Erosion of...everything

[bkdelong]

I don't know what to say. I don't have time to do one of my well-thought out, heavily cited rants so I'll try to be as short and poignant as possible:

• H.J.RES.24: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. - This will remove the 22nd Amendment setting Presidential Term Limits. What's next? President for Life? Status: Currently hanging out in the House Committee for the Judiciary's Subcommittee on the Constitution as of April 4, 2005.
• H.J. RES 10: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. - Nothing like quashing Freedom of Expression and making the country more nationalistic.
• 18 USC 2257: Record keeping requirements for Chapter 110: Sexual Exploitation and Other Abuse of Children - I wholeheartedly understand the need for tracking the age of people barely above legal age being filmed or photographed during an elicit sex act to make sure they are not, in fact, minors but to require "whoever produces any book, magazine, periodical, film, videotape, or other matter which contains one or more visual depictions made after November 1, 1990 of actual sexually explicit conduct; and is produced in whole or in part with materials which have been mailed or shipped in interstate or foreign commerce, or is shipped or transported or is intended for shipment or transportation in interstate or foreign commerce shall create and maintain individually identifiable records pertaining to every performer portrayed in such a visual depiction." - is a bit ridiculous. (To translate the above politi-speak to English, anyone who produces any form of visual commercial porn featuring explicit sex must keep records of everyone participating in said explicit act.

  The law goes onto detail that, in addition to the person's real, legal name and birthdate, they should be linked to any and all stage names or nicknames they've ever used.

  The law does state that the information cannot be used as evidence against the performer but this doesn't mean it can't be used in an investigation, I believe. It just seems that this law puts an incredible burden on the pornography industry and makes performers out to be citizens worthy of being tracked. There's a REASON people use aliases, nicknames and stagenames in porn.

  NOTE: I am not a lawyer.

  Status: Regulation goes into effect June 23, 2005.

  To those of you saying pornography is bad and should be outlawed/censored/banned - I may not agree or like your [visual depictions that disgust or bother me but are legal] but I'll defend to the death your right to look at it.

• US Supreme Court Docket 04-108: Kelo et al. v. City of New London et al. (PDF) - This Supreme Court ruling essentially allows local government to take land by eminent domain and give it to commercial developers under the guise of "economic development". So, an oil field will be good for the town! We're taking your house! We want to build a gated community for rich people! Move out of your apartments!

These are the more extreme issues I've noticed recently aside from Congress cutting massive amounts of funding from PBS and NPR. What's next? I just....I don't know where I live anymore. This is nothing like the America of the 1990s. In fact, I feel like I'm going backwards in time by decades.

Comments

[clodappleleft.livejournal.com]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. - This will remove the 22nd Amendment setting Presidential Term Limits. What's next? President for Life? Status: Currently hanging out in the House Committee for the Judiciary's Subcommittee on the Constitution as of April 4, 2005.

basically the GOP is looking for a Bush successor, and since they can't find one, they want to do their best to get him in again. I couldn't take another 4 years.

[prettyannamoon.livejournal.com]

Repeal the 22nd amendment? Yes, please - let's get Bill back in office!

But seriously, that is *scary*. I'd read about the ban on flag burning, which is also very disturbing. And that last bit? Freaky, especially under the current administration, who seems to think 'National Park Service' really means 'Prime Logging Spot' and 'Dirt Bike Paradise'.

[taintedrocky.livejournal.com]

Repeal the 22nd Amendment? That is really, really scary.