A note on societal censorship

In the first amendment to the Constitution, our forefathers ensured that the government would not censor books or movies. This doesn't mean that you can walk into an store and find some movies though. What occurs is a phenomena I like to call societal censorship. This means that while it is legal to watch a movie, people generally don't, not because it isn't good but because it has lurid subject matter considered indecent or low class. While these movies may be indecent, they aren't always, sometimes they just deal with a subject that people would rather not discuss. Major stores, and especially chains may not carry a movie because it is too controversial. This further isolates the movie from our thoughts, and it becomes lost. One such film was White Dog. Directed by Sam Fuller, the film examines socially indoctrinated racism through a fierce metaphor. The film was dubbed to be "trash" and shut out of the public eye quickly when it arose questions over an issue that people would rather leave untouched. It has only recently been revived, and its questions re-opened. It is important that we accept all works, even if their views contrast our own, because we must not close up our own world.