Fine for indecency bigger then if you caused a nuclear mishap

[MSgt213]

When the Federal Communications Commission fined Clear Channel Communications $27,500 last year for each of eighteen incidents of "indecent material" spouted by shock jock Howard Stern, it sure seemed like a lot of money. But in retrospect those fines look like chump change. On February 16th, the Bush administration won House approval for a bill that would raise the maximum FCC fine to $500,000 per violation. Under the new measure, Clear Channel -- and Stern himself -- could each have been fined a total of $9 million.

"Free expression and First Amendment rights are the real target of this legislation," declared Rep. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vt.) during the debate over the bill. "This is not what America is about."

A review of fines levied by other federal agencies suggests that the government may be taking swear words a bit too seriously. If the bill passes the Senate, Bono saying "fucking brilliant" on the air would carry the exact same penalty as illegally testing pesticides on human subjects. And for the price of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl, you could cause the wrongful death of an elderly patient in a nursing home and still have enough money left to create dangerous mishaps at two nuclear reactors. (Actually, you might be able to afford four "nuke malfunctions": The biggest fine levied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year was only $60,000.)

If Bush has his way, Howard Stern may soon have a tough choice to make: Tell a sex joke on the air, or dump toxic waste in New York's drinking water while willfully placing an employee at risk of injury or death? No wonder the foul-mouthed host is moving to satellite radio, which falls outside the authority of the FCC.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7047694/bobdylan?pageid=rs.NewsArchive&pageregion=mainRegion&rnd=1109431265625&has-player=unknown

[ixion]

1. it's the same for non-violent drug users

who are given much longer sentences than people who rape or steal or assault others.

Some Justice. :eyes:

[MSgt213]

3. This country is lead by some stupid people. But we all must dumber for

accepting this kind of bullshit, while attacking those who would speak out against it.

[cornermouse]

2. Bigger than a fine handed out by OSHA after a fatal accident

I do believe... Better dead than indecent?

[Ian David]

4. Well, yes, but... how many people killed themselves after Nipplegate?

Do you realize the scope of the death and destruction wrought in the aftermath of seeing Janet Jackson's nipple?

Do you think those tens of thousands of people would have complained if lives didn't hang in the balance?

Think of all those poor children who were orphaned when their parents couldn't take the image of the nipple anymore?

If you don't believe me, watch this clip:

Helms - Teatgate 2004: The Aftermath -- Ed Helms and Stephen Colbert go tit for teat in their explosive coverage of Janet Jackson's breasts.

http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.jhtml?reposid=/multimedia/tds/helms/helms_8095.html

THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!

[signmike]

5. There was a lot of information in

"A Child's Garden Of Grass", a book about marijuana, about 30 years ago. In one state, Kentucky, I believe, the penalty for possession of even one roach was 20 years in prison, whilst poisoning a public reservoir carried a 6 month jail term.