not have the right to censor any type of media, it should be the responsibility of the parents to monitor what their children watch, listen to, or read.

  8/23/2009 7:48:27 PM
• Elise E.

  Like many things in today's world, censorship is often a topic surrounded by dispute. In general, we live in a country that believes censorship should only be used when necessary. Th right of people to speak their minds is very important to American culture and the men who wrote our Constitution. However, censorship is certainly justified in situations where the information at hand could cause more harm than good. The old example of yelling fire in a crowded theatre makes a good illustration; it is certainly appropriate if the theatre is on fire. Otherwise, it will cause panic and harm while providing no benefit. Likewise, in our country, we can criticize the president/government all we want, but we certainly cannot threaten physical harm. In some countries, citizens are not allowed to speak out against the government. As Americans, we hold the right of free speech. In short, i think people should certainly have the right of free speech, unless it causes harm. In those such cases, censorhip is appropriate.

  8/23/2009 8:20:57 PM
• Morgan B.

  I believe that censorship has its place, but we have to be careful. In Farenheit 451 censorship was used incorrectly because the government used censorship to censor ideas and beleifs in the books they were burning.

  8/23/2009 9:11:20 PM