More stalwart voices line up against the FCC’s puritanical crusade

In the “couldn’t have said it better myself” department, more groups are lining up to protest the FCC’s insane fining policy over indecency. From a Variety article, some wise words in the friend-of-the-court briefs:

“The FCC’s arbitrary censorship system is no more tolerable than allowing government agents to tear pages out of library books”

“A vague and ill-defined standard of decency is a threat to the freedom of expression that AFTRA members and all Americans hold dear” (AFTRA = American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

And my favorite:

“To effectuate its new clean-up-the-airwaves policy, the commission has radically expanded the definition of indecency beyond its original conception; magnified the penalties for even minor, ephemeral images or objectionable language; and targeted respected television programs, movies, even non-commercial documentaries”

Whether these wise words will actually sway a board that holds its own inconsistent view of morals above the law is questionable though it’s good to see that more people are lining up to remind us how off-base and detached from reality that the FCC has become.