In his essay "Beware of Chilling Freedom of Expression," James Harrington brings to his readers a very hot topic, which concerns the censorship of cyberspace. He brings the debate from U.S. Senator J. James Exon to the table. Senator Exon is "the sponsor of The Communications Decency Amendment that could punish electronic communicators who transmit obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent language and images" (146). Is such an amendment constitutional? This is the question Harrington presents in his essay. He believes that democracy is strengthened by unlimited access to the "market place of ideas" (146). If the government involves itself in interrupting this flow of creativity, this will, in turn, "impede communication" (146). Should Senator Exon activate his plan, Harrington believes resentment will settle in Americans who seek the freedoms promised in our Constitution. Adults have a right to speak and view what they want; their personal endeavors are their own, and whatever moral consequences they face are theirs alone. This is a point Harrington makes crystal clear in his argument.

Two web pages that I researched seem to agree with Harrington on the freedom of speech issue. The Free Expression Alliance defines the Internet as "the place where any person can become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox," as the Supreme Court recently observed. The EFF Blue Ribbon Campaign homepage is also opposed to censorship laws. Their page is full of newsbriefs, contacts, and cases now in litigation over Internet violations. Here public citizens can receive support if they are currently wrestling with legal issues concerning the First Amendment. In my opinion, Internet censorship is against the First Amendment of the Constitution. We have freedom of speech and expression in America; to hinder this would be to hinder this country. We the people have rights that are guaranteed to us, and we as individuals have a responsibility to conduct ourselves in a moral fashion.

I define "moral" as abiding under the provisions of Jesus Christ that are laid out in His Word. As human beings our rights include the freedom of religion, so it can be expected that others define freedom differently. Nevertheless, freedom of exression is a personal choice. By no means do I agree with much of what is on the Internet; however, I do not try to judge others who may not share my moral standards. Parents should be in control of their children and what they view. Parental controls on computers and channel locks on televisions are some ways that parents can maintain control over the moral development of their children. Just as adults monitor their children, they can monitor themselves. If something is offensive to them, they can choose not to view it. For example, I find myself doing this regularly; when I receive porn site information in my Email; I simply delete it. Just as the Internet is aggressive, so must we be to protect our own moral standards.

EFF Blue Ribbon Campaign Homepage.  Homepage.  22 September 2001.  <http://www.eff.org>.

The Free Expression Alliance.  Homepage. 22 September 2001.  <http://www.ifea.net>.

Harrington, James. "Beware of Chilling Freedom of Expression." CyberReader. 2nd ed. Ed. Victor J. Vitanza. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 146-148.