On
Protecting Our Civil Liberties:
Censorship
If you receive packages from overseas, you might be interested to know the US government is actively censorsing audio-visual materials being mailed into the country. I don't have to direct you to any Internet source to prove this point. I have personally experienced evidence of the government's efforts to enforce censorship. Allow me to elaborate. During spring 2006, in conjunction with my history dissertation research on the early modern Carvajal family from Spain (clearly, a "dangerous" topic to the national security of the US), I conducted archival research at the Spanish Ministry of Culture's Archivo Histórico Nacional-Sección Nobleza. At the archive, I found a tremendous number of useful 15th and 16th century manuscripts -- too many to read on-site. So, I ordered microfilm reproductions of these documents, which the archive mailed to me several months later. When my microfilm arrived via in June 2006, I was deeply disturbed to find the following attached export statement (the scanned airbill and statement). It read,
“Video/Film Declaration…I, Correos y Telegrafos, certify that the film/video imported by (cosignee) roger louis martinez from (Country) Spain by Federal Express on (Date) 09(day)/06(month)/2006, under air way bill number 71XX 7520XX54 contains no obscene or immoral matter, nor any matter advocating or urging treason or insurrection against the United States of America, nor any threat to take the life or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the United States.”
Apparently, the US government is requiring foreign postal services and shippers to take responsibility for censoring what comes into the United States. Who decides what urges "treason or insurrection"? According to who? Is it legal for the US government to keep Americans from reading and viewing whatever they wish? I've brought this issue to the attention of several national newspapers -- I hope that they follow-up on the topic. If you have experienced similar censorship efforts, please let me and others know.
Best, Roger
If you receive packages from overseas, you might be interested to know the US government is actively censorsing audio-visual materials being mailed into the country. I don't have to direct you to any Internet source to prove this point. I have personally experienced evidence of the government's efforts to enforce censorship. Allow me to elaborate. During spring 2006, in conjunction with my history dissertation research on the early modern Carvajal family from Spain (clearly, a "dangerous" topic to the national security of the US), I conducted archival research at the Spanish Ministry of Culture's Archivo Histórico Nacional-Sección Nobleza. At the archive, I found a tremendous number of useful 15th and 16th century manuscripts -- too many to read on-site. So, I ordered microfilm reproductions of these documents, which the archive mailed to me several months later. When my microfilm arrived via in June 2006, I was deeply disturbed to find the following attached export statement (the scanned airbill and statement). It read,
“Video/Film Declaration…I, Correos y Telegrafos, certify that the film/video imported by (cosignee) roger louis martinez from (Country) Spain by Federal Express on (Date) 09(day)/06(month)/2006, under air way bill number 71XX 7520XX54 contains no obscene or immoral matter, nor any matter advocating or urging treason or insurrection against the United States of America, nor any threat to take the life or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the United States.”
Apparently, the US government is requiring foreign postal services and shippers to take responsibility for censoring what comes into the United States. Who decides what urges "treason or insurrection"? According to who? Is it legal for the US government to keep Americans from reading and viewing whatever they wish? I've brought this issue to the attention of several national newspapers -- I hope that they follow-up on the topic. If you have experienced similar censorship efforts, please let me and others know.
Best, Roger
