General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsArizona law would criminalize being lewd or annoying on the Internet
As summarized by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The bill is sweepingly broad, and would make it a crime to communicate via electronic means speech that is intended to annoy, offend, harass or terrify, as well as certain sexual speech. Because the bill is not limited to one-to-one communications, H.B. 2549 would apply to the Internet as a whole, thus criminalizing all manner of writing, cartoons, and other protected material the state finds offensive or annoying.
The bill is currently awaiting Governor Jan Brewers signature, and the Media Coalition, which defends first amendment rights in the media, has sent her a letter outlining some of the problems with the legislation.
H.B. 2549 would make it a crime to use any electronic or digital device to communicate using obscene, lewd or profane language or to suggest a lewd or lascivious act if done with intent to annoy, offend, harass or terrify, the letter notes. Lewd and profane are not defined in the statute or by reference. Lewd is generally understood to mean lusty or sexual in nature and profane is generally defined as disrespectful or irreverent about religion or religious practices.
It appears that the Arizona law could criminalize the recent interview in which Meghan McCain daughter of Arizona senator John McCain told Playboy, Im strictly dickly. I cant help it. I love sex and I love men. Or any random atheist saying, There is no god provided some official was prepared to conclude it was done with the intention of annoying believers.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Noodleboy13
(422 posts)I kid, I kid
peace,
Noodelboy
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)That law has my name written all over it.
Initech
(100,043 posts)This will get thrown out in the Supreme Court as a free speech issue anyways.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Yay for small government, getting its nose out of people's business!
Yay for job creation, hiring more government employees to monitor the "intertubes," arresting and prosecuting violators of this new freedom law!
These people are seriously whacked.
tularetom
(23,664 posts)If ya can't be lewd and annoying.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)beats the shit outta me
Son of Gob
(1,502 posts)zbdent
(35,392 posts)Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Republican Teabaggers sure pass a lot of laws that are in direct contradiction to that document.
guitar man
(15,996 posts)No more DU Lounge in AZ
boppers
(16,588 posts)Seriously, that state is *totally* fucked up.
OTOH, it's still better than Texas, IMO.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)boppers
(16,588 posts)It's that huge cesspit of mediocrity and hatred between the two that seems to be the problem.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)Capn Sunshine
(14,378 posts)Close GD ASAP
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Cannot go after a Californian, let alone a foreign national posting from...well abroad right?
toothless, feel good piece of shit.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)the 'law' should be voided for vagueness
LiberalFighter
(50,795 posts)The Arizona legislative body and the governor should faced fines.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)and we could erase our deficit by heavily fining stupid laws
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)going to jail, then. I am often profane, frequently lewd and always annoying.
Glad I moved out of that hellhole.
EFerrari
(163,986 posts)EFerrari
(163,986 posts)That idiot school superintendent that was comparing The Pedagogy of the Oppressed to Mein Kampf?
I say, we lobby for this one!
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)It reminds me of Foley who signed the law which was supposedly meant to protect minors on the internet from predators. He was right there in the photos in the Rose Garden with Bush taking credit when the law was signed. And not long afterwards, he was 'exposed' as the predator the law was meant to catch.
I have a feeling this law will definitely be challenged if it passes. Sometimes you have to wonder how these people ever got into the positions they are in.
slampoet
(5,032 posts)EFerrari
(163,986 posts)BlueIris
(29,135 posts)Keep digging, asshats. The rest of the nation is laughing--hard.