The history of censorship has been long in the making. The enlightenment in Europe was a time of intellectual stimulation and broadening of though, which migrated to the newly forming United States. It was in this time period that censorship by the government was put to question. People saw the futility of censorship in a free society. Heroic figures from the 18th century including Thomas J

efferson, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison all saw censorship as an enemy during the revolution saying “…censorship reflects a superstitious and ignorant past….and inhibits social and scientific progress”. The framers of the constitution wanted to keep speech and press free, but despite these Enlightenment ideas embodied in the constitution censorship still prevailed. (Garry)

In his book An American Paradox, Censorship in a Nation of Free speech, Patrick Garry tells examples of when censorship failed and to the favor of the opposition. In the first example Garry tells of how in 1798 John Adams imposed a law forbidding criticism of the government. This law was meant to silence the voice of the opposing party, Thomas Jefferson and the democratic-republicans. This was the first attempt at political censorship in the United States. People became so outraged by Adams attempt that Jefferson won the next presidential election in a landslide. In his second example Garry tells about another attempt at censorship that resulted in a bigger problem for the censors. In the 1830’s and 1840’s southern politicians and plantation owners wanted to stop newspapers from publishing abolitionist’s articles. Their attempts did not silence the problem of slavery but make it explode. The Enlightenment did not get rid of censorship but only made it come into different hands using different tactics.

Music is an easy target for censorship because it is so easy to condemn something you don’t understand. To be a real artist in the United States and comment on our culture it would be off track to say something delicate or sublime when our society is not a delicate or sublime society. Many people who want to censor creative expression are simply afraid of the issues it explores. These people are simply afraid of confrontation. How many conservative parents want their children asking them what Nirvana means when they sing “I wanna f@#k you like an animal”. Censorship is an inherently conservative action, whic

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