Privacy Digest

Free Speech: Not on Strike - Via ACLU Alerts:

The only thing worse than a FCC hungry for power over our airwaves is a Congress that is eager to give it to them. A bill coming up on the Senate floor would do just that and allow the FCC to ban anything it calls profane durring prime time.

[...]

The writers in Hollywood may be on strike, but the First Amendment isn’t. Right-wing advocates for TV censorship like the Parents Television Council have been writing thousands of letters to Congress for weeks in support of S. 1780, a bill that would shut down free speech on the public airwaves. To turn up the heat for the First Amendment, it’s time we put the heat on Congress.

Write your senators today and let them know the Parents Television Council does not speak for us.

S. 1780, the “Protect Children from Indecent Programming Act,” would keep “profanity” off broadcast television from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., even though the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the airwaves, has never offered a clear definition of “profanity.”

If this bill passes, broadcasters will continue the trend of censoring protected programs out of fear of massive FCC fines up to $375,000 per violation. Dozens of ABC affiliates refused to broadcast Saving Private Ryan because it contained two “naughty” words in a movie about the horror of war. Recently some PBS stations were nervous about airing Ken Burns’ The War because one veteran deigned to say, “Shit,” and the documentary ventured to define “SNAFU” and “FUBAR.” Asking veterans to talk about war without any offensive language surrenders their First Amendment rights and insults their dignity.

And predicting what will be banned is like playing the game show “Press Your Luck” you never know where Congress and the FCC will strike until it’s too late. Tell your senators it’s time to stop playing games with our freedom of speech and write them today.

Senators have taken an oath to defend the Constitution, including the First Amendment, not to serve FCC censors. The government shouldn’t babysit the nation’s parents 16 hours a day the government should protect the freedom of parents to decide what is best for their families.

Let your senators know you don’t want them to switch off the First Amendment and tell them to vote NO on S. 1780.

(Read Original Article - Via ACLU Alerts.)