This entire war on “indecency” predicated by the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction makes me ill. The wardrobe malfunction inciting an avalanche of criticism in the form of 200,000 complaints to the FCC.

There were 140 million Super Bowl viewers.

>200,000 complaints.

(200,000/140,000,000)X100= 0.14%

And for that 0.14%, our freedom of speech rights are being questioned, an organization of appointees with no ruling authority now has the power to decide what we can or can not see or listen to, and things seem to be generally progressing towards a new-McCarthyism.

These are scary times, my virtual friends, and they highlight more than ever why we need to vote, now more than ever, for someone other than George. Whatever your feelings about the leading Democratic candidate (and as a true open-minded liberal, I personally vote all around the political party spectrum), speeches like this have to give you pause:

My administration is also committed to defending the most basic institutions and values of this country. We’re working to build a culture of life.¹ We took an important step last November when I signed a law to end the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion. We will vigorously defend this. We will vigorously defend this law against any attempt to overturn it in the courts. I will also continue to support crisis pregnancy centers, and adoption, and parental notification laws. I proposed doubling federal funding for abstinence programs in schools and community-based programs.

In the past two years I have been proud to sign the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act and legislation supporting maternity group homes. I strongly support the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and call upon the United States Congress to send it to my desk. I oppose the use of federal funds for the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research.² I will work with Congress and I will work with Congress to pass a comprehensive and effective ban on human cloning. Human life is a creation of God, not a commodity to be exploited by man.³

I will defend the sanctity of marriage against activist courts and local officials who want to redefine marriage. The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in cultures and by every religious faith. Ages of experience have taught humanity that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society. And government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.⁴ It is for that reason I support a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

¹ It is not the job of government to develop a culture of life. It is certainly not the mission of one administration to mold the country in his personal image. Democrat, Republican, Rainbow Coalition, whatever… stay out of the way I live.
² Stem cell research has the potential of ending the suffering of countless human beings. How can you President Bush deny us this based on his personal religious morals? How can anyone do so? This is not just mixing church and state, this is defining state by church. Can a modern day Inquisition be too far away?
³ To be clear, our beliefs are our own. My taking umbrage at this quote does not even imply that I disagree with him on a personal level… but that’s not the point. The point is that our government should not be saying things anywhere near this. Our government should remember why we separated church and state to begin with.
⁴ All of us, that is, except for anyone with an alternative lifestyle. And the thought of passing a Constitutional Amendment designed to deny a wonderful portion of humanity of their rights is mind-boggling to me.

President Bush, your beliefs are your own, and I respect your right to have them… but don’t tread on me.