Commentary
Throughout history, censorship has been justified as necessary for a safe and well-ordered society.
In China, Han dynasty leaders burned manuscripts to “protect” scholars from the malevolent influence of Qin dynasty literature. In the 15th century, the invention of the printing press not only made books more accessible but also provided additional fuel for censors’ fires.
In 1933, the German government burned 25,000 books in the middle of Munich. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister responsible, claimed the elimination of “un-German” texts would benefit German youth because it would lead to a healthy “new spirit” among the young.
Instead of politics, religion and sex, today’s censors focus on race, gender, and other hot-button cultural issues. Universities, once bastions of intellectual freedom, are now among the most enthusiastic censors….