Sunday, May 25, 2008

Hulshof law threatens freedom!

Congressman Kenny Hulshof has co-sponsored a bill that would make "cyberbullying" a federal crime.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/washington/story/BC8E1292B126AC3386257452000CDF96?OpenDocument

Hulshof's law will threaten the free exchange of ideas online and should be opposed. We don't need police monitoring our personal exchanges in cyberspace. What happened to Megan is a very rare occurence that should not be used as an excuse to restrict our freedoms of expressive association.

Like Bill McClellan, I am also very troubled by the Draconian sentences being handed out to fellows caught looking at child pornography online. Like Pete Townshend, some of these people claim to have been looking at these pictures merely to understand the abuse they themselves suffered as children. I find that plausible. Anyway, why shouldn't I be able to look at any image I can pull up on my screen, especially an image I have not paid for? Shouldn't the state only pursue and punish those that arrange for children to perform sexual acts, both on and off camera?

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/billmcclellan/story/086BEA12E64F4C2486257453001DB30A?OpenDocument

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/billmcclellan/story/D4DD1E1ACAFF713986257437001CB0DB?OpenDocument