Explicit Lyrics Essays - Sexuality And Society, Censorship

Explicit Lyrics John Schroeder, an 18-year-old Marilyn Manson fan, was walking with his mother in a grocery store in New Braunfels, Texas,when he was arrested by an off-duty police officer for wearing a Manson T-shirt. The shirt bore a lyric from Manson's song "Cake And Sodomy" which read "I am the god of f*ck". The officer, who was working security, said that some shoppers had complained about it. Schroeder was walked outside, where the officer asked passersby if they found the shirt offensive. All but one just laughed and said no. Schroder allegedly offered to remove his shirt, but instead was arrested for misdemeanor obscene display, jailed for a few hours, and fined $125. The American Civil Liberties Union is defending Schroeder, whose trial date should be set within the next month. It is these kinds of actions that infringe on the First Amendment o f the Constitution of the United States of America, and they must be stopped. Music is a large part of our culture, and has been for thousands of years. It is a form of expression, motivation, or just plain pleasure. This basic activity of humans is a birthright, it is freedom of expression, freedom of speech, which the government specifically spells out in the First Amendment.