Benjamin Franklin once said, "If all printers were determined not to print anything until they were sure it wouldn't offend anyone, very few things would be printed." » Censorship is the practice of officially reviewing books, films, etc., and removing objectionable parts. This is why someone decides what is offensive and what is not. But what is offensive? Offensive to whom? When do we draw lines on what is considered “dirty”? The history of music censorship dates back to Plato's vision of an ideal society in the Republic. In book 10 of The Republic, Plato presents a logical argument about the arts, specifically relating to painting and poetry, and concludes that art should be censored. Plato's reasoning for censoring the arts begins with his explanation that art is an imitation and therefore twice removed from the truth. Because art is twice as far from the truth, it appeals to the irrational part of our brain. Therefore, art can corrupt a character by influencing unwanted emotions and should indeed be censored. For example, Plato said: “Brave men are ready to die in battle – but poets tell fearful stories about the afterlife and make us fear death” (Republic 386b-d). Plato also discusses other ways in which a state should censor its people. He wrote: “The soul of a moral citizen will be calm and dignified — but many musical modes stir us inwardly and make us disturbed and unstable” (398e-400d.). It explains how certain musical notes work; the melodies, rhythms and lyrics are unsettling and dark. He believes that the only music that should be played loudly is music that is happy and inspiring. The lyrics must be changed to conform to this ideal. For example, he believes that we should suppress speeches such as "the Styx abhorred" and "the people of the hellish pit", replacing the electrifying or exciting properties of the songs. Even violent and humorous songs increased aggressive thoughts. The study also concluded that violent songs have implications for real-world violence. "Aggressive thoughts can influence perceptions of ongoing social interactions, coloring them with an aggressive hue. Such interpretations biased toward aggression may, in turn, elicit a more aggressive response - verbal or physical - than that which would have been issued in an unbiased state, thus causing an aggressive escalation spiral of antisocial exchanges,” said lead researcher Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D. of Iowa State University. The study investigated the causes of aggression rather than the aggressive behavior itself. More research is needed, scientists say, to identify the short- and long-term effects of violent song lyrics. The world may never know if censorship is necessary.