How Free Do You Want Speech to Be?
Extreme Far Right: The Clean Reader App
This handy dandy little download scrubs out naughty words from books on your e-reader. It obliterates F bombs and closes the door on naked body parts, which can sound like a fantastic idea for readers who find this offensive. The problem is that it doesn't just erase words -- it changes them into gentler, kinder words.
Here's the deal, folks. If you don't want to read a book with swearing or sex, then be careful about the books you choose to read. Sheesh. It's really that simple. When you go changing an author's words, you're ripping the fence off their intellectual property and running roughshod over their creation.
Before you get out your pitchforks, no, I personally do not read erotica or F-this, F-that, and F-you kinds of books. But (and I've always got a big but) last time I checked, this was a free country. If writers choose to put out that kind of material, it ought not be censored. Check out the freaking first amendment. What? You're calling me a Libertarian?
Yep, you'd be right.
Extreme Far Left: The Intolerable Word List
It's no secret Hillary Clinton is gearing up for a run on the White House. But did you know there are certain words that are banned by the press in relation to anything they print about her? Here are the 13 no-no's not allowed to be used in conjunction with her:
"polarizing," "calculating," "disingenuous," "insincere," "ambitious," "inevitable," "entitled," "over-confident," "secretive," "will do anything to win," "represents the past," and "out of touch."
Again, last I checked, which actually was on Wednesday since that's the day I teach a high school Civics class, the Constitution is still our supposed guidebook for the management of this country, and there's nothing in there that allows for banned words. Apparently, however, we are free to call Clinton manipulative, past her prime, and chubby cheeks.
In both of these situations, far left and far right, words are in the crosshairs. Who gets to decide which words are kosher and which aren't? Should that not be between man and God, not man and man? After all, He's the author of words to begin with.