First Amendment and Music Censorship
The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights exists because the Founders of our country understood the importance of free expression. The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law . ... One of the ways the American people use this freedom of speech and expression is through the creation of the art form known as music. Music’s verbal expression bonds our society through our emotions and experiences. ... The censorship of music lyrics is a violation of our First Amendment right, and public groups should not be allowed to bypass this right to censor obscene lyrics produced in the music industry. ... Immediately the album was withdrawn from music shelves everywhere and returned only with a new approved cover, now the original copy is worth thousands of dollars. ... “There’s nothing new about pop and rock music finding its roots in the anger and rebellion of young people, and there’s nothing new in older people expressing unrealistic fears about that music” (RIAA; History 3 of 4). ... Musicians are protected under the First Amendment equally as any citizen in the United States of America. ... “This offers a special protection of musicians against arbitrary censorship and persecution” (Hald 1 of 8). Not only does censorship of music threaten the freedom of speech, but it also threatens a musician’s right to promote their work through free enterprise. “Musicians have the freedom to play music in public or private domains, give concerts, and release CDs” (Hald 1-2 of 8).