Higher fines for "indecency" approved by Senate
 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,123398,00.html
Aside from the fact that I'm completely opposed to this type of legislation that is, in my opinion, complete bullshit and a violation of our rights, I want to know what the hell this has to do with the defense authorization bill (third paragraph from the bottom.) "Indecent programming" is the reason the v-chip was invented. Parents should control what their kids watch, not the government. I'm also disgusted that 99 out of 100 of our senators would support this.

So did Breaux vote against defense authorization or against these fines? Geez, it is things like this that make me really wish for a line item veto. I bet there was a lot of pork in there too.

Stuffing something into a defense bill is the way to get it passed these days. Hooray.

Note to self: Must get brownback a hooker...dude needs to lighten up...

looks like he'll pass it through anyway possible...

if it passes, i think i'm going to start a "Hands across America" rally where people just hold hands shouting obscenities. If it can't be on tv, let it be real.

Breaux voted against the bill because of the fines saying that bit of legislation doesn't belong in a defense bill.

So who determines what is "Obscene"?

On one hand we say we are so civilized and free and then we allow our government to pass laws that send us back 50 years.

I just don't understand why government doesn't just educate people by explaining how to use the on/off switch or how to change channels. Of course knowing government they would turn that into a spend millions of dollars project. This way they can just fine whom they want and make money.

Jesus Fucking Christ what is next.

Wait someone at my door.....

No officer I didn't type that I typed Hey Zeus Pucking Wrist....

What do you mean I have to go to Guantanamo?

Do I have time to pack?

I see...........

(The preceding was a demonstration of the thought police and the soon to be new "internet obscenity laws". Noone was hurt in this demonstration but Pan has been secured and is being watched for the next 3 days at an undisclosed place and is heavily medicated. We now return you to your original topic and appologize for any inconvience. GO THOUGHT POLICE WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS TRUST US.)

This is complete horsefuckingshit!! :mad:

If toxic waste were being transported, and it were spilled the max fine is $450,000... That's it. For dumping toxic waste! To think that someone could get fined $3,000,000 a day for words is the biggest crock of bullshit ever. Everyone who voted for this needs to have their asses beat. :mad: :mad:

Sixate, be careful the Thought Police may come for you next. Come on now, join us, we don't want to ban ideas or what people say, just get rid of what we deem as obscene. Of course we'll give you guidelines as to what WE deem to be obscene but we can change that list at will and we will be the final judges on what can be said.

Join us. The Thought Police welcome all, do not hate us for being right.

(The following was paid for and endorsed by the Thought Police. In no way affiliated with the Cheap Trick song Dream Police. All though we are working on that with our friends at Pfizer and Bayer. We now take you back to your rantings.)

(sorry this law is so absurd I have to make satirical comments or explode in total anger.)

ya know...the more i think about this, the more pissed off i'm getting...

seriously, who deems what is truly obscene? I mean, talk about over reaction to a female breast...sheesh...isn't one of the first things you see when you come into this world a woman's breast...It's not like they are obscene, ya know...


and yeah, where does the line stop on what is "obscene" is it language, skin, saying there is no god, what about santa claus, who protects santa, is it vulgar gestures. I mean, i am 'supposed' to have the right to flip off a cop, or anyone i want, but i can get in trouble if i do it on tv? sheeeeeeeeeesh.

seriously, where does it stop. I think smoking is obscene, will that be banned and fined?

What about those guys in speedos. Those things are OOBBSCENE!!! you can see everything and 9/10ths of the time, you dont' wanna see what they have...

Thong bikinis? that isnt' obscene, that is art...on some people...


sheesh...almost as bad as the law that says you can't walk down main street with your underwear showing above your pants/skirt...

Damn...that's crazy. Fucking politics.

agreed !

What's been changed here is the fine. It has to do with effective enforcement of what is deemed indecent - not what is deemed indecent in itself.

I'm always amazed at how worked up some folks can get about the effort to manage adult-oriented material on public child-accessible channels of communication. It's as if it is expected that everyone must be exposed in every possible way to the sort of things commonly and by regulation deemed indecent in certain situations.

A representative vote has been taken here that most probably represents something approaching the will of the majority. That might have some significance in a rational model.

It's as if the "freedom" to say and do the most pointless, useless, immature, and socially debilitating things at any time and in any space is the most important and most cherished thing in the world.

Fortunately, not everyone thinks this way.

just a quick question - when is the last time anyone posting in this thread wrote his or her congressperson iterating his or her views? they do listen to their constituency, you know...

If by constituency, you mean lobbyists; then yes, you are correct.

Censorship and to what extreme it will evolve to is a serious issue; but equally as alarming is the fact this is being linked with a defense bill.

The wording here has me asking questions. The fact this is being linked to a defense bill could mean the fact Senators approved it; and because no one wants to be the one to vote against defense spending are forced into voting yes when they may truly have concerns or flat out disagree. This in relation to their personal political motives and/or general concern for the security of America. I'm sure few politicians would not desire to have a record of voting no on defense issues because of the political feud the elephants and donkeys continue to have. Whether or not those that "approved" it have equal concern about Howard Stern saying "Dickwad" on the radio remains to be seen. The bottom line is this is being done in a sly; under the carpet manner, and being such exposes it for what it is- slimy fucking self righteous ideations that are generating the perpetual power to bastardize what so many people died to protect.

Aside from the slimy tactics being used here; it transcends this one action. The foundation is being set for bigger and worser things.

But hey people can bitch and moan all they want; the power is suppose to come from the people the public servants that seem to have metamorphasized into human demigods that "know whats best for the masses". If indeed it is the masses that would desire restrictions as such; I would carry on and attribute that to the democratic process we are suppose to be living in this Republic of ours. If no one steps up then we are all equally to blame. So please step up.

http://www.stopfcc.com/

Just one of many avenues-- you get the idea.

Some say paranoia is an area patriots of America dont need and will only bring them a miserable life. The day complacency takes over is the day we truly do deserve what ever is DICTATED to us.

“If there is a bedrock principle of the first amendment, it is that government MAY NOT prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable.” -- Justice William J. Brennan (1906-1997) US Supreme Court

thanks, Sun Tzu...

There is absolutely nothing sinister or uncommon in tacking on extra and unrelated legislation to existing bills in Congress. This is a well-established practice and it happens all the time. It is a result of common legislative processes, which involve compromise and large doses of power-brokering in order to get things through both houses.

I'd say I write weekly or bi-weekly. I've actually gotten non-form-letters back.

It is a result of the way politics has grown up in this country, and it's unfortunate. That is typical does not make it good, but I do appreciate you pointing out what some of us might not have known, were we completely ignorant of the nature of US politics.

I understand rider bills happen. This situation is a perfect example of why they shouldnt. Personal agendas can be set into motion with little resistence to stop them.

An indecency bill that is linked with a military appropriations bill. Correct me if Im wrong as but when a legislative consolidation happens; its you cant have one without the other. Those voting couldnt vote yes on the defense bill and no on the indecency. Its either all or nothing.

I should have put IMO. Yes they happen all the time, and yes I think 75% its being done to force a vote. Sly, shady, sinister. Does this particular rider not show you theres a critical problem here?

One Senator; One man successfully slipped that in. That bill is a slow continous peck at the foundation of our first amendment right. No theres no threat of the SS storming in if something is deemed obscene. Just a possible $3,000,000 fine. Guess what; obscenity doesnt have to orginate from a private citizen complaint. Regulatory committees at State and National levels will have the authority to deem what is obscene. No offense but if its a predominately conservative christian board; the outcome is may be frictional to those that dont carry the same beliefs. Im not slamming christian values, I dont think I need to comment on the potential social situation this could cause.

Rider bills are an issue all to themselves. Imagine getting a warning that if particulars of artelevision.com were considered obscene by people that dont share the same views as you, and failure to modify the "violations" would result in fines of great magnitude.

There are factories dumping waste in our rivers, thousands of Americans are in harms way, the terror threat is stated as being a when situation not an if; and Senator Brownback and those like him are making America safer by going after speech on the radio and TV.

Its completely insane to me. This is about to become law. Do you think that it will end there? Should it?

This prime example of slimy bill riding is fucked. But hey I do have to respect that its made it that far with little opposition. So its the will of the masses even if they dont know about it. and what the hell complacency can contribute to life being simpler.

Will Dick Cheney have to pay the fine for saying to Patrick Lehey on the Senate floor yesterday (Was broadcast on C-Span) at the old level or this new level?
And will he put the tab to the American people rather than pay it himself?

If I actually saw that, I would right a bullshit letter to the FCC saying I was watching C-SPAN with my children talking politics with them, when my Vice President said that on television. I would demand that Cheney be made an example and show that no one is safe.

Then, when they don't respond or send a bullshit reply, I send the letter and responses to any free speech advocates in the media, say Howard Stern, Penn & Teller, you know, people who would be interested in telling America :)

I got the free time, but not the information, dammit :(

Watch The Daily Show tonight. It's almost guaranteed to be featured.

Would Warner Brothers be fined today, under Powell, if the Animaniacs episode where they sing the Lake Titicaca song was aired?
http://perso.club-internet.fr/cookiz/animaniacs.jpg

No, but "potty emergency" will cause fines in the hundreds of millions each time it airs.

http://www.intosh.com/jpg/wakko.jpg

We interrupt this thread for the following terror alert!

Have you seen these terrorists?


http://www.boomspeed.com/xoberonx/admiralp.gif

Last seen: Trying to take over the world!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled posting, NaRf!

It pisses me off, that a group of people who find torture to be acceptable, and purposefully set policy that harms those who need the most help, feels compelled to tell ME what is descent.

ATTENTION ATTENTION

This is the Thought Police, we demand you all end this now. On the next bill approving expenditure of millions of YOUR tax dollars for the study of "what side of the mouth people chew gum on", we have added a "Dream Police(thank you guys at Pfizer, we love you, raise your drug prices 10% for this)" and a new "internet obscenity law" rider.

That's right once the bill passes you cannot ever in public or on the net talk about obsecene dreams, a dislike for anything dealing with this administration and you must at least once a week e-mail your mothers.

That is all.

Again I am sorry but for me attempted humor sometimes can say what I want better than I. Especially when this is truly BS. They let people like Ken Lay and Enron and Adelphia and Worldcom execs cook books and cost investors millions and pension plans just walk away (yes, they send a few to jail but they were the low end token people), with the millions and yet, they'll fine people like Stern and Viacom out of the business. Makes sense to me, real criminals get off scott free. While people, who can easily be switched on or off by the push of a button or turn of a knob, get fined out of existence for saying a "dirty word or action" (as determined by a NON ELECTED board that can change what is decent at any time and without notice, all they need is 1 complaint) in a free speech country. Makes sense to me.