Alex, I don't know "Knock a nigger down", but I assume that it advocates a similar treatment to that meeted out to the upstanding guardian of the law in "Blow the man down"? Some people I know would be very upset at the thought that we were singing songs that advoacted or condoned violence against the police. As a matter of fact the great NZ Government banned one not many years ago for this reason. (there was a thread about it at the time).

I must agree that a little (externally imposed) censorship is like being a little bit pregnant. That does not mean that we do not have a responsibility to make ethical judgements for ourselves. I would also be concerned about the concept of "not upsetting" an audience. Most folk songs that I know were intended to upset people, it's just that the sociopolitical climate alters ones perceptions of what is acceptable; so for example "Dirty blackleg miner', which was intended to 'upset' people at the thought of strike breaking may now be considered non PC because it advocates disuading scabs by means other than rational argument.

As to the phrase that Midcuck and Whistle stop are concerned with, I would suggest that this is not so muuch boring as a non sequiteur. To my mind this has nothing to do with free speech or censorship. A person carrying out this action is either accurately or maliciously describing a situation, not expressing an opinion.

If we are to ban folk or any other songs because they accurately describe situations and beleifs that we (at least in public) profess to be unworthy, then we are guilty of confusing understanding with aquiesence and should ban the study of history completely.

Pete M