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Todd Weiler's bass ackwards view on free speech

Republican Utah Governor Gary Herbert recently signed a bill declaring that pornography is creating a public health crisis. Republican State Senator Todd Weiler, the sponsor of the measure, then appeared on the conservative Family Research Council's program, Washington Watch, when he said this:

"I said to McDonald's, 'You're a family restaurant and you market to children, why would you want to be a purveyor of pornography?' You know, the librarians will put their hands over their hearts and talk about the First Amendment and yet if these libraries and these McDonald's were giving cigarettes to our children, we'd all be up in arms, we'd be picketing them. But somehow it's okay if they deliver pornography to them. That's what I think is often lost in the First Amendment discussion, because someone may have the First Amendment right, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, to view pornography, but what about my First Amendment right to not view it?"

Eh, what? Now I for one don't watch pornography, but still think Senator Weiler has a pretty bass ackwards view regarding the matter.

Let's take another look at the final sentence of Weiler's quote:

"That's what I think is often lost in the First Amendment discussion, because someone may have the First Amendment right, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, to view pornography, but what about my First Amendment right to not view it?"

I may not watch pornography, but I also don't think it should be made illegal, and know that while I have the freedom to watch it if I so choose, I also have the freedom of not watching it. Senator Weiler doesn't seem to realize this, and I'm seriously wondering if he's hooked on porn, to the point where he wants it to be made illegal so he can't watch it. Why else would he say what he did?

"Sure, the Supreme Court made it legal to watch porn, but what if I don't want to watch it? I mean, no matter what I do, it's on. When I wake up in the morning, when I go to bed at night, when I'm in the shower, when I'm driving to work, when I'm at a bar, when I'm at church, it's always on my phone, and I can't stop it!"

Senator Weiler, you have a First Amendment right to not view pornography, so stop watching it! I mean, don't even start... Well, I must be going now. A friend of mine seems to be of the same mindset as Mr. Weiler, is constantly smoking cigarettes, while declaring, "I should have a right to not smoke it!" So yeah, I'll need to have a similar discussion with her. Wish me luck...

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/utah-goper-says-access-pornography-violates-his-right-not-view-it

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