Teachers suspended, radio and television personalities fired, authors not invited to speak on events, all because their words, opinions or programs did not agree with what a handful of people consider appropriate. You might think that these types of situations regarding censorship happened decades ago, not in an era where people pride themselves on having an open mind and the ability to think ahead. However, censorship still prevails in America today, and not just censorship of pornography or violence on television, but it also seeps into our textbooks and classrooms, all in the name of protecting children. There are many reasons why people are in favor of censorship, both in government and in schools. These people may feel that Internet filters and rating systems do not sufficiently block obscene material. Some people believe that children exposed to inappropriate material will become promiscuous or become desensitized to television violence. While censorship may be necessary to protect national security, there is no evidence to support that it protects children, and therefore censorship should be abolished, as it reduces everyone's freedoms and weakens a democratic system. Obviously, parents want to do the best things they can protect their children. However, their fears mislead their thinking when it comes to censorship. As Charles Taylor points out, censorship doesn't just include pornography or excessive violence on television; classrooms and libraries across America can feel its presence. (Taylor) According to the National Coalition Against Censorship website, Congress passed the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) in 1981, which provided funding to charitable and religious organizations. of View: Internet Censorship." 2011. Points of View Reference Center. Web. March 21, 2012. National Coalition Against Censorship. National Coalition Against Censorship. Ed. NCAC. nd Web. April 22 2012. Saltzman, Joe. "Because it can' t Do you say it or show it on TV? USA Today." Vol. 132 ed. 75 May 2004. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2012 February 2012. Taylor, Charles. "Censorship Is Not an Effective Way to Protect Children." n.d. Gale Viewpoints Opposites in Context. Web. 8 April 2012. Thierer, Adam. “Parents Must Be Responsible for Monitoring Their Children's Television Viewing.”, Amy and Cushman, C. Ames. “Counterpoint: Sometimes Censorship is Necessary.” Points of view Web, 21 March 2012.