Really disappointed tonight....

[Pushed To The Left]

Earlier in the week, I wrote to Barbara Boxer to let her know how much I opposed the "Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act" and urged her to vote against it. I thought that if there was anybody who would stand up for progressives, it was her! This was her response:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the
Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004. I
appreciate the opportunity to respond to your
comments.

I supported the Act in Committee and will
support its final passage. Like you, I believe
broadcasters have a responsibility to act in the
public interest. There is no place in that
public interest for indecent programming. The
current fine levels are not strong enough to
discourage indecent programming, which is why
this legislation is needed.

As a member of the Senate Commerce,
Science, and Transportation Committee, I will
continue to monitor any decisions regarding
broadcast content closely and remain vigilant in
protecting our airwaves from indecent
programming.

Thank you again for contacting me. I look
forward to hearing from you in the future.




Sincerely,


Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

I will still support the Democratic Party, because they are in the best decision to knock out the right wing. But their response to this issue has really disappointed me.

[Extend a Hand]

1. that *is* disappointing

who defines "indecency"? Right now it looks like it's the PTC.
:(

[Liberty Belle]

2. Honestly, as a parent, I'm fed up with the sleazy programs on TV, too.

I'm a liberal and believe people should have the right to view what they want, for the most part, but that doesn't mean anyone should have the "right" to subject children and young teens to a constant barrage of sex, profanity and violence during after-school hours and prime time.

Don't give me the tired argument that parents should just turn off the TV or monitor what kids watch. That works when they're little, assuming a parent is reasonably responsible. But when they turn 12 or 13, they don't want to be dragged along for every errand Mom runs, and they are legally old enough to be left alone. Some even babysit in their early teens. I was quite disgusted the first time I left my young daughter home alone to come back and find her watching half-nude, cursing idiots wrestling on Jerry Springer in the mid-afternoon! Sorry, if you want to watch naked wrestling among incestuous famliy members, buy a porn video or put this stuff on after 10 pm.

[tuvor]

3. Why does the government need to get involved?

Why can't you and others who agree write to the show, the sponsors, and to the TV station, and/or organize a boycott of the sponsors' products? Why can't the TV be off-limits at certain times? What happened to the V-Chip?

Just wondering, not trying to be confrontational.

I don't envy parents in your position, and I admire anyone who can do a half-decent job of raising kids, especially today. But if bush gets his inch, you can bet he'll take his mile. I'm sure he thinks he's still got some "political capital" to spend.

Anyway, I have to turn in. Sorry to cut 'n' run. Have a good night.

[Pushed To The Left]

5. It's all about control

The right wing wants to control what we watch, read, and listen to in the name of "decency"..something they can't even come up with a definition of. There are two kinds of people that support social conservatism: Manipulators and manipulatees. The right wing manipulates the people into thinking that these types of laws are protecting them, or making the world a more moral place. Unfortunately, it looks like the majority of people, even Democrats, have been suckered in. Just like so many Americans have been manipulated into being against gay marriage and against drug reform.

[Liberty Belle]

10. There is a big difference between censorship of political ideas

and preserving common decency in programming viewed by children.

That said, the far right does carry it too far when they start complaining about Sponge Bob!

[Liberty Belle]

11. There is a big difference between censorship of political ideas

and preserving common decency in programming viewed by children.

That said, the far right does carry it too far when they start complaining about Sponge Bob!

[DuaneBidoux]

18. Can you please explain what common decency is and why you

more than I should determine it?

[Liberty Belle]

22. I don't suppose you have children, do you?

[DuaneBidoux]

41. I have an eleven year old son.

We don't let him play any M rated games, and we don't let him go to the houses of children who play M rated games (for violence). He lived in France with us and watched actual sex on television, something virtually impossible to avoid on French television where, (interestingly enough), teen pregnancy is a fraction of the US, and where the attitude is "it's just sex, so what." He asked us once about it...we said when two people love each other it's a good thing that they show it that way, although it's something only grown-ups do. He's never had a problem since and would literally walk by a television showing sex (NOT hardcore of course), find it boring, and go play some game called (I think) Runescape on his computer which seems to be sweeping the Internet for boys-I'm nervous because it's a bit violent, and I'm watching closely. Concerning sexuality I believe Europe could teach us much. Their attitude seems so much healthier.

Again, common decency determined by whom? I tell you what, after what I just told you above, why don't you let me determine common decency for YOUR children? I doubt you'd be comfortable doing it. Nor I with you. That's the nub of the problem you see. I'm bothered by violence, not sex. If my child sees sex it doesn't bother me, but I won't even let him watch All-Star Wrestling. I don't want to force you to stop watching All-Star Wrestling if you find it as enjoyable as I do watching erotica.

This is called Freedom.

[Liberty Belle]

8. My TVs are too old for a V chip. I can't afford new ones.

The government has a responsibility to protect kids, period. They are not doing so. A parent should not have to put a lockbox on the TV to keep their children from viewing smut.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. But you should be a parent too

If you don't teach your kids why should the government? The government wasn't made to parent children.

[Liberty Belle]

25. Excuse me? Your insult is disgusting.

I am an excellent parent--a stay-at-home Mom who has sacrified a great deal over the years to be with my kids, working part-time form a home office. I try to work when the kids are in school mostly, but sometimes have to do some work in the afternoons. Your comment exemplifies precisely the lack of understanding non-parents so often exhibit. It is absolutely impossible to hover over the TV set 24 hours a day, with older kids at least.

I live in a three-story house. I have terrible back, hip and leg problems from a bad car accident a few years ago. Every step up and down the stairs is painful. Moreover, even if I could monitor everything they watched at home, there is always the problem when they go to friends' houses.

Plus there's the problem of very, very little quality programming that I'd want my kids to watch nowadays. The overally quality of programming has declined severely since I was growing up. I don't know your age, but I suspect you're not old enough to recall when programming was of a better quality.

I think you are selfish to insist on watching whatever slop is on TV, at any time of the day or night, with no regard to the impact of that programming on children. If you want to watch such material, watch it late at night, or rent a video or a pay-per-view movie. But don't subject every family with kids to a non-stop stream of violence, profanity and sex.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. If you don't have time to

parent your children what about those box's that come with channel blockers? Not long ago Comcast cable updated their services and now you can block networks and you have to have a special code. Why make the government do the parenting? That's not the government's job. They have better and bigger things to do. Why should my family's tax dollars go to parenting when people should be able to parent their kids? Also you can have tv's in just certain rooms and not in children bedrooms. Until I was old enough to learn from my parents what to watch I didn't have a tv in my room. The tv was always in the living room where my mother could know what I was watching.

[Liberty Belle]

32. There is no TV in the bedroom. Family room and living room

are on different floors. I won't allow one in the kids' rooms.

Why should I have to rearrange my house to keep filth out of the kids view, just to please others who want 24-hour access to all trash all the time?

The better answer is to require those who WANT that stuff in their home to have to punch in an access code.

My kids are teens now, so this isn't the issue that it was a few years back, but the programming has only gotten worse, and I feel for parents today. Blocking all but a couple of channels isn't the answer, either. Most of us want the kids to see more than Disney and Barney programs. What's wrong with asking to keep the sitcoms PG-rated, at least during prime time? It's hard enough being a parent without the government making it worse by lifting all the restrictions that used to prevent this sort of programming from coming into the family living room. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

[yellozebra]

35. Question - and I don't mean to be demeaning

When I was a kid, we were NOT allowed to watch television unless my parents were watching with us. this made for a miserable, and uncool life of watching mostly the news and a few select programs. My father would strangle a child caught watching TV alone. The irony was my father was very liberal and open-minded, but he wanted the control to explain/discuss the unexpected should it crop up.

Now my question is, seeing as you believe the quality of programming has deteriorated, why do you allow your children to watch TV? I am not judging you, but it seems to me there are solutions other than leaving children at the mercy of abhorrent programming.

We recently got it rid of cable, the withdrawal symptoms for the first 3 weeks were downright excruciating: network is just unwatchable. I still miss the Daily Show immensely, but we are experimenting with life without screeching heads and CNN....

[Ramsey]

42. Why not restrict TV watching, or get rid of the TVs?

When I was a kid I was allowed to watch one hour of TV a day, after my homework and chores were done. And my parents had to OK the program I chose to watch for that one hour. Usually one of them watched with me. Both of my parents worked full-time jobs, BTW.

I'm not a big fan of TV as babysitter. If I was bored, my dad always said: "Read a book". Good advice I think.

I'm also not a fan of Big Brother government, currently infiltrated by hypocritical right wing fundies with no scruples and a big agenda, deciding what's "indecent". How much you want to bet "indecent" includes Michael Moore, but not Bill O'Reilly?

[Pushed To The Left]

6. Define "indecency"

This is something I have never heard the pro-censorship crowd do. All they can come up with is "community standards", which can be very subjective. What if somebody is offended by a positive portrayal of a gay couple? Should "Will and Grace" be taken off the air? This legislation raises fines on "indecency", which has no clear definition. The right wing are master manipulators, and it looks like they got many Democrats this time. Hopefully this thing will get struck down in court.

[Goldmund]

7. Bingo. I agree.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. On tv's now days

They have the program where you can block channels. :shrug: Why don't people do that? You have to have a special code to lock and unlock channels.

[faithfulcitizen]

17. well, at times, the "crap" is on ALL channels...

:shrug: i agree that their should be certain standards, especially for certain times of day. I mean, people can say "bitch" and "ass" on network in the middle of the day? Soon, we'll have a show called "my fuckin' american idol, biotch!" :silly:

[Liberty Belle]

26. There are reality shows with people in bed on the first date,

leaving nothing to the imagination.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. LOL

On soaps they have some dirty mouths. I watch two of them and they say some pretty bad language. That's why I think if parents are really serious about this they should just have the tv in one room (family room or something) so they can easily watch their kids and what they watch. I never had a tv in my room until I was older. Even then I'd just watch cartoons or something. Heh heh. Now I'm an adult so I know how to parent myself.

[KoKo]

40. You'd have to block it all....or throw the TV out...it's commercials, too.

It "dumbs down" and is just on to sell products.

[Wilms]

4. Let's face it. WE think TV is a "Vast Wasteland"

American's are largely dumbed down, or worse, as a result.

It feeds vanity and planet-wrecking consumption.

Disguised as an artist, Ms. Jackson is happy to sell lot's of merchandise as the result of a likely staged stunt.

She's not Lenny Bruce in a club. She's ripping people off, with their enthusiastic assistance.

We don't need her boob or or Whoopi's crotch hung around our necks.

[The Minus World]

34. Yes, I agree.

One thing that transcends all politics is universal ethical values.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a philosopher, alive or dead, who would condone the cavalcade of materialism, selfishness, narcissism, mean-spiritedness, and machismo we regularly witness on our television screens.

On a side note, I believe that the Janet Jackson incident was the "Media 9/11" the far-right wingers needed in order to effectively clamp down on the term "decency" in order to manipulate it to their own standards. As to whether or not either of these catalytic incidents were staged, I'll leave that up to the speculators.

Reform needs to occur, but Republicans have hijacked the terminology yet again.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. That sounds

just "like you."

[Pushed To The Left]

14. That's what really got to me!

"Like you, " was preceded by something that my letter was railing against!

[DaveinMD]

15. she must be a DINO

[Liberty Belle]

28. Wrong again.

I am liberal on 99% of issues. This is the only issue on which I agree strongly with some conservatives.

I'm pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-labor, anti-corporation. I favor strengthening our social programs and providing universal healthcare coverage for everyone. I've worked as a staffer for the most liberal member of the CA Legislature. I've donated to many liberals and walked to more than 1,000 doors for Kerry, including traveling to a red state. I am not a fundamentalist or evangelical. It is unbelievably narrow-minded of you to think that anyone who wants to protect their kids must be a "DINO."

It's people like you who drive so many others away from our party. When you insult anyone who disagrees with you on a single issue, it's no wonder people get offended by Democrats.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. But why is it

the government's job to tell us what's on the tv? Next they'll get the press. Oops already done that....

[DaveinMD]

37. Sorry-I was being sarcastic

If you knew you followed my posts here you would know I chastise everyone who insults our fellow Democrats. I'm with you on everything you said.

[DuaneBidoux]

16. There is also this old thing about "public" air waves.

The reality of course is that technology has surpassed the ability of government to control it. The real people who suffer are those who appreciate really good drama that asks serious questions and can't afford Showtime for "The L Word," or any of a dozen other truly cutting edge programs that deal with real people and real problems.

What I don't understand is why the right wing gets so upset over sex but doesn't mind seeing someone get their brains blown out for their child. I just find it rather weird.

Also the networks are suffering as they are forced into the craziest innuendo simply because they can't come out and say what they mean. I've always been puzzled. I lived in Europe for several years and watched sex on television and their teen pregnancy level and divorce rates (not to mention a dozen other social indicators) are far superior to ours. I don't think it's tv that does it either way.

But you'd better brace--I think most Americans now support more censorship.

[ClassWarrior]

19. You think THAT'S bad?...

You should see THIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1619042#1619042

NGU.

[John_H]

21. what? You mean "stalking" other posters and hijacking threads?

[John_H]

20. This is a tough one if you have kids

Any parent who's been in the room when they play ad for one of their network's sitcom's (you know, like some guy doing the I'm-grabbing-the-big-tits thing with his hands while grinding his hips and saying "Yeahhhhhh baby!) during a show watched primarily by eight-year-old girls knows what I mean. You want to rip some program manager's nuts off with a plastic fork.

On the other hand, reading the bill is just as scary. ( http://www.theorator.com/bills108/hr3717.html ) Since the rethug leadership knows no politician is going to oppose this thing, the rethugs loaded it with language so vague, definitions of indecency so broad that it lets the FCC fine anyone for saying just about anything they don't like.

To the OP: If you are going to think about changing parties every time a politician acts like a politician, you've got a long, angst filled life ahead of you.

[Pushed To The Left]

23. I'm not switching parties

I'm a proud Democrat and I like Boxer. I have donated to her PAC. I'm just disappointed that somebody who I believed to be one of the most progressive Democrats would be in favor of this legislation. I'm also disappointed that so many Democrats in the House voted for this thing.

[yellozebra]

36. No politician is going oppose this, because

(1) it makes for atrocious reading - who writes these things? or,
(2) the general coglioni deficit.

I can't believe I actually read this.
:eyes:

Seriously, Democratic pols need to flirt with the idea of voting their convictions and see how that works for them. It seems the alternative is just shy of delivering thte right results.

[Horse with no Name]

24. I agree--want some chocolate?

It always makes me feel better when I feel really disappointed.
I don't believe that the government should have to meddle in every aspect of our daily lives and choices.
I have some friends that turned off their cable, bought a bunch of kid-friendly handpicked movies and that was TV.
They regulated everything they wanted their kids to see.
I believe that those who are this adamant about these issues should do the same and not force their poor parenting skills down everyones throats.
Personally I just paid attention to my kids. I monitored what they watched and if I didn't approve, then I turned it off.
It's not difficult to be a parent if you don't expect the government or the networks to intervene and pay a little more attention to your kids.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Right

There's lots you can do now days. And for the internet you can get AOL or something like that because they have parental controlls and can have that up until the kid is old enough to know. When we first got the internet I was only aloud to stay online for an hour and we had it on the phone line. That way I wouldn't get too caught up in the internet and what's out there. It should be the same way with t.v. Have certain times a child can watch and certain channels. If you're really disgusted with cable just get rid of it. The money spent on cable can go towards something else and you can buy video's or DVDs for your kids to have stuff to watch. There's all you can do besides having the government do it for you. They already got our press. Now they want our tv. Do they want the airwaves next?

[The Minus World]

33. We are on the Island of Lotus Eaters

As it stands, I would not allow my child full access to the television, were I to have one.

We've witnessed a tremendous decline in the intellectual content of television programming in the past couple of decades, and I would even venture to say that I'm not being a stuffy conservative when I flinch at some of the absolutely profane material being served up as entertainment nowadays.

Were one to take a comprehensive poll, I'm certain that most adults would agree that this constant barrage of cow rectums, anorexic pop stars singing about themselves as though greed and narcissism were ethical values, corporate rappers singing about "cash" and "pussy" as though they were the two keys to enlightenment, corporate rockers screaming terrible poetry about cutting one's self, unfunnily-written sit-coms which always opt for the obvious sexual innuendo, and all of the other general on-screen negativity is contributing to general numbing and apathy.

That being said, there is a difference between being concerned about the value of television programming - something that many adolescents spend a good portion of their lives watching - and slapping tipper-stickers on 2 Live Crew albums. Censorship, of course, has been used as a tool to repress some of the world's revolutionary thinkers. However, I don't believe civil society will suffer when broadcasters are made to actually consider the cultural impact of some of the "we only did it for the ratings" tripe they are airing.

Jello Biafra is known as an outspoken anti-censorship activist, but he wrote a song entitled "MTV Get Off the Air" back in the 80s. For those of you who disagree with my opinion, I refer you to his lyrics. Nowadays, almost every station is guilty of airing "sugar-coated mindless garbage" written up by unimaginative corporate boardroom-monkies.

[Hidden Stillness]

38. Now Suddenly, the Corporate Media is "Great"!!

I also agree with what Sen. Boxer and others are doing, and hope something will improve, but given that the corporate world now has us all in its straightjacket, I don't know if anything meaningful will happen.

This is when I wonder whether there are Republican operative plants on this website, though: whenever anyone wants to stop the capitalist exploitation of everything that lives, there suddenly pops up this "whole group" with the same phraseology, the same accusations (from the same printouts), the same stupid non-"solutions." "Why should the gummint run this?" "You Nazis would kill all our free expression." "Sit at the TV with your kids all the time," "Buy this corporate technology, and that," etc. If nothing else, these are some of the stupidest things on an ordinarily very intelligent website, which is why it is suspect. I won't even get into the cold viciousness of the "you are obviously a bad parent, not like me" line.

This is why we are losing the country, when you have people, claiming to be Democrats, who are actually corporate libertarians, refusing to help. Why are people such stupid dupes that, on the one hand will recognize the mortal threat to democracy when the media, as a conspiracy, will not criticize Bush or Republicans, will not investigate the paid operatives, pretend along with Repuiblicans that there is something wrong with Social Security and advocate killing it--people who understand completely what kind of a criminal group we are dealing with here, then as soon as you change the subject to media vulgarity and violence, it's as if they go brain dead, and suddenly believe this same capitalist media is "themselves," the artist, the public, our smiley grinning friend who brings us the world and fun and candy... What is the matter with you people?

Anybody who thinks that "we" are "all" contributing to this vulgar, pseudo-sexual parade, is either a male, or a patsy. You obviously have no conception (or interest) as to the lives that women lead and how this abusive crap, with no way out, makes us feel. You pretend that there is some limit to this, or that it is not that bad, because you will not even refer to the kinds of examples that rip people's hearts out. When there is one TV program after another with the same pseudo-"crime investigation" phony pretext for the real angle, male-murders-young-exploitable-white-woman-and-look-here-is-her-dead-nude-corpse, over and over and over, it is an oppressive, depressing world. I happened to turn to a cable channel that was actually playing a clip from a video made by one of the torture murderers of many young women, and the corporate pimp PLAYED this "male entertainment" of her, bound to a couch, and one of the murderers approaching her and flicking a knife to her throat. She was naked from the waist up, and in a move that sums up the pimp's whole attitude toward us, her face was blurred but her naked body was not. This woman is now dead. If you claim they blurred her face while exploiting her on worldwide TV to "protect" her, then I hope they do the same to you. This is done to my people by the pimp oppressor who tries to cut Social Security; at least realize that it was the same oppressor! Why do you want them fought when they cheer Bush's wars but not when they want to unravel all of democratic civilization THIS way? You pretend to be so "sophisticated" on issues of vulgarity--yet it never humiliates males this way, only my group. Don't pretend that they will stop at some limit--they already make commercials whose premise is sneaking up behind a woman to rape her.

This country will only be saved by a liberal/left-wing morality; most people don't even want to hear about it from archcon Republican phonies and moneyworshippers; it will only work when it comes from us as part of an anti-corporate civic/legal-rights attitude, which people will actually agree with. Some of you are actually giving it away and making the great middle-of-the-road majority, who would not even be siding with Republicans on things otherwise, believe that we are the violent, woman-hating pornographers, when it is capitalist Republicans who are.

[KingoftheJungle]

39. I also contacted her about the insane "INDUCE" act, and she supported it

Barbara is nothing more than someone who has the balls to speak out, it doesn't mean she actually has a clue.