The Governments Attempt at Internet Control, and Too Shut You UP
This is somewhat old news, by at least a couple days. However, it is important non the less.
Bill H. R. 3791 entitled: “Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online Act”,
was pushed through the U.S. House of Representatives that will have anyone that has an open Wi-Fi fined up to $300,000.00, if it is found that illegal photos, drawings, and sketches, were sent over their network, and not reported to the authorities by the owner. As with most of the laws that were passed under this administration recently, the definitions are broad in their coverage.
Failure to comply with the SAFE Act would result in an initial fine of up to $150,000, and fines of up to $300,000 for subsequent offenses. That’s the stick. There’s a carrot as well: anyone who does comply is immune from civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.
That broad definition would cover individuals, coffee shops, libraries, hotels, and even some government agencies that provide Wi-Fi. It also sweeps in social-networking sites, domain name registrars, Internet service providers, and e-mail service providers such as Hotmail and Gmail, and it may require that the complete contents of the user’s account be retained for subsequent police inspection
Not one Democrat opposed the SAFE Act. Two Republicans did: Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning presidential candidate from Texas, and Rep. Paul Broun from Georgia.
The vote was 409 to 2, and was presented as one of those Bills if you vote against it, “You are against protecting the Children”. Not making any excuses, democrats voted 228 yea, and 8 no votes. Republicans 185 yea, 2 nay, 12 no votes. As shown by the vote, the democrats voted beside the Republicans to remove your rights, and place a tool in place for control over the internet, using the age-old excuse, “It’s for the children.”
Just a Few Thoughts
It seems that this is just another tool in the government’s arsenal in its march on the rights of the American people. However, the truly sad thing is that large percentages are either in denial or just too blind to see it. It has not even been a month since the passed their version of <a href=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1955<H.R. 1955, “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”. I wrote on H.R. 1955 Here. One of the scariest one branch law written by this administration is Presidential Directive 51, which actually gives a president total power, by placing him over the Legislative and the Supreme Court. So take a little time and check out the laws passed under the 109th congress, and see what peril this citizenship has been put under.
ABA
