Senator Introduces Bill to Make All Porn a Federal Crime
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), which would effectively criminalize all pornography nationwide by legally redefining what it means to be obscene. For years, “obscenity” has been all but a defunct legal category that narrowly defines speech that remains unprotected by the First Amendment. Lee would explode this legal category, expanding it to encompass virtually all visual representations of sex.
According to the bill text, “a picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction” of any media that “appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion” would be considered criminal. In other words, if you have an old VHS tape of some Cinemax-style smut stashed away in your garage, you could, under this law, be considered to be harboring deeply illicit materials.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Nothing surprises me, especially since it’s Utah. There always seems to be a cause dejur that appeals to lost souls needing a reason to live. I have no doubt that this will one day be played out just as much as climate hoaxes
As I recall porn is protected by the SCOTUS under the First Amendment.
That doesn’t make it right. As I said in another reply, slavery was once legal, but it was still wrong.
We are all under a registry that is legal, but we all know ti’s wrong, even thought it’s legal.
“Lee would explode this legal category, expanding it to encompass virtually all visual representations of sex.”
We can only assume Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) is a sad porn addict on his soapbox, with child porn being his favorite flavor as my guess.
Crazy world we live in.
[moderated]
good luck on that
Pornography will never be wiped out in this current world, and there are definite problems with it.
#1 It cheapens the act of intimacy into lustful, non-virtuous acts oftentimes with multiple partners with no regard to fidelity or actual love.
#2 It is NOT art! Qualifying it as art is just a means of rationalization for the multi-billion dollar revenue it makes each year which surpasses even what than the NFL brings in. Art doesn’t have an age restriction. otherwise parents could let their children watch it and it could be viewd in the schools for educational purposes.
#3 Some people have real problems with psychological addiction to it and are in need of treatment or going through treatment because they can’t stop watching it..
#4 It is influential.,and because of this it has corrupted many of the minds of people to perform unnatural and even unlawful sex acts they never would have performed had they not got involved with pornongraphy. I would give odds that there are readers on this website who have been influenced by it.
Law requires definitions of prohibited acts and things. Define pornography and define art. SCOTUS can’t do it. How can you?
It’s either art ALL of the time or it’s art NONE of the time.
Because explicit acts are painted on a cave wall or tomb doesn’t make it art any more than genocide could be rightfully labeled a form of econimic control, and we all know someone in history who attempted that.
Labeling something that it is not in order to rationalize it, is, and always will be wrong.
Law is not always right in its definitions either. Slavery WAS legal at one time as defined by law, but we all know that it’s wrong. It always has been wrong, even when legal, and always will be wrong.
So, if yuy had a 10 year old daughter or granddaughter, would you expose her to a pornographic movie and tell her that it is art?? Y/N?
You just proved my point by not defining what art is, and what porn is. We all rely on definitions to abide by law. If you can’t define it, how do you outlaw it?
The Nazis labeled art, literature and music pornagraphic. Even porn to a degree has artistic merit.
I am all for the bill. Lets make everyone sex offenders. The more people that have to experience the registry and its negative consequences and punitive impact, the more its likely to change. Just like the War on Drugs in the 80’s.
I hate to say it but your right, majority of people dont care what happens because it doesnt affect them. They believe all the lies the government and media spread but ignore the cold hard facts. Maybe once 50 million people get on the registry for bogus charges and lies or they make lifetime registries for everything. Then maybe society will start to stand up, but by then it will be to late
I recently read an outstanding book that I recommend to all by Dr. Jason Stanley from University of Toronto (Recently he moved from Yale) called “How Fascism Works, The Politics of Us vs Them” and this issue reminds me of what he dealt with in 2 chapters and which I think applies to America today.
8. Sexual Anxiety. “We” support and protect the family; “they” are deviant and threatening.
9. Sodom and Gomorrah. “we” come from the rural heartland, the backbone of the nation; “they” live in cities.
It’s very definitely well worth the read.