Censorship in Music
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Censorship in Music
According to the World Book 345, censorship is the control of what people may say or hear, write or read, or see or do. Censorship can affect books, newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, radio and television programs, and speeches. A topic of much debate is whether there should be censorship of music. Today, many people feel that the lyrics presented in songs are inappropriate for children, teens, and young adults to listen to. A group of parents formed an organization called the Parent's Music Resource Center (PMRC) whose primary aim is to stop the production of recordings that include topics on sexuality, violence, drug or alcohol abuse, and suicide, and to endorse the prosecution of record companies and store owners that produce, sell or promote such recordings. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) did not stop the production of this music, but instead they made up a logo that gave warning that a recording contains harsh lyrics. The RIAA brought forth this logo in 1990 and the logo stated, "Parental Advisory-Explicit Lyrics." Such censorship in music is wrong and unjustifiable. It violates the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, limits consumers' freedom of choice, and marks the beginning of the destruction of an unequalled art form. Moreover, there has been no empirical evidence of a direct link between exposure to music and adverse behavior...