An American Paradox: Censorship in a Nation of Free Speech

(Hardback)

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Although speech in America may be more free and robust than anywhere else on earth, censorship has maintained its grip on American society and has even increased in recent years. Not only is censorship occurring in many different areas of speech, but it is also being advocated by new groups of sponsors. In recent years, liberals have taken as active a role in censorship as have conservatives. Of all the struggles waged in the 1960s, perhaps the one thought victorious was that against censorship. Yet, as adults, the generation of the 1960s is pushing a campaign of censorship more widespread than the one it faced as youth. In An American Paradox, Patrick Garry examines the changing nature of censorship and the social impulses that produce it. His beautifully written book is a thought-provoking one about our national psyche and the cultural wars that are generating restrictions on speech in the arts, music, television, and even in the universities. Garry describes fundamental contradictions and paradoxes in a nation devoted to speech and individual freedoms. With speech so close to the national soul, an understanding of the censorship impulse not only may help to eliminate destructive conflicts over censorship issues but also may contribute to a greater appreciation and knowledge of the complexity of the American social fabric.

Reviews

Although the United States is a nation of speakers, it is also a country in which censorship has often sought to regulate that speech. This book helps one understand the national character and identity of democracy which is fluid and changing....In this age of insecurity, change, and confusion, censorship has proliferated....This volume brings insight to the 'why' we find ourselves facing the constant increase in censorship attempts. The author's examples of challenges and his references to our history adds to the free-flowing prose of this book. His detailed notes and his list of suggested additional readings are also helpful. This title is a new perspective and is highly recommended for library collections on intellectual freedom and censorship.-ALA Newsletter on Intellectual freedom
Cogent arguments illumine the sociopolitical reasons behind each notorious period of censorship . . . Garry offers no ready cures, but his perceptions on the patterns of censorship in America are thought-provoking.-Booklist
"Cogent arguments illumine the sociopolitical reasons behind each notorious period of censorship . . . Garry offers no ready cures, but his perceptions on the patterns of censorship in America are thought-provoking."-Booklist
"Although the United States is a nation of speakers, it is also a country in which censorship has often sought to regulate that speech. This book helps one understand the national character and identity of democracy which is fluid and changing....In this age of insecurity, change, and confusion, censorship has proliferated....This volume brings insight to the 'why' we find ourselves facing the constant increase in censorship attempts. The author's examples of challenges and his references to our history adds to the free-flowing prose of this book. His detailed notes and his list of suggested additional readings are also helpful. This title is a new perspective and is highly recommended for library collections on intellectual freedom and censorship."-ALA Newsletter on Intellectual freedom

Author Bio

PATRICK GARRY is a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University School of Law and a Fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University, where he is researching and writing on media and First Amendment topics. He is the author of An American Vision of a Free Press (1990), and Liberalism and American Identity (1992).