Education and Censorship

It's as old as Plato and as recent as the last local school board's decision to ban the Harry Potter novels. It is called the protection of children from the ill effects of sexy television, dirty pictures and obscene language. On this week's show, three guests discussed what unanticipated consequences may flow from these protection efforts. In the words of cereal commercials, what is a mother (and a father of course!) to do?

The discussion guests included the Dean of Boston University School of Law, Ronald Cass, whose special expertise areas include the First Amendment, press issues, and communications law. Marjorie Heins is a board member of the "National Coalition Against Censorship" and author of "Not in Front of the Children: "Indecency," Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth." Attorney Harvey Silverglate is co-director of "The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education" and author of "The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on the Nation's Campuses."