Is censorship a greater evil than absolute freedom of expression?

Question

I was just wondering, is censorship a greater evil than absolute freedom of expression...

Answer 1

yeah...your kids are dying so i can get a ******** e-mail violation...

Answer 2

Pseudo-intellectualism aside, do you approve of the following:
- Child porn
- Snuff films (in case you're wondering these are films of people having sex, then being killed-literally)

If you are ABSOLUTELY against censorship, then you must morally allow these "forms of expression" to exist.
For a less disturbing example, how about the archives of the OSS and SOE during WW2. Should the fact that some folks used their bodies to gain enemy information (some while married) be published? Don't their lives deserve the peace that comes with keeping that information secret? How about different ways and means of unarmed combat and sabotage? Do you REALLY want those in the public domain?
Again if you really believe in "absolute freedom of expression" you have to agree release that information.
Personally, I believe that people have a right to privacy, and safety. There are some things so reprehensible, as a responsible society, we cannot allow them.

Answer 3

If you would have said absolute censorship vs absolute freedom of expression I would have said both are just as bad.
Censorship in the cases of child pornography, beastiality, necrophilia and the like protect those that are being exploited. Absolute freedom of expression could also be murdering someone; "Hey, I hated him/her and killed them." I was freely expressing my hatred. Rape: "Hey I was expressing my power over women." Destruction of propery: "Hey I was expressing my destructive qualities." See where this is going? With freedoms come responsibilities. We cannot have absolute freedom of expression if it causes harm to others.
On the same note we cannot censor everything. We then become BIG BROTHER, monitoring what everyone says or does. That's a police State. It's a fine line and in this country there will always be battles over what gets censored and what you can express. Because of that, hopefully balance will be maintained.