Thoughts Aloud

Archive for May 9th, 2009

If all else fails to persuade, just say you are doing it for the children. This one takes the cake. “Federal Govn’t. To Regulate The Internet & Social Networking“:

Congress will soon debate a bill that could lead to regulating the Internet in the name of protecting the children.

Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and 12 other lawmakers have signed onto a bill being considered by the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee Congress which may seriously threaten the First Amendment rights of every American who uses the Internet, blogs online, uses Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

The bill (HR 1966) proposes up to two years in prison for those whose electronic speech is meant to “coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person.” Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum the potential harm of this bill on our freedom of speech will be massive.

Good grief, I harass the Progressives and cause them emotional distress every day here; or at least I try to. These dizzy congress critters ought to read the Bill of Rights occasionally.

According the the proposed legislation, the US Congress found that:

(1) Four out of five of United States children aged 2 to 17 live in a home where either they or their parents access the Internet.

(2) Youth who create Internet content and use social networking sites are more likely to be targets of cyberbullying.

(3) Electronic communications provide anonymity to the perpetrator and the potential for widespread public distribution, potentially making them severely dangerous and cruel to youth.

(4) Online victimizations are associated with emotional distress and other psychological problems, including depression.

(5) Cyberbullying can cause psychological harm, including depression; negatively impact academic performance, safety, and the well-being of children in school; force children to change schools; and in some cases lead to extreme violent behavior, including murder and suicide.

(6) Sixty percent of mental health professionals who responded to the Survey of Internet Mental Health Issues report having treated at least one patient with a problematic Internet experience in the previous five years; 54 percent of these clients were 18 years of age or younger.

Section 881(a) reads: “Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

According to the Wired Magazine alert, Sanchez’s bill goes way beyond cyberbullying and “comes close to making it a federal offense to log onto the Internet or use the telephone.”

Oh, that is different… it is for the children. Sure it is… we become criminals more and more each day. When will we get fed up enough to hit the reset button on the Feds and just start over? ◄Dave►