Many people have some notion of limits on what should be made widely available to the public. The exhibition addresses censorship of children's and adult literature, film, art, music, science, correspondence to and from soldiers during wartime, and more. It presents some of the justifications for censoring as well as reactions of those censored.
Censorship can take many forms and affect many mediums.
A writer or artist may be imprisoned, fined, fired, or silenced. To witness some of the various forms of censorship, visitors to the exhibition can read portions of once-censored works, listen to censored music, and watch censored film clips. Whitman lost his job with the U.S. Government when his supervisor found the annotated book among his possessions. The book was deemed obscene and too sensual due to its frank portrayal of sexuality with obvious homoerotic overtones. Leaves of Grass was legally banned in Boston in the 1880s and libraries throughout the country refused to buy it.