Explicit Lyrics Essay, Research Paper
John Schroeder, an 18-year-old Marilyn Manson fan, was walking with his mother
in a grocery store in New Braunfels, Texas,when he was arrested by an off-duty
police officer for wearing a Manson T-shirt. The shirt bore a lyric from
Manson’s song "Cake And Sodomy" which read "I am the god of
f*ck". The officer, who was working security, said that some shoppers had
complained about it. Schroeder was walked outside, where the officer asked
passersby if they found the shirt offensive. All but one just laughed and said
no. Schroder allegedly offered to remove his shirt, but instead was arrested for
misdemeanor obscene display, jailed for a few hours, and fined $125. The
American Civil Liberties Union is defending Schroeder, whose trial date should
be set within the next month. It is these kinds of actions that infringe on the
First Amendment o f the Constitution of the United States of America, and they
must be stopped. Music is a large part of our culture, and has been for
thousands of years. It is a form of expression, motivation, or just plain
pleasure. This basic activity of humans is a birthright, it is freedom of
expression, freedom of speech, which the government specifically spells out in
the First Amendment.