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First they came for Howard Stern. Now they're coming for Cable TV.
http://action.downsizedc.org ^ | 5 8 05 | downsizedc.com

Posted on 06/02/2005 1:17:06 PM PDT by freepatriot32

The Danger.

No bill has been introduced yet, but Senator Stevens has promised one, and when it arrives it is likely to come straight out of the Commerce Committee he chairs and move directly to a vote with little time for public comment. The time to act is now.

You can read more about this at...

Center for American Progress: Think Again: The New Content Commissars

Jammed.com: Transcript of Sen. Stevens' remarks on Internet "indecency" laws

DownsizeDC.org commentary

This bill would deny you the right to watch mature programming on cable TV for the sake of parents who are too lazy and irresponsible to bear the burden of doing their jobs as parents. Those parents who object to cable TV programming already have several ways to deal with this problem:

They can buy a reduced set of cable programming (this is the approach used by DownsizeDC.org President Jim Babka who has three children under 10).

They can no have cable at all, but rely on broadcast TV only (which is now heavily censored).

They can restrict cable to only one part of their house and not allow their children to watch TV there.

They can block cable channels they consider inappropriate for their children. But some parents, rather than take any of these responsible steps, want Congress to do their parenting for them, at the expense of everyone else who wants to be able to watch mature programming.

And, we might add, Congress has no constitutional authority for such censorship, something that should concern every American who still cares about constitutional legality.

Many Americans have excused broadcast censorship because the government supposedly owns the broadcast spectrum, but no such excuse exists here. Congress can make no claim to own cable networks, local cable providers, or even the TV sets in your home. They simply don't have the authority.

Why Take Action?

Please help us stop the growth of the nanny state.

Please help us stop the Congressional urge to turn the entire country into Disneyland.

Please help us preserve the benefits of adulthood. Please help us preserve the First Amendment.

Please don't reward the busy-bodies who think they know what's best for you and your family.

Please stop the political habit of using children as an excuse for extinguishing American freedom.

Please don't let Congress reward the whining of irresponsible parents who want others to do their job for them. To send your message to Congress opposing this censorship click here.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 109th; cable; came; coming; electionscongress; fcc; feds; first; for; govwatch; howard; libertarians; now; porn; stern; they; theyre; trashtv; tv
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To: Jibaholic

"Our society has reached the point where you essentially have to pull a Timothy Leary, drop out, and live in a bubble in order to raise children with a decent morals. And yet the sex, drugs and libertarianism crowd wants us to make it even more difficult to raise healthy children."


No, we want you to raise your own kids, control your own TV, and keep the government out of it.


81 posted on 06/02/2005 2:32:08 PM PDT by SoVaDPJ
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To: Innisfree

""Conservative" activism in the name of one's "right" to watch porn? There's no God-given right to watch porno flicks on Cable tv."

No, Conservative activism against stupid subjective big government one size fits none regulation, period.


82 posted on 06/02/2005 2:34:04 PM PDT by adam_az (It's the border, stupid!)
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Comment #83 Removed by Moderator

To: Keith in Iowa

But, do you believe that the government should have the right to restrict him?

Think carefully. I believe that Al Franken may have used every single one of the terms you mentioned about Rush.

Do YOU want some government puke telling you what you can and can't watch?

What's next? From 8-9 every night every tv is required to broadcast FedGov TV where indoctronation is on the air?

Paul


84 posted on 06/02/2005 3:02:17 PM PDT by spacewarp (Visit the American Patriot Party and stay a while. http://www.patriotparty.us)
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To: spacewarp

To answer your questions, No, No, Nothing is next in my book, and No.


85 posted on 06/02/2005 3:04:37 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Life's a beach - and Liberals are like the sand that gets in your swimsuit...)
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To: toddlintown; Keith in Iowa
"Howard Stern is a steaming turd and deserves every bit of scorn he receives. He is a waste of resources."
...and a moron

Then let the market decide, not the tin star beauracrats.

When you decide to turn on Stern, you know exactly what you are going to get. It is when you are home with the kids and are "jumped" by things like Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction or Paris Hilton in soft-core porn that I think Govrnment has a duty to act.

I despise things like Queer as Folks, The L Word, etc. etc. etc. But when you know what it is going to be and can choose of your own volition, government should stay the heck out! Or how long before they decide that Fox News' ideology is "against public interest?"

86 posted on 06/02/2005 3:07:23 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Of all the idiots I've known in my life, none of them were retarded (W. Earl Brown - "Warren," SAM))
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To: seamole

"I got all the way up to here before bursting out laughing. The line sounds like it was written by an 17-year-old who's been waiting his whole life to get into an R movie without a chaperone. I cannot take this guy seriously. If you think adulthood would have no benefits without television, then you've got problems."

Are you for banning non-procreative sex, tobacco, and alcohol as well, taleban-boy?


87 posted on 06/02/2005 3:11:45 PM PDT by adam_az (It's the border, stupid!)
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To: SoVaDPJ; freepatriot32

Well said.

I've always been against it, but having seen the comments on this thread, maybe the government SHOULD be handing out and demonstrating condoms. It's sad that people who can't control their own tv set without government help are breeding.


88 posted on 06/02/2005 3:19:55 PM PDT by LibertarianInExile (<-- sick of faux-conservatives who want federal government intervention for 'conservative things.')
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To: All

V-chip anyone? Ratings system anyone?

I strongly oppose government being involved in just about anything except national defense.

If something offends you, change the channel, lock it out, or get some like minded folks and come down like a ton of bricks on the creators, sponsors, and participants. Television is not a guaranteed right and the govt has no business being involved.

I'll even take a hit and say they should police public airwaves, but TV is no longer really broadcast, while radio is, and there should be obscenity standards for broadcast and radio, as access is free and available to all. Cable, either analog or digital is pay-for service, and shifts the burden of responsibility to the consumer. Don't like it? Offends you? Stop subscribing.

Govt needs to stay the hell out. Period. If these people keep this up, they are going to alienate the not-so-puritanly conservative folks in the party. The left is bad enough, now we have to deal with big govt republicans, the republicans are going to learn what it's like to be jobless very soon if they keep this up.


89 posted on 06/02/2005 3:23:11 PM PDT by Stopislamnow (Three co-equal branches? Not anymore. Sig heil mein black robed tyrant!)
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To: freepatriot32
"First they came for Howard Stern. Now they're coming for Cable TV."

...good! Thanks, I'll write in favor of much more of that. If the networks get rid of propaganda promoting feminism, adultery and homosexuality, we might even order a sat TV subscription again. Until then, they know what they can do with their liberaltarian/Democrat efforts to direct us peasants away from education and family integrity.

Bring back the Comstock laws!
90 posted on 06/02/2005 3:23:15 PM PDT by familyop ("Let us try" sounds better, don't you think? "Essayons" is so...Latin.)
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To: freepatriot32

The morality police are at it again. They're no different than the liberals they bitch about.


91 posted on 06/02/2005 3:29:40 PM PDT by libertarianben (Looking for sanity and his hard to find cousin common sense)
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To: Pietro
Name some Pornography show on television. Not people in little clothing but actual pornography. The reason stuff is on TV is because people watch it and they watch it because they like it. That's called the free market.

By the way which shows should be on TV? Be specific I don't want to watch shows that might destroy my mind and cause me to do evil.

"Is access to nonstop fart jokes an inalienable right?"

Actually yes. just like non-stop preaching.
92 posted on 06/02/2005 3:40:44 PM PDT by libertarianben (Looking for sanity and his hard to find cousin common sense)
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To: freepatriot32
First of all, I don't favor pornography and obscenity but I am against this future bill especially the proposed method to "ram it" through without discussion/debate like the Real ID Act went through this past Winter/Spring in the House.

I hate to say this, first I have been a loyal Republican for many years and financially supported them as well but in 2006, they will not get my vote. My vote will likely go to third party like the Libertarian or even Democrat. The Republican Congress has lost touch such as no longer emphasizing small government and little interference in the affairs of states.

They have not been as aggressive in cutting taxes, unnecessary departments and especially deficit spending. Besides the interference in individual state affairs, this has been the most disappointing part. One plus however is the steps towards eliminating the inheritance tax. That is long overdue.

One thing if I had a say in writing the Constitution is having a third checkpoint besides the Senate & House in approving laws. The last stop before a bill becomes law would require approval of the People as in a "vote" which would be possible today. To make it simple, all bills passed in a given year would be voted on at one time but this also requires an educated public.
93 posted on 06/02/2005 3:43:38 PM PDT by CORedneck
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To: freepatriot32

i'm disapointed to see so many moralists getting so upset on this thread. i really can't fathom how you could accept the government taking over your own parenting duties. and this isn't a straight republican crusade either - let's not forget tipper gore and joseph lieberman. but anyways - we pick the shows and movies with our daughter and watch them with her and everything works out fine. some people won't stop until we have state approved t.v., sunday school, and uniforms.


94 posted on 06/02/2005 3:46:16 PM PDT by sodiumodium
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To: CORedneck

the gop got to much too quickly. i guess we made it too easy for them ;)


95 posted on 06/02/2005 3:47:41 PM PDT by sodiumodium
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To: familyop

hey while your at it why don't you write in favor of banning televised interracial relationships, single mothers, married couples with no children (because obviously they must be practicing birth control), and other undesirable elements.


96 posted on 06/02/2005 3:53:30 PM PDT by sodiumodium
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To: redlocks322

You did it the right way. Just DON'T GET CABLE...that is not the FCC's job.


97 posted on 06/02/2005 3:56:30 PM PDT by RockinRight (Conservatism is common sense, liberalism is just senseless.)
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To: Jibaholic
Our society has reached the point where you essentially have to pull a Timothy Leary, drop out, and live in a bubble in order to raise children with a decent morals.

Won't work.

Even the Amish know who Madonna is (and I'm not referring to the mother of Jesus).

98 posted on 06/02/2005 4:09:09 PM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
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To: sodiumodium
"hey while your at it why don't you write in favor of banning televised interracial relationships,..."

Nah, I'll leave that to the national socialist partners of the anti-family left.
99 posted on 06/02/2005 4:38:52 PM PDT by familyop ("Let us try" sounds better, don't you think? "Essayons" is so...Latin.)
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To: Keith in Iowa
What is really needed is a la carte programming on cable/satellite. That way, I only have to pay for what I want to watch in my home, and nothing else.

This would be ideal, but then artificially inflated prices for low-quality programming would not be possible.

My V-chip works pretty well.

100 posted on 06/02/2005 4:46:39 PM PDT by sayfer bullets
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