The swear-word-censoring app has kicked up a firestorm of ideological debate, and neither side is backing down.
So, who’s right?
And what’s at stake?
The Clean Reader App
So, what, exactly, isClean Reader?
What’s the Problem?
Words, if used correctly, can achieve almost anything.
To tamper with what is writtenhowever much we may dislike certain words and phrasesis to embrace censorship .
weve been down this road before.
We should know where it leads by now.
It starts with blanking out a few words.
It goes on to drape table legs and stick fig leaves onto statues.
It progresses to denouncing gay or Jewish artists as degenerate.
It ends with burning libraries and erasing whole civilizations from history.
However, some people are offended by those words.
This isn’t a discussion about whether or not theyshouldbe offended by themit’s just a fact.
Let’s not make the same mistake.
They’re working on an update to the app that promises a better experience, though.
What that means isn’t clear (and they won’t say).
Should Clean Reader Exist?
There have been some rather convincing arguments on both sides.
April at The Steadfast Reader weighs in with this:
Life can be hard and ugly.
By reading about these people and situations we are preparing ourselves for these encounters.
And she points out that the app wouldn’t replace very many words in the scene anyway.
And, of course, authors do have rights.
They work hard to create their art, and they’d like for it to remain unchanged.
But do they have the right to determine how people read?
That’s much less clear.
Its easy to be a free speech advocate when you agree with the speaker.
Unless you support speech you find objectionable, you dont support free speech at all.
Make no mistake, this is a free speech issue.
The right to free expression includes the right to decide whom you listen to, and how.
Free speech is not compelled listening.
The writer has no right to dictate how the reader must read.
Clean Reader may appeal to a specific audience, but that audience does have a right to exist.
And there certainly is a group of readers that appreciate the app.
Thisclean reading groupon Goodreads has almost 1,500 members.
There are blogs, Facebook groups, and Twitter accounts dedicated to clean reading.
Say what you want about the app, but it does meet a demand.
Censoring books for yourself is different from censoring them for others.
Yes, artistic integrity is at stake.
But so is the freedom to be a reader.
What do you think?Should Clean Reader be allowed to censor books?
Or is that a violation of authors' rights?
Would you consider using this app with your children?Share your thoughts below!
