Columnists, EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Editorials, J.R. Tidwell, Opinion
 By  J.R. Tidwell Published 
8:00 am Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Government censorship is not for me

I am not a big fan of censorship in most forms.
The need exists to keep young, impressionable minds away from the filthier examples of man’s dialect, but I think the major censorship juggernauts take their jobs a bit too far.
The Motion Picture Association of America — or MPAA — is a prime example.
Sure, when I was a young kid, the organization served a purpose.
Keeping parents informed when a child should not watch a movie is about the only thing the group does halfway decently.
When I turned 17 and could legally purchase an R-rated movie on my own, the MPAA no longer served any purpose for me.
I know enough about motion pictures and cinematic elements to make my own opinions about what I think I can handle.
And I am not the squeamish type.
The Federal Communications Commission is much worse. They believe that their job is to keep little kiddies from watching smut and vulgarity on television.
This is completely false. I think that this job is for parents and parents alone.
Know what your kids watch, deem for yourself what is inappropriate for YOUR children, and turn on the government-required V-chip to block what your kids should not watch.
End of story.
I hate the FCC for editing the shows I like to watch, especially late at night.
I frequent Comedy Central and Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, and I can handle anything they throw at me.
The FCC would say that they censor things so kids cannot watch. I say they censor things they do not like, and overstep their bounds on a daily basis.
Let parents be responsible and take a little initiative about what they deem appropriate.
That way, the government would stop feeling the need to put annoying sound effects over certain words in my favorite shows.
Once a person reaches the age of 17 or so, these problems begin to go away.
The person is old enough to start making some decisions about what content they see, and the teenager is old enough to legally buy R-rated movies and M-rated games in every state anyway.

Also on Franklin County Times
Wife, 65, admits she shot, killed husband
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – A 65-year-old woman is facing a murder charge after she admitted to shooting her husband Sunday evening inside their residence on Dunca...
3 firefighters receive Lifesaver Awards
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — More than two months after city firefighters responded to a cardiac arrest call that left Steven Bledsoe without a pulse for 27 minutes...
FBLA students earn honors at state
News, Phil Campbell, Records
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Members of the Phil Campbell High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter earned honors during the Alabama FBLA State Leader...
Obituaries
Obituaries
May 13, 2026
Ruth E. Spooner May 7, 2026   Ruth E. Spooner, 90, of Beloit, Wis., passed away on Thursday morning, May 7, at Cedar Crest, in Janesville, Wis. She wa...
The protection system you’ve never heard of
Columnists, Opinion
May 13, 2026
When you visit a doctor, you might notice the framed medical license on the wall. For most patients, that document is simply reassurance that their ph...
Retired educators hear state updates
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
May 13, 2026
Retired educators met at the Russellville First Methodist Church Ministry Center for the last meeting for the Franklin County Retired Educators Associ...
Students get life lessons with hatching classes
News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Students at Phil Campbell Elementary School and Phil Campbell High School recently got some handson lessons about animal life cycles a...
STEAM expo highlights student projects
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 13, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Middle school students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade presented the findings of their STEAM Expo projects last week. From testing w...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *