YouTube banned videos: Censorship gone too far?

January 22, 3:13 AMBirmingham Community ExaminerLuann Dawkins

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After numerous reports of videos being banned from YouTube, a Google Global Company, the need for answers became paramount.  

Researching the videos that currently reside on YouTube took quite some time, they are seemingly endless. At first glance viewers would assume the prevalent theme is one of unity, especially on a site where anyone can join and add their own view.  It becomes apparent very quickly, this is not the case, if that view is of a conservative nature.  Granted, some remain with a definite bend to the right, but for a conservative looking through the glass that is You Tube, the majority of this glass house only contains left turning halls.

In the article Media mules pull Obama, a video was included by an admittedly conservative videographer named Zo.  This video was obtained and used with permission from New Media Alliance Television (NMA TV).  Several weeks ago, NMA TV sent out newsletters stating they had added a channel on their site for video’s banned from You Tube.  Gary Schneider, President of New Media Alliance, Inc., and Heritage New Media Partners, Inc. says the problem is even larger than NMA TV, others not affiliated with his website have claimed YouTube is censoring items that adhere to the company’s guidelines for content, and have still been pulled.  Google and YouTube, when questioned, give only automated responses, if any at all, citing copyright infringement, offensive content, abusive language etc, etc.

In order to fully examine these claims, and allow readers of this article time to make their own determinations, this will be a six-part series.  Today we will examine the first video mentioned, and a similar video, albeit from the opposing side.  The first video, Gay Marriage, by Zo, was banned from YouTube.  The second video, Gay Rights Woke Up This Morning, by cjarvis, is a current YouTube video, still playing today.

1. Do you see anything violent, malicious, insulting or inflammatory about the first video?
2. Do you see anything violent, malicious, insulting, or inflammatory about the second video?
3. Should either video be banned?
4. If the anti video is banned, should the pro video also be banned?
5. Should video sites be able to ban politically driven opinion content videos?
6. Is this censorship?

Click here for Part Two