This petition is being created in response to ongoing regulation and proposed legislation being written and enforced by the federal government against radio broadcasters for material deemed to be \"indecent\" or \"obscene\", whereas material presented elsewhere (television, print media, internet) is not being regulated in an equal, fair manner. In the Supreme Court\'s ruling, FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978), the Supreme Court held that the government could constitutionally regulate indecent broadcasts. In addition, the Court quoted the Commission\'s definition of indecency with apparent approval. The definition, \"language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs.\" Though we, as citizens of the United States, uphold and respect the Supreme Court and its\' rulings, we do not feel that the Pacifica ruling is applicable in 2004 with regards to \"contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium\". We also ask our government to recognize the rights of United States citizens to make decisions for themselves and their dependents regarding what media they are exposed to throughout any given day. We are asking our elected officials and all federal employees to take into consideration the definition of the word \"prurient\" and its gross misuse when referring to media broadcasters and their shows. We also ask these individuals to take into consideration the moral and ethical values present in American society today and to no longer broadly define a word that is currently being used to lump together mainstream radio talk shows with child pornograhy or even pornography itself. We find it reprehensible that such actions are being taken against radio and broadcasting companies in such a public manner, whereas more public action is not being taken by federal organizations to fight child pornography and violent \"reality\" pornography that portrays actual events of crimes such as rape for sexual arousal. We ask our government officials to distinguish between content that is sexuall oriented and content whose sole purpose is sexual arousal.

Sponsor

Links