Saturday, February 18, 2006

Homeland Security

Who new this was part fo the job.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - Montgomery County is retraining its homeland security officers after two of them marched in to a public library last week and announced that viewing Internet pornography was forbidden.


Homeland security can now double as our morality police. This just might be a very positive step. When the theocrats do take charge, the can just take the homeland security forces and turn them into the religious police.

Just tweak a few provision in the patriot act and all we will be both secure and moral.


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7 comments:

Lynne said...

How long until they start hosting book burnings? Do I need to begin memorizing a book?

JFH said...

Yes, thank God the librarian stepped in to prevent the security officers from depriving this patron of his Constitutionally protected right to view pornography in a public place where children might be walking by.

What bothers me is that I can view porn via the free internet services at my local library, yet they keep turning down my requests to add Playboy and Penthouse to the periodical section.

"First they came for the perverts, and I said nothing because I wasn't a pervert..." ;)

Anonymous said...

Yeah jfh. Our library had many books as well that are pornographic.
Can you imagine a child seeing Henry Miller in the local library!

You are right, those of us who are not perverts have nothing to fear from the banning of Miller or for that matter picasso (have seen some of the books of his "artwork.")! perverts are the only ones who care!

JFH said...

Don't be play dumb, anonymous, like free speech, everything has its limits in a free society. If you can't tell the difference between "Tropic of Cancer" and, say, "Naughty Nelly and Her Erotic Adventures" or the works of Picasso and Larry Flynt's magazine.

Pornography that is available on the web is far worse than even pictures in "Hustler" and prefer that my children not be exposed to that stuff, merely clickly on the history of Explorer based on the previous guy's choices.

The only "slippery slope" modern society has to worry about is what Senator Moynihan called "Defining deviancy down". Apparently, we cannot have ANY standards of public decency, because "everyone knows" that the next step in book banning and burning...

Jon said...

Apparently, we cannot have ANY standards of public decency, because "everyone knows" that the next step in book banning and burning...

Actually you are correct. Why are your standards 'better' than the person viewing an explicit web site?

The difficulity is that the viewing is in a public building.

I think for both books and computers the standard should be the same. They should be accessable, but reasonable steps should be taken so that a 'PG' enviroment can still exist.

Maybe all computers should be screened so casual observation is avoided, and seating made avaliable so when a book is being looked at it isn't being shared.

This way those who want to visit and view porn can, and not offend others. It is more about manners than morality.

BUT

This isn't about porn in public, It is about police oversteping their authority, under the banner of homeland security.

A little man and a badge can be a dangerous mix. A little man and a big badge can be a nightmare.

JFH said...

You're right, John, I kind of got off track there. The issue IS that these guys overstepped their authority (Let's hope their as diligent at their REAL jobs of protecting us from terrorists!). The good news is that the problem was discovered and corrected so know real harm was done.

Ya gotta admit, though, the concept of a guy opening viewing porn in a public library where children are around is a bit disconcerting.

Despite the implication of 1st Amendment rights that the reporter alludes to, the "Pico" decision as it applies to banned material really doesn't apply here.

Jon said...

But why blame the viewer?

Why attack the viewer?

it is the responsability of the government agency to provide both access for the viewer, and protection from others viewing.

I have a 4 year old and a 16 year old. I view these events as oppertunities to teach. Manners, personal behavior and how a proper person acts are how I have approached these moments. I can not control, and have no desire to contol the actions of anyone else. I focus on myself and my family, and prepairing them for when they face the would as adults.

And a note, this is clearly not the only case where those involved in homeland security or the defense of this administration appear to 'slightly over reacted'.