(2 of 4)
The Precarious First Amendment
It struck me as self-evident that freedom of expression was the cornerstone of all democratic liberties and that censorship of the press, in particular, would soon be seen by all Americans as folly and the sure road to despotism. I now realize that my confidence was premature. Government agencies continue to threaten news organizations that publish information known to everyone, including bitter adversaries, but the American people. Certain women strive to ban, as violations of their civil rights, portrayals of members of their sex that they find insulting. People who attempt to restrict what others are allowed to read do not imagine themselves as enemies of Democracy. I must allow that they pay ideas the backhanded tribute of fearing their power. But the proper antidote to obnoxious or wicked concepts is exposure, not suppression. The urge to censor betrays a disregard for the intelligence of others. To mistrust the judgment of one's fellow citizens is to question, ultimately, their ability to govern themselves.
The Power of the Automobile
Mass-produced automobiles put freedom of movement within the reach of nearly all Americans. Nothing, in theory, could be more democratic than that. But as I see and hear America now, I marvel at the apparent enslavement of a robust people to their machines. Nearly everyone must live within earshot of the snarling, thunderous din of traffic. People who motor to their places of employment must make allowances for the time they will spend sitting still in long lines and for the time they will have to devote to finding a place to put their automobile once they arrive. To be spared such an ordeal would seem a blessing, but to suggest to an American that he give up his automobile is to invite incredulous laughter.
And of Television
Citizens who are able to set out on the road to see their country are also at liberty to remain home and have their country, indeed much of the world, transmitted to them by television. There is much to admire in this remarkable invention and more than a little cause for concern. On the one hand, television unites in common perceptions a disparate people spread across a broad continent. Such an immediate and inclusive forum would seem an unquestioned boon to Democracy. Such is not entirely the case. Although television appears to reflect marvelous diversity, it in fact fosters uniformity. Varieties of American speech, fashions and opinions are modified toward sameness by the examples of what millions of Americans watch. It also seems to me that television achieves part of its power by appealing to human weaknesses. The habit of viewing it does not encourage reflection or contemplation. The eye is trained to crave novelty, while the brain rests or slumbers. Political debate, which during my last visit seemed a passion and a recreation among Americans, has shrunk to brief bursts of pleasant images. And television's ascent has coincided with a measurable decline in the ability of young people to read. Democracy cannot function without an informed citizenry. The paradox of television in forwarding such a goal seems clear: barring extraordinary circumstances, it can best summon the attention of most of the nation by presenting trivialities.
On Charity and the State