EDITORIAL

The Four-Letter Word

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS THE WORD – A FOUR-LETTER WORD (OR SO WE WERE TOLD). A COMEDIAN WAS ARRESTED IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR USING IT IN HIS NIGHT CLUB ACT.

IN THE END THE FOUR-LETTER WORD TURNED OUT TO BE TEN LETTERS, IT GREW AS THE TALK GREW. SO NOW IT APPEARS THAT THE WORD (WHICH PERTAINED TO A CERTAIN ASPECT OF HOMOSEXUALITY) IS A HYPHENATED WORD. NO ONE HAS COME OUT WITH THE WORD SINCE FOR FEAR OF DRAWING THE SAME PENALTY AS THE COMEDIAN, SO WE CAN ONLY CONJECTURE AS TO WHAT IT WAS. WE JUST CAN'T BE COCKSURE ABOUT IT AT ALL.

BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY, THE ARRESTING OFFICER WAS HIGHLY INCENSED BY ITS USAGE. "I WOULDN'T WANT ANY CHILDREN TO HEAR THAT," HE MY DECRIED.

NOW THAT WAS A VERY SENSIBLE AND SOUND ARGUMENT INDEED AND SHOULD HOLD UP WELL IN THE COURTS. THE ACT APPEARED AS PART OF A NIGHT CLUB SHOW, TO WHICH ONLY ADULTS, 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OVER, WERE ADMITTED. SO WE ARE LEFT WONDERING JUST WHAT AGE THE OFFICER'S "KIDS" ARE 25, 33, OR POSSIBLY 40? AND HOW LONG DOES THE OFFICER EXPECT TO PROTECT HIS "KIDS" FROM THE FACTS OF LIFE? Is HE QUITE CERTAIN THAT HIS "KIDS" HAVEN'T HEARD THE TERM BEFOREAND ARE PERHAPS PROTECTING HIM?

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THIS IS THE THIRD SENSATIONAL CASE OF CENSORSHIP IN RECENT YEARS IN SAN FRANCISCO WHERE THE CODE OF SO-CALLED DECENCY HAS BEEN DEFINED AT THE LEVEL OF WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR THE CHILDREN. "WE MUST PROTECT OUR YOUTH", WE ARE TOLD AS A BLANKET ARGUMENT OR MEASURE OF OBSCENITY, ACCORDING TO THE CHILD-LIKE MINDS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT DESPITE COURT RULINGS TO THE CONTRARY.

IN THE CASE OF HOWL, THE NOW RENOWNED POEM BY ALLEN GINSBERG, JUDGE CLAYTON W. HORN VERY CLEARLY STATED IN HIS OPINION THE FOLLOWING RULES IN DETERMINING WHAT IS OR IS NOT OBSCENE: