I should at least mention briefly the issue of art in cyberspace. Although the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional last year, the Communications Decency Act, which sought to impose wide-ranging censorship on the Internet, has been followed by many other national and state attempts to impose similar restrictions. So it isn't surprising that there are those who seek to limit such means of communication, arguing that all such expression must be restricted to what is acceptable to all and to children in particular. Art in a free society is much more than a diversion. It enlightens, educates, identifies societal problems, and raises awareness.
Art is humanity's search for truth and self-awareness.
The products of that search include art that confronts preconceptions and stimulates the impulse to censor. When the human creative spirit is not free, the infectious disease of censorship threatens us all. Barbara Dority is president of Humanists of Washington, executive director of the Washington Coalition Against Censorship, and cochair of the Northwest Feminist Anti-Censorship Task Force.