Censorship and Its Progeny - Essay Example

In the chapter censorship and its progeny John Frohnmayer seeks to expound on the consequences of censorship in the community giving different examples from the ancient world and examples that have implications today. Frohnmayer argues that the act of censorship in the community has more to with order than the individual freedom. Freedom is most of the time unachievable because it is imprecise and ambiguous and censorship is of high priority because it aims at maintaining order (Frohnmayer 1).

The author compared censorship with the first amendment of the American constitution which guarantee the Americans freedom but it is practically unachievable. The first amendment clause of freedom can complement the constitution and act as a basis for morality and ethical conduct on the practices and beliefs of the American people. Frohnmayer encourages the people to live up to the binding contract of the first amendment which calls for community tolerance and the ability to listen to all voices that occur together creating tension due to the different point of views (Frohnmayer 10).

Censorship causes people to live in fear by denying them the same freedom that is promised in the first amendment of the constitution. The purpose and idea of a free community and America cannot be achieved due to censorship which is as a result of community intolerance to different views. The government of the day is the major threat to freedom due to intolerance of any criticism with the aim of protecting others (Frohnmayer 5). Freedom of expression against government oppression is faced with ferocious force through the manipulation of the law to leave the government at liberty of determining which freedom is and which is not allowed as it suits the government needs to retain control. Until its elimination in1987, people faced significant discrimination and denial to practice simple freedom of expression but a truly democratic world according to Frohnmayer should be able to tolerate indifferences (Frohnmayer 12).

The Invention of Tibetan Contemporary Art

Gabriella Coslovich argues that art is invented at a specific moment in time and for specific reasons and purposes. Art has a significant purpose in expressing the desires and the ways of the people. The Tibetan contemporary art, in this case, is shown to reflect the situation of the Tibetan society which shows how people live. Through a single mural, the audience can identify and understand the people daily life and what different activities means to them. Tibetan art helps people to store information over a long period which can be used by the future generations. The Tibetan murals serve as reminders of the people about their past and inspire them to live up to the social expectations (Coslovich 16).

Coslovich writes about the history of the Tibetans and what has shaped their current situation using art as a reference. Despite the earlier resistance of Tibetan new art, today it has become accepted, and it aims at connecting the Tibetans with the world by dislodging myths. The Tibetan art shows different events which have shaped the people today, and it is a continuous living legacy for the future generations to understand their community (Coslovich 21). More important, the Tibetan contemporary art will play a significant role in the future due to globalization to teach the Tibetan generations of their religious, political and social adversities and what has contributed to their current situation as a global community (Coslovich 27).

Work Cited

Gurley, Gregory C. Art, and human values. Cognella, 2013. 1-50