“Censorship is the death of all art. When an artist must exclude a true experience of life to suit the fears of men, he ceases to be creative.”
Although broadcast on November 12, 1961, Rabbi Olan’s brief study of censorship and its repercussions on a free society might easily have been written today.
He is careful to note that the desire to protect a certain way of life most likely comes from a well-meaning place, but such intentions have the power to do more damage than good.
“Consider the case of censorship in our day as an instance where good people with the best of motives often do irreparable harm.”
With the examples of prohibition, banned books, and even Russia, Rabbi Olan’s analysis lends some context to a very clear perspective.
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 