FCC Strikes Again!

The Federalist Christian Censors have struck again!

Today is Veteran's Day, a day to remember those who served in defense of America. People like my father, who saw active combat in the Bay of Pigs and was on point on board the USS Joseph P. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. People like my grand-uncle, who served and died in World War II.

The folks at ABC thought that it would be appropriate to mark the day by airing the Steven Spielberg movie "Saving Private Ryan", which was based on an actual account of World War II and of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. They've done this before without any problems, so they figured that they can do it again this year.

But not so fast. The movie contains GRAPHIC depictions of combat, including all of the blood and gore associated with war. Plus some of the soldiers used profanity. They weren't all choir boys saying "Golly" and "Gee wilikers"!

And due to the contract ABC signed with Spielberg, this movie CANNOT BE EDITED FOR CONTENT! That means that if ABC wants to air this movie, they have to air it uncut, uncensored, and unedited! All of those nasty words and blood and guts and severed limbs have to stay if ABC wants people to see this movie.

Now in the past, if TV stations wanted to air something that would obviously be disturbing to bible-thumpers and freedom-haters, all they had to do was go to the FCC and get a waiver. CBS did that with "Schindler's List", and ABC did that in the past with "Private Ryan". But this year, the FCC refuses to issue such a waiver. They're also not warning broadcasters that they could be fined for airing this movie. They're essentially leaving it up to TV stations to decide whether or not this movie is worth risking their broadcasting license over.

So several ABC affiliates have made the conscious decision to NOT air the movie, stating that until they can assertion whether or not they would be punished for the content of the movie, they will err on the side of caution. They will, instead, air local programming or rehashed grade-Z specials like "Return to Mayberry".

THIS IS CENSORSHIP! This is the iron hand of the imperialist government lording over broadcasters, baiting them to get in trouble so they can act. This is what the politicians mean when they talk about "family values" and "moral integrity". They're talking about bringing in and using THIS kind of power over us!

You still think it's just Eminem? You think it's just Marilyn Manson? You think it's just Madonna and Britney Spears? You think it's just about Mancow and Howard Stern? Once you bring in censorship to squash the things that you don't like, you open the door to censoring the things that you DO like!

THIS is your government at work, boys and girls. This is the government that YOU voted for. Now aren't you proud of yourself?