Creating Civil Conversation in Censorship

Palm Beach Atlantic University is trusted for implementing higher standards of values in their student body.  I chose to attend PBA not only for its education, but for the attitude held by the school.  I also enjoy attending PBA because of its diverse group of students, who can discuss issues at hand, rather than shying away from topics. 

However, lines are often blurred between the differences in advocating correct behavior or creating censorship. 

The latest discussion at PBA is the selective censoring of websites that do not align with certain PBA standards.  Students hold both positive and negative perspectives about the school using the “Websense” program to block Internet websites deemed as inappropriate.  The Facebook accounts of PBA students were raging over the weekend with girls who couldn’t pay bills online and shop cyber-Monday at Victoria’s Secret or American Eagle’s Arie because of its content.  Others were pleased with the banning of this content for those using PBA’s Internet. This is a typical debate over rules at PBA.

Usually, such a superficial issue would have mere significance in my eyes. 

 However, with my firsthand experience of pervasive censorship, I dabbled with it for general discussion.  The suppression of information has been a topic tugging in my heart ever since I worked in a social media and exchange program with the State Department. 

One of the countries we worked with and traveled to was Azerbaijan.  A main topic that was discussed, as visitors from the U.S., was the extreme censorship with the Internet.  According to our discussions with the ambassadors at the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan, Internet censorship was a tactic used to keep the population uninformed and unaware.  For example, when I arrived, I learned that two Azeri bloggers had recently been sentenced to two years of imprisonment for their video clips with satire on their country's political elite.  

There is a great distinction of importance between online purchasing privileges and political freedom, though, ultimately, both instances of censorship are filters for protecting the minds of an audience from what is deemed by a particular perspective to be unsuitable. 

Media and Censorship Conference in Tbilisi

My perspective from the experience overseas led me to the conclusion that censoring content is only one route in addressing an issue.  From the conflict resolution problems in the program, we concluded that we could not protect the rights of the citizens.  Instead, the program advocated for the country, specifically the students who we worked with, to use methods of civil communication to properly address concerns with the Internet, rather than deeming it as “garbage.”  Ultimately, our conversations with the students widened their perspectives, and taught them to make decisions based on their own understanding of an issue.

What is your perspective of censorship in maintaining desired values and attitudes of a particular view held?