I believe it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who once said, in an opinion on a tricky constitutional case, that "the Constitution is not a suicide pact". I assert that they same is true of societal (but not governmental) censorship. I know that this awful music is not the only thing that leads my students (convicted of crimes, every one) to seek the gangsta ideal, but it certainly is a powerful part. Censorship of speech or ideas is a scary, dangerous thing, but in these unprecedented times I am more afraid of the effects of too much tolerance when it comes to violence. Please understand, many have tried and failed to out-liberal me, but I am not willing to enter into a "suicide pact" to support the letter of the first amendement while children are literally dying around us. We are not called upon by morality or duty to do so. Would we forgive Hitler for his crimes, because upon careful study we learned that his childhood was pretty terrible? A weak, alcoholic father, a cruel overbearing mother, thwarted in his artistic and professional goals. If he had had a social worker like the ones who work with my students he'd be smelling like a historical rose. We fought the nazis because we had to, because morality and duty demanded it. It's clear to me, and I wish I could make it clear to more of you, that we have to do the same thing regarding the present subject. These words (CopKiller, Fuck the Police, etc) do not represent the view of any community that I know. It is only for money, and it is more dangerous than you think. Check the letter from Leprechaun toward the end of the "Cop killer is objectionable" thread.

Chet W.