The loss of yet another right in the USA

[David Steele]

The religious rule in the US has claimed one more victim:

link (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040410/ap_en_tv/victoria_s_secret_tv)

[MMMMMM]

I agree that those who would censor are acquiring too much clout. I don't think you are really all that accurate in calling it "the religious rule" though. Granted, many who favor censorship are probably on the religious right, but the trend is towards censorship by government and I don't think that equates to religious rule. Maybe I'm splitting hairs but I think it is a valid distinction.

More reason to go back to a strict Constitutional/Bill of Rights interpretation of things, IMO. Though I've not studied it I would suspect that obscenity laws are unconstitutional at least if enacted at the federal level. States and communities may have more discretion in determining standards, but I don't recall anything in the Constitution which requires "artistic or social merit" or "redeeming social value" or whatever the criterion is for determining if something qualifies as obscenity or not. It is disturbing to see the FCC actions, and other pressures building, to limit freedom of expression on the airwaves. Methinks they might need a good strong lawsuit with punitive damages sought as well, from some company whose business can be shown to have suffered from this sort of thing.