Archive for the ‘Censorship’ Category
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors.
-John F. Kennedy
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.
-Tommy Smothers
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is afraid of its people.
-John F. Kennedy
Friday, February 26th, 2010
The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.
-George Bernard Shaw
The press is easier to strangle than to look in the eyes.
-Winston Churchill
Silentium Victoriam Accelerat
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010The United States Office of Censorship operated from December 19, 1941 through August 15, 1945 to censor international wartime communications.
When President Roosevelt created the office, he wrote:
All Americans abhor censorship, just as they abhor war. But the experience of this and of all other Nations has demonstrated that some degree of censorship is essential in wartime, and we are at war.
Read Roosevelt’s entire executive order here.
Byron Price, the executive editor of the Associated Press was appointed the first and only Director of Censorship. Price’s biggest task during the war was to keep secret information about development of the atomic bomb. Price’s office developed the “Code of Wartime Practices” which, although voluntary for American radio and press outlets, made clear that certain pieces of information were not to be published.
The office operated under the motto Silentium Victoriam Accelerat, which from Latin translates Silence Speeds Victory.
Interesting further reading:
Secrets to Victory
Wikipedia
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Further reading:
“Burn this Book is a powerful collection of essays that explore the meaning of censorship, and the power of literature to inform the way we see the world, and ourselves.”
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Two quotes from an article The Press: Censorship, Pros & Cons published in TIME magazine December 31, 1945, 64 years ago today:
No one who does not dislike censorship should ever be permitted to exercise censorship.
-Director of U.S. Office of Censorship, Byron Price
Censorship is a necessary shield, “in democratic countries, including Russia,” against “all kinds of poisonous slander harmful to the cause of peace,” and is justified “as long as influential newspapers or private owners” commit slander.
-Quoting Russian writer N. Baltisky