WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today refused to join
the overwhelming majority of Congress in voting for legislation she strongly
believes would limit free speech and intrude on American’s First Amendment
rights. The House of Representatives voted to approve H.R. 310, a
bill that would increase fines on broadcast licensees, networks and individuals
found to have violated indecency regulations by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
“There
is already a law on the books that addresses indecency. We need to
get a grip and not embrace a solution that could cause more harm than good.
H.R 310 is one of those solutions,” Schakowsky said.
“With
this bill, Congress is putting Big Brother in charge of deciding what is
art and what is free speech. If enacted, especially with the increased
fines against individual artists, we will see self- and actual censorship
reach new, undesirable heights,” added Schakowsky, who is the ranking Democrat
on the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.
Schakowsky
said that “the threats to our Constitution and to artistic expression are
all too real with H.R. 310.” She pointed to 66 ABC affiliates that
refused to air “Saving Private Ryan” in 2004 after the movie was shown
on Veterans’ Day in 2001 and 2002. Similar legislation to H.R. 310
was moving through Congress in 2004, the same year the affiliates declined
to air the movie. “They were afraid that the award-winning salute
to our veterans would be deemed indecent.”
The
bill fails to address the major concern of citizens across the country
who believe that there is a direct correlation between media consolidation
and the increasing number of objectionable materials on the air.
Schakowsky
said, “I am concerned about the continuing refusal to address what is behind
the decline in broadcasting – the over-concentration of media ownership.
Broadcast content has been getting worse, not because of low fines and
out-of-control talent, but because of the shift away from local control
to ownership by media-conglomerates that have no regard for the varying
community standards.”
“Much
of the furor over indecency has been explained by a desire to protect our
children. I agree that there are many programs on TV that are inappropriate
for my grandchildren, particularly the many shows that depict graphic violence.
I do not want H.R. 310 – or Big Brother – making that decision for me and
their parents. I am much more concerned about the First Amendment
than my grandchildren seeing Janet Jackson’s nipple,” Schakowsky concluded. |