From: kay@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (k)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: Abortion adds [sic] are ruinning [sic] my dinner!
Date: 16 Nov 1992 07:35:31 GMT
Organization: Project Quantum Gweep
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigwpi.wpi.edu

In article <1992Nov16.014502.24295@sol.UVic.CA> klassen@sol.UVic.CA (Melvin Klassen) writes:
>In article <@> person@plains.NoDak.edu (Brett G Person) writes:
>> We have an fake candidate in North Dakota for a special election to fill our
>> late Senator's seat. This person is running very graphic anti-abortion ads 
>> as the sole plank in his platform.  The local stations don't want to run 
>> the ads, but the FCC says they have to.  Any comments?  

The Maine Commission for Phillips for President was running these up in
Maine as well, before Election Day (well, duh).  Truly revolting ads that
did nothing for my views except to turn me against Phillips (whoever and
whatever he was; he was on the ballot, but I don't remember having ever
heard of him before or since).  WLBZ-TV, the Bangor NBC affiliate, prefaced
the 30-second spot with a 20-odd-second disclaimer stating over and over 
again that Federal law was forcing them to show this ad, but at least they
could control the time slot.

>
>I believe that the FCC is taking the proper stance in this case.
>

I do not.  It indicates to me once again the double standard; abortion 
footage and the slaughter of various forms of animal life are "politically
active information" and thus subject to all kinds of legal and governmental
interference and protection.  However, similarly gory footage of the deaths
of adult humans would not be tolerated; in fact, it would probably earn its
producers criminal prosecution.  It's all disgusting; but some of it can hide
behind "a message".  I bloody well know what an abortion is, thank you; I 
do not need to be subjected to film footage of one.  I had no particular 
wish to vomit upon my (tan) living room carpet at 12:24 at night.

[Apparently the WLBZ schedulers do not realize how many people of the 
middle-school age group tune in at 12:30 or so to watch Letterman...]

Also, it shows another double standard: while the people producing the ad
have every right to offer it for showing, the people running the television
stations should have a similar right to refuse to show anything they think
may cost them viewership.  After all, it's the station that will take most
of the heat from anything controversial, not the people who made the ad.
My right to swing my fist ends where the other fellow's nose begins; someone's
right to create a piece of television ought to end where a station manager's
prerogative begins.

>Move to a country where censorship is legal, and free-speech is banned!  :-)
>

I already live in one.  Do you seriously believe that the USA believes in or
supports free speech anymore?  Ok, we're not being dragged off to prison for
criticizing the government--or are we?--but personal freedoms, especially 
those of speech and print, have been eroding in this nation for a very long
time.

>Seriously, abortion & euthanasia are serious social issues,
>with no "right" or "wrong" side.  See the "talk.abortion" and "soc.rights.human"

Quite true; although I have no wish to immerse myself in the endless circular
anti- and pro-abortion arguments.  I'd rather go jogging on a Moebius strip.

>newsgroups.   Also, note that Canada recently deported a British citizen
>who claimed that the buildings at Auschwitz were built after WW II as 
>a tourist-attraction -- just an example of enforcement of "anti-hate" laws
>against those who falsely claim "free-speech" rights.

Hmm.  Well, it's true.  And did you know that the moon landings were faked?
All of it shot in a soundstage in Los Angeles.  Sad the lenghts our 
government will go to, to convince us they're doing something with all that
money they take from us.

:-)

later 
k
-- 
mosh!  nosh!  mosh!  don't stop moving!  or: the problem of dining punks
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the institute for applied wedge physics and petrarcosmology worcester ma
kay@wpi.wpi.edu  chief observer and research head  project quantum gweep