Law Made Naughty
It’s been kind of interesting watching the local TV stations try and report the news tonight. As good newsies, when the Supreme Court makes an significant ruling on free speech involving the home town police department, it’s almost like there’s a duty to cover the story. But then of course, there’s the FCC and the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, et al. No one wants to be fined for being smutty, and certainly no one is going to be as blunt as to say:
Respondent John Roe, a San Diego police officer, made a video showing himself stripping off a police uniform and masturbating. He sold the video on the adults-only section of eBay, the popular online auction site. His user name was “Codestud3@aol.com,” a word play on a high priority police radio call. The uniform apparently was not the specific uniform worn by the San Diego police, but it was clearly identifiable as a police uniform. Roe also sold custom videos, as well as police equipment, including official uniforms of the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), and various other items such as men’s underwear. Roe’s eBay user profile identified him as employed in the field of law enforcement. [citations omitted]
And no local newsies are going to have the cajones to say something in the following paragraph like:
In response to a request by an undercover officer, Roe produced a custom video. It showed Roe, again in police uniform, issuing a traffic citation but revoking it after undoing the uniform and masturbating.
But then again, the local newsies aren’t the Supreme Court. The Supremes can write the big words and get away with it, just like I can here, or the print media can. Freedom of speech; it’s a wonderful thing. C’mon kiddies – get your online smut and your legal education all in one place. Read the opinion here and when the bells and whistles go off telling all your co-minions and that pesky librarian that someone’s being NSFW, say proudly.”F off, it’s not smut. It’s our Supreme Court in action.”
