Could someone please explain to me just what the hell this means?
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved a bill that would undo an appeals court ruling that invalidated the Federal Communications Commission's new profanity policy.
For years the agency punished broadcasters for airing profanities only if they referred to a sexual or excretory activity.The agency changed course, contending that use of such common profanities and two words beginning with "s" and "f" are inherently indecent. Broadcasters, led by Fox Broadcasting, challenged the FCC's decision.
By a 2-1 vote, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York tossed out the profanity rules and said the FCC failed to "articulate a reasoned basis for its change in policy."
In response came the "Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act," sponsored by Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark. It would require the FCC "to maintain a policy that a single word or image may be considered indecent."
Rockefeller said in a statement that the legislation "is a small but critical step in making sure that the airways remain free of words and images that are patently offensive to the vast majority of Americans."
How on earth is it possible for a word to be "inherently indecent." For something to be "inherent," it has to be a permanent part of its nature or makeup. But there's nothing permanent about language. Nothing.
And indecency? The last time I checked the word "indecent" meant "offending against generally accepted standards of propriety or good taste." Unless you are willing to claim that such standards cannot and will not ever change, it makes no sense to claim that there is anything "inherent" about them.
More specifically, I know very, very few Americans who don't use the words "shit" and "fuck" on at least a near-daily basis. As such, I find it very difficult to believe that they are "patently offensive to the vast majority of Americans."
And last but not least... I can understand when it is Republicans putting forth this kind of nonsense. But Democrats? For god's sake, don't they have anything better to do that worry about which words people are or are not using on TV?
UPDATE: Mitt Romney, by contrast, never hears these words. Not even among "a bunch of guys hanging around a bar."
Is there anything this man won't lie about? Anything?
Subscribe to this blog's feed
