First They Came For Your Abortions, Now They Want Your Porn
Watch out, soldiers! The same kind folks that brought you the (almost complete) ban on abortions at military hospitals and medical facilities (or, rather, brought the female members of the military and soldiers’ wives/ daughters that ban) are now after your porn — or, what’s left of porn that the military allows to be sold at post exchanges…. So, in 1996 Congress banned the sale of sexually explicit material (defined as having “as a dominant theme the depiction or description of nudity, including sexual or excretory activities or organs, in a lascivious way”) in military exchanges, which are basically the major retail outlets on military bases. The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 1998, but, to a degree, the board that determines what qualifies as Pentagon approved smut — and I’ll bet there’s a waiting list for that assignment — has been pretty liberal in its interpretation of the law. In effect, as long as your have some articles and some non-naked people, you’re in! For instance, since Penthouse revamped its format to include more words, they’re back for sale at a base near you. This, obviously, does not sit well with this country’s moral guardians, who are urging you to contact your elected Representatives to make them pass a law to ban all porn in military exchanges (or, at least get the Pentagon to enforce the law the way they want). In fact, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) says that it’s a contributing factor to the hostile work environment in the military for women — because he’s all about the women’s issues, y’all.
Odd, isn’t it? Our sons and daughters are old enough to fight- and, in some cases, die- for their country…and yet a minority of self-appointed moral arbiters see it as their God-ordained duty to protect our troops from all sorts of “salacious” influences. Our government either can’t or won’t properly equip them (lack of up-armored Humvees, anyone??), but by GOD they shouldn’t be able to purchase porn at the PX…’cuz that’s an abomination against Almight GOD, don’tchaknow??. That would be an affront to all that’s good and decent. Yes, if they’re going to be blown into a thousand pieces by an IED, best that they be dispatched into the Afterlife free of impure thoughts, no?
Jeebus, people, talk about missing the forest for the trees….
It would be nice to think that this holier-than-thou attitude could be translated into a similar passion for protecting our troops. Sadly, it seems these trolls are more concerned with their narrow, Fundamentalist agenda than in the how and why of our sons and daughters being in the line of fire. These folks are hell-bent on preventing soldiers from being exposed to the evils of pornography…yet they have no problem sending them into an immoral, illegitimate war purchased with lies and propaganda. (But that George W. Bush is such a godly man….)
It would be nice to think that these trolls actually care about our troops, but the reality is that about all they truly care for is their narrow, ignorant agenda. The fact that they can use our troops to push their agenda just gives them (in their point li’l haids, anyway) a firmer moral footing.
What Would Jesus Do? Yep, that’s right, y’all…He’d be be kicking ass and taking names…and I think He’d be starting with Roscoe Bartlett and the rest of these ignorant buffoons
