Monday, September 11, 2006

More crap laws meant to silence legal speech

Earlier today I read a column on DangerousTalk.net that illustrates how far the Religious Right will go toward forcing all Americans into their way of thinking.  Secular Spice addresses the pressure far-right “traditional values” groups are putting on corporations, as well as legislators, in her article, “Waging the War against ‘White Collar’ Porn”:

In early August, 2006, several religious-right groups such as Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, Morality in Media, and the American Family Association, joined forces to place an ad in USA today, demanding that the US Department of Justice “investigate” pornography that is made available to hotel patrons, claiming a violation of obscenity laws.

Worse still, they’re using shitty data to argue that the government ought to step in and enforce their worldview:

Using language usually reserved to describe terrorists, the anti-porn crusaders asserted, “Pornography is a disease plaguing America’s freedom and safety.” They called on the US Department of Justice to step in.

Is this really a good use of taxpayer money? Let’s look at the facts. According to federal crime statistics released in June, the incidence of rape has decreased 85% since the 1970’s. While the Campaign for Corporate Responsibility claims that viewing pornography causes people to commit sex crimes, they ignore the fact that hundreds of millions of porn videos are rented and purchased in the United States each year. Yet, the US Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that violent crime rates have dropped since 1994, to the lowest rates in 2004.

[emphasis added - OB]

It is these SAME deluded, lying fundy assholes who are behind the very REAL laws that have already passed and have a direct effect on thousands of people in the adult industry; laws which I assert are truly a plague upon American freedom and safety.  While the good Christian husband, exercising his freedom to view a (softcore) porn in the privacy and safety of his hotel room may be imperiling his soul, somewhere in a small town there’s a young single mom whose freedom to make some extra money by being a webcam girl has been compromised, because the current labeling requirements would require her to jeopardize her privacy and physical safety.  Even an educational site would need to comply.  It’s ridiculous! Simply because some people disapprove of sexually explicit speech of ANY sort, they would have the government intercede and make the punishments or dangers so dire as to repress it altogether.

The way things are going, it won’t be long until blasphemy and heresy are criminalized; or otherwise regulated such that the penalties for non-compliance will effectively discourage many people from engaging in those forms of speech.  If that happens, I’ll take up arms, Jack!

I was reminded that I never did copy my rant over here…

Reposted from my MySpace blog 7/26/06:

Yet another law with good intent, sure to be challenged because it goes much further than necessary in pursuing its stated goal, HR 4472 includes language that discriminates against constitutionally protected, sexually explicit speech and creates a chilling effect on those who engage in such speech.

There’s a good summary and analysis by Kat Sunlove and Reed Lee of the Free Speech Coalition which points out the numerous and serious problems with this bit of legislation that represses the speech of adults in its zeal to protect children.

Especially vague and therefore dangerous, is this part:

SEC. 503. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS FOR SIMULATED SEXUAL CONDUCT.

(a) In General- Chapter 110 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2257 the following:

`SEC. 2257A. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS FOR SIMULATED SEXUAL CONDUCT.

How, exactly, does one define that term?  It’s important to me that it be clearly spelled out, lest I fail to keep the proper paperwork and/or give out my private information to the world at large because the government insists that any sexually explicit speech is assumed to be child pornography unless it can be proven that it’s not.  That’s just crazy!

Here’s an example:  If I post a little video on ObnoxiousBitch.com of myself engaging in some rant or another, during which I use a gesture that can be construed as “simulated sexual conduct,” and by virtue of ads on my site am considered a “commercial” enterprise, does that mean I have to label my site in accordance with these new §2257 requirements?

This is important for me to know, because anyone who’s known me for more than probably a day, knows that included and fairly common in my repertoire of gestures (extensive and prolific, Sicilian that I am!) are any number that are undoubtedly sexual in nature.  By thumping the end of my tongue in my cheek while simultaneously using a certain hand gesture, there’s no doubt I’m simulating fellatio… something I do quite regularly when the subject is something along the lines of “I wonder why so-and-so got such a good gig/spouse/raise/whatever?”

I need to know if just being myself or most especially, being my persona is going to imperil my liberties and require me to jump through a maze of legal hoops simply because the things I say and do are inappropriate for some people’s children - even though it’s not my intent to speak to those children in the first place, but to rational adults.

Industry Alert: Senate Agrees to Revamping of 2257 Statute

Of course, mainstream entertainment entities are subject to an entirely different and far less complicated record-keeping schema, as well as being immune to the fines and jail time that adult entertainment producers face for having one piece of data out of place.  For those who produce erotic entertainment, there’s a very real possibility that a clerical error will make them a felon… and two will put them in jail for up to 10 years.  The clear discrimination against the adult industry, based entirely on the content of their speech surely must be grounds for a legal challenge!  And if not, why not?

Just as the FCC fines have a chilling effect on anyone who broadcasts across the airwaves, laws like this cause people to self-censor out of fear that they’ll be ruined simply because of something they say.  This is a crushing blow to the First Amendment rights of American citizens, even those who aren’t pornographers.  Comedians, actors, artists, filmmakers and a whole host of people should be concerned that they too can be caught in this ever-growing net of laws that attempt to force a certain morality upon our society.

I’ve been called paranoid for trying to point out small things that indicate, to me, a systematic takeover of our government and our society, by people who believe they have a lock on “morality” because they adhere to a certain faith or belief system, or book, that claims to be the sole source of all law and goodness in the universe.  It is laws like these, that criminalize thoughts and actions contrary to what the bible supposedly says is “moral” that serve as evidence to me that the march toward theocracy continues and unless more people stand up and fight for their rights, anyone who strays from a theistic and/or blindly patriotic mindset will be marginalized, vilified and eventually legislated into either complying or being penalized.

We cannot allow it to happen.  If you haven’t already visited the Free Speech Coalition website, please do so - and REGISTER TO VOTE if you’re qualified. America’s is a government of the People, but right now, it’s only some People who are getting their say, because they’ve been mobilized and are voting in much larger numbers than those who don’t hold their extremist views.

GO DO IT NOW!!!