Fucking Arizona again: bill on Brewer's desk to criminalize being "lewd or annoying" on the internet.

[Ken S.]

Fucking Arizona is trying to make it illegal to "annoy" people on the internet.

As summarized by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, “The bill is sweepingly broad, and would make it a crime to communicate via electronic means speech that is intended to ‘annoy,’ ‘offend,’ ‘harass’ or ‘terrify,’ as well as certain sexual speech. Because the bill is not limited to one-to-one communications, H.B. 2549 would apply to the Internet as a whole, thus criminalizing all manner of writing, cartoons, and other protected material the state finds offensive or annoying.”

The bill is currently awaiting Governor Jan Brewer’s signature, and the Media Coalition, which defends first amendment rights in the media, has sent her a letter outlining some of the problems with the legislation.

“H.B. 2549 would make it a crime to use any electronic or digital device to communicate using obscene, lewd or profane language or to suggest a lewd or lascivious act if done with intent to ‘annoy,’ ‘offend,’ ‘harass’ or ‘terrify,’” the letter notes. … ‘Lewd’ and ‘profane’ are not defined in the statute or by reference. ‘Lewd’ is generally understood to mean lusty or sexual in nature and ‘profane’ is generally defined as disrespectful or irreverent about religion or religious practices.”

Notice the part at the end about being "irreverent" or "dsrespectful to religion." Arizona is goddamn terrifying right now. Thank Christ I don't live there.

The real irony here is that all these teabagger assholes bitch constantly bout how they think the federal government is taking their freedoms away, but this is a case where the federal government is going to absolutely protect their most basic rights.

Have you ever noticed that not a single credible, intelligent person has yet arisen from the teabagger movement. It's all fucking morons.
Text of bill.

[Anacanapuna]

May as well shut this place down! I come here just for the purpose of being lewd and annoying.

[Ken S.]

The dumbest thing is that it doesn't even define "annoying." What isn't annoying on the internet? I sure the fuck am.

First they came for the youtube commenters....

[SmartAleq]

This is kinda awesome--if it gets signed in then all of us need to immediately start demanding that the every single member of the AZ legislature who has a web site be arrested because they annoy the fuck out of us by their very existence on teh intarwebz. Hilarity, if not penis, will surely ensue.

[Khampelf]

Froot Loop legislator catering to a constituency that isn't very literate, computer or otherwise. "I tried to make the children safe from bullying, but the system wouldn't let me! But I tried, so you can re-elect me, right?"

The system, in this case, being that pesky Bill of Rights thing.

More Freedom to means less Freedom From, and America has been all about Freedom to.

Until lately, it seems.

[Argyle Sock]

Originally Posted by Ken S.

The dumbest thing is that it doesn't even define "annoying." What isn't annoying on the internet? I sure the fuck am.

First they came for the youtube commenters....

Arizona wants to PermaBox Ken!

Ken! Ken! Go Arizona!

[Mr. Buttons]

Obviously the courts would strike this down at the first challenge. That being said, I'm surprised it wasn't PA or AL that would recommend something this stupid.

[eleanorigby]

They will. Along with other states. We seem to have lost our collective minds.