Open Letter to My Senators

Open Letter to My Senators -- First Howard, and now my Senators. I must be in a letter-writing mood. I know I'm not in a mood to finish my taxes and send my money to this government. Here's what I just dropped on Lautenberg and Corzine...

After yesterday's vote in the House establishing exorbitant fines for supposed "indecency," I want to let you know that my wife and I are counting on the hopefully more deliberative Senate to do the right thing and put an end to this silliness.

Half a million dollars for uttering four-letter words on the airwaves -- as if that was really happening, and you know it isn't -- can only have a chilling effect on many kinds of expression. It will kill live call-in radio and TV, which is one of the rare "places" that passionate dialog between people and their leaders and media happens.

Words are powerful, but the language and ideas and entertainment that these fines are aimed at pale in comparison with words like "weapons of mass destruction" and "defense of marriage" when it comes causing pain and suffering.

And before you tell me about "protecting the children," I feel that it's the responsibility of parents to assure that when their children encounter the real world of adult life, they know how to handle it. The adults of the world who want to close their eyes and ears and make believe reality doesn't exist are childish. Setting themselves up as an "American Taliban" (and I do not use that phrase lightly), they are dangerous and shouldn't be allowed in positions of responsibility, like the House, the FCC, and the White House.

Aren't there better things for Congress to fast track into law?

(Crap -- I forgot to include "Patriot Act" in my examples of indecent language. You can tell I'm mad as hell. Thank you, Howard Dean, for getting my juices flowing.

aaaargrgrgagrggaaahhhhh!!!

hmmm...Now that I've composed myself again, and re-read what I've written, my comments about killing live radio (which is exactly what fear of passionate expression and specifically things like 5-minute delays will do) just triggered more paranoia in me. I've taken Howard's paranoia about his troubles being related to his recent anti-Bush stands with a grain or two of salt, but then just remembered that a new progressive talk radio network is set to launch next week....hmmmm...let's see if they have the balls to confront this issue. I hope so.