You can reject ideas. You can say that the Mapplethorpe pictures are ugly and aberrant and abhorrent in every way, but to say that we should never have been able to see them in the first place leaves you in a very difficult position in a democracy. The model for the democratic citizen is that of an intellectual hero or heroine, who is not afraid to learn about anything or to rule out any idea, however challenging. If we don't believe that, we should get rid of television before art photography, since TV is full of questionable ideas and images and impinges on a huge audience. Besides, we could outlaw anything pornographic or blasphemous and what was left would still be upsetting to some people.
Restrictions are always arbitrary.
It's going to be a debate for a long time, I'm afraid. The culture wars don't show any sign of abating. No, they don't, and it's surprising that what at first seemed like a brief political fuss has turned into such a broad cultural discussion. I mention in my book that academics were rather pleased at the outset, because for such a long time the public had seemed so unconcerned about art, and now everyone was becoming an aesthetician. Academics felt that their moment had come - that their contribution to the debate would be eagerly sought.