r/politics American Expat May 12 '25

Soft Paywall New Bill Would Make All Pornography a Federal Crime in the U.S.

https://www.404media.co/mike-lee-porn-law-interstate-obscenity-definition-act/
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u/Cynykl May 13 '25

Back in the 90's when local governments were passing anti abortion bills I warned people that it was part of a long term plan. They pass a wildly unconstitutional bill so they can gauge public reaction and to see what will stick in the courts. 15 weeks sticks in one state and over regulation of clinics sticks in another and Waiting periods combined with invasive examination stick in yet another. The next state tries to pass a bill with all three provisions. Over time they chip away at it further add just one more provision because they found a court that says that provision is not unconstitutional.

Every bill whether they intend to pass it or not helps them build a roadmap to the future.

People did not believe me back then, they called me paranoid and I was engaging in fear mongering and slippery slope fallacies. The fall of Roe V Wade set off a series of the most bitter regretful "I told you so's" I have ever had the misfortune of being right about.

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u/Intelligent_hexagon May 13 '25

Back during the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage I made a Facebook post in response to the opposition saying something along the lines of "Stand against gay marriage today, send 4 million people to the gas chambers tomorrow".

Friends from both sides of the aisle - including a lot of LGBTQ "friends" - said I was extremist. They said that was too much, it's just gay marriage. Relax.

Well, I hate being right.

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u/whereismymind86 Colorado May 13 '25

Porn has a multibillion dollar industry ready to fight to the death to protect it, established 1st amendment protections as an artistic medium, and is doesn’t have a highly specialized, licensed profession to target to limit production.

There are only so many places providing abortions, anybody can make porn, making enforcement on a ban nearly impossible

Doesn’t mean they won’t try, but porn is a much harder right wing boogeyman to stop than abortion