Hot causes make bad laws.
The public pressures and political posturing involved in burning issues often lead to poorly drafted and ambiguous legislation. The more urgent the evil to be addressed, the more likely that the politicians will punt difficult issues to the courts. There is no better example than Congress' efforts to deal with child pornography. The House Judiciary Committee has declared child pornography to be perhaps the most revolting crime known to our society. In 1978, when Congress first addressed the problem, it outlawed only child pornography that was obscene under existing law.