This isn't the first time the government or special interests have attempted to shut down voices not in line with their agendas.  Censorship survives as the favorite tool of rulers.  Leaders, including our founding fathers who never feared truth, opinion or transparency, prefer opinion and disdain censorship.  This is why our first amendment is not only first, but exists.

Modern Day Censorship

How many Americans recall the pressure exerted through fear with the purpose of censoring debate leading up to the war?  Do you remember how uncomfortable being against invasion was in America the winter of 2002-2003? Those opposing were branded "Anti-American", "Fanatics", "Unpatriotic", "Bush Haters" or "Liberal".  Characterization defines one of twelve classic propaganda techniques causing people to self-censor in anticipation of condemnation.  It is easier to go with accepted ideas than confront them with truth. Remember the assaults, defamation and threats piled upon those who spoke out against invading Iraq?  The atmosphere of hatred, disdain and fear, so weighted that the simple act of placing a "Blessed are the Peacemakers" bumper sticker on your car earned you slashed tires, jeers or worse. 

This censorship extracted an immediate effect upon the mindset and intentions of the American people delivering a "pre-emptive" war in violation of international law, thousands of dead and wounded Americans plus  hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded Arabs.  It cost us not only tangibly, but the intangible assists of American goodwill and credibility overseas.  Yet most Americans remain oblivious, believing their freedoms intact.

The fact is, whether through legislation or through intimidation, censorship remains alive in America and has been for many years.  Veteran journalist Jeff Blankfort wrote a piece in 1993 detailing the intimidation tactics used on the American Library Association to prevent its carrying of books not supportive of a foreign nation's politics and agenda: An Act of a Censorship: American Library Association Becomes Another Israeli Occupied Territory

Librarians are used to groups trying to tell them what to stock. In this case they gave in.

MTV takes a stand

Music Television (also known as MTV) is used to being chastised for the sexual or violent content in its videos, but this may be the first time a music network received censorship for promoting peace and asking kids to think.

MTV's influence on society affects all forms of entertainment from our commercials and movies to the manner in which we consume news.  The force of youth, with campaigns like "Rock the Vote", MTV acts as the political surrogate for a generation largely unaware of current events not tied to celebrity or the action/reaction consequences of history foreign of regurgitation.  This commercial aspires to this purpose.

The following PowerPoint illustrates an ad, (digitally rendered), one that puts into context the tragedy of 9-11 with real threats to humanity.  According to our source, the commercial ran once.  The Federal government intervened and pulled it off the air. The information in it is correct so the why is unknown. Repeated requests for information went unanswered.

How can the government exert pressure on media?  It can withhold access to officials, slow down acquisitions, revoke licenses, request advertisers pull their funds, there are many creative ways to intimidate. Unlike print, broadcast media both radio and television must pay and be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, (FCC) to receive a license.  Because of ownership, though MTV as cable may not be under FCC rules, other Viacom properties are. That license is government domain, meaning that license gives the government the power to revoke said license for any reason laws allow.  Since the Bush Administration continues to ignore Constitutional Law, International Law and Common Law...not to mention God's laws, revocation remains a real threat.  We don't know what caused MTV to pull the ad upon the government's request.  All we know is any of these would be compelling reasons.

View The Ad that Got MTV Censored,
(power point presentation: click 'enter' to advance the frames)

Continued Censorship
in North America.

MTV is not an isolated instance. The following examples codify what special interests endeavor to prevent you from saying, thinking, questioning or doing:

Censoring Senators: Just Say Yes to War

Those defecting from the Bush administration share one similarity: intimidation against those who don't tow the line.  The most deadly example happened to Senator Paul Wellstone, one of the few outspoken representatives who dared to oppose the war, only to have Vice President Dick Cheney warn him to change sides and endorse the war or else.  Ten days after this verbal warning at an event, Senator Wellstone died in a plane crash.  Mysteriously, the rescue vehicles were dispatched forty minutes prior to the crash...

Censoring History: Question Historical Figures, Go to Jail Indefinitely

Ernst Zündel, was kidnapped from Tennessee February 5, 2003, extradited and currently serving time in Canada on the charge of Holocaust Denial.  Yes, selected opinions are now crimes in Canada. Zündel never denied the German Holocaust [1].  He simply ran available data, census, scientific and stated the numbers didn't jive with population figures of the time and scientific certainties. Whether he is correct or not isn't the issue.  The issue is truth doesn't need laws to protect it therefore why are we incarcerating people who question accepted truths with new facts?   Consider the fact that if what he says is so wrong, those opposing him would gladly expose the inconsistencies publicly, thus nullifying him and ending the debate.  Instead they've incarcerated him for voicing an opinion?

Another Example, August 5, 2005: "Belgian negationist and extreme-rights publicist Siegfried Verbeke has been arrested at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and might be extradited to Germany for trial. A German judge issued an international arrest warrant against Verbeke at the end of last year because he cast doubt over the internet whether the Nazis actually killed six million Jews in World War II." Verbeke is being arrested not for denying the German holocaust existed.  He's being arrested because his analysis shows the number to be less than 6 million Jewish victims, yet still a significant number died. Fact: 12 million people died in Hitler's holocaust yet it is only illegal if you fail to mention the 6 million Jewish victims? Rarely do you hear about the other six million. Think about that.

Translate Zündel's situation to our war on Iraq. The same principle could have put those who insisted no weapons of mass destruction existed, with proof, into jail for questioning accepted theories or history.

Censoring Authors: Some subjects are off limits…because they are true.

Son of German Holocaust survivors and author of the highly acclaimed, "The Holocaust Industry" Norm Finkelstein is currently enduring a gauntlet of opposition trying to get his book, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History published and into stores.  Those who require guilt and eternal victimization do not want this book published and have attempted to discredit, deflect and silence Finkelstein every step of the way.  They failed. The book, highly anticipated hits stores in August.

Finkelstein and Zündel share a common problem.  Both questioned historical facts, propaganda and accepted truths about a specific historic event.  Because of this, laws are being considered in the US and one passed this August in Israel that prohibits the questioning or presenting of any facts contrary to the accepted story of the German Holocaust anywhere in the world.  In essence, it is now illegal to question history, at least this history.  Why?

Censoring Religion: Promoting and teaching selected Christian, Jewish and Muslim teachings is now a hate crime in several countries

Canada recently passed "hate crimes" legislation, which makes it a hate crime to quote passages of the Bible, Torah or Qu'ran elaborating on the prohibitions of practicing homosexuality in adherence to each faith.

The first casualty of this law occurred when Hugh Owens, protesting Gay Marriage in his state paid for and placed an ad in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix containing four Bible passages condemning the act of homosexuality: Romans 1, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.  Three practicing homosexuals sued under the hate crimes regulation and he and the paper were ordered to pay $4500 each in total damages, $1500 to each practicing homosexuals with the rest going to the state. 

The implications of this censorship? Religious teachings common to all three monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) are now illegal in Canada. Pastors, Rabbis, Imams and Priests cannot teach them, bring them up or condemn publicly without fear of fines or imprisonment. Conclusively, this law in Canada makes a portion of each of these three faiths illegal, ushering religion toward the precipice of a slippery slope: if specific teachings are now illegal, what is to prevent these faiths from becoming illegal?  Eighty-five percent of Americans profess to be Christian, five percent  say they're Jewish and another five percent say they're Muslim. Ninety-five percent of us should be very concerned by the precedence this sets.

Several groups with the Anti-Defamation League leading the charge, continue to attempt to pass similar laws in the United States, generally under the guise of "Hate Crimes Legislation".  The latest attempt, S625 in 2002, failed.  Such a law is a direct violation of the first amendment allowing for the free exercise of religion in the United States, yet the law nearly passed.

SEE: Canadian Court Rules Bible Verses Against Homosexuality Are ‘Hate’ Speech & Owens v. Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission).

Conclusion

MTV constitutes the latest target of censorship by the US government and/or special interests. What Americans, both Canadian and US based need to realize is that censorship cannot be selective.  It cannot occur over one subject without occurring in another.  The examples above cover several different causes, all with strong supporters and opponents on either side. Some you may agree with.  Some you won't.  Whether you agree with the statements, positions, facts or opinions misses the point.  It is irrelevant to the bigger issue. Each event of censorship illustrated shares the commonality that someone doesn't want that information or opinion out or for you to know about it.  Someone else is deciding what you are allowed to learn, think, believe, question and act upon.  

Bottom line, censoring one subject creates the precedence to censor any subject and we cannot let that happen, even with subjects we don't agree with.  A simple fact governs our ideals: The TRUTH always STANDS ON ITS OWN.  Laws and censorship designed to filter information protect agendas, lies and ulterior motives, never the truth.  Truth does not require laws for protection, ever.

Something else to consider. MTV's primary market is A12-24...potential draftees and the lifeblood of the military. This ad shows the reality of what we are fighting in context of the total threat, that in comparison to real threats like AIDS, poverty and hunger, killers of millions each year. It is a good ad.  A smart ad and one that should be applauded rather than hidden. Comparatively, terrorism doesn't stand up. The ad's simple message is enough to cause children and young adults to think.  Thinking for those with an agenda is never a good thing.  But for our kids to whom this ad is targeted, it is the smartest thing they can do.  <end>

Another example of censorship: KOCO-TV Suppresses an Explosive 9/11 News Report

Note: The MTV ad was forwarded to us by a trusted source at a highly respected media and policy research facility in Washington DC which received it from an employee of the network in July 2005.  It was sent to us as an example of censorship for an upcoming special report. MTV management declined to comment and did not return our calls or e-mails.  This article has been posted since mid-July 2005.

Laura Dawn Lewis is the CEO and founder of Couples Company, Inc.  Her commentaries focus on political issues involving the Constitution, Human Rights, Religion, the Middle East and the use and identification of propaganda..

[1] The German Holocaust is one of eight holocausts during the twentieth century.  For a full list of all holocausts last century, click here