An intellectual freedom blog with an emphasis on libraries and technology

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Scary pictures outlawed in Tennessee









Here's one that belongs in one of those books about wacky laws. Only this one is brand new. Tennessee passed a law that imposes a 1 year jail sentence for someone who

"transmit[s] or display[s] an image" online that is likely to "frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress" to someone who sees it.

That's right. Tennessee has given it's citizens the right not to be frightened, intimidated or distressed by a picture on the internet.

Rachel Maddow's show has a great segment on this:

And here's the post from Roger Ebert's blog that tempts the fates. Definitely look at the pictures that Ebert has posted: they're hilarious and wonderful.

Which of the pictures on Ebert's blog post do you love/hate the most? Which picture(s) would frighten, intimidate or cause you emotional distress? Please post your list in the comments.

Pictorial subjects that could get you a year in jail if I were a citizen of Tennessee and decided to press charges:
  • Michael Jackson
  • Ronald Reagan
  • Sarah Palin
  • Any stills or clips from the movie Waterworld
  • Clowns
  • Jesus on the Cross
  • Speaking of which, also any stills or clips from the movie The Passion of the Christ.
  • New Jersey (Maps, satellite pictures, landscapes, Google Earth pictures, all of it)
  • The Confederate flag
  • Food arranged on a plate in the shape of a "happy face"
  • Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker
  • Actually, make that any and all televangelists who ever lived.
  • That weird furniture in the design section of the MOMA that makes me dizzy.
  • Pope Ratzi (or whatever his Pope name is, I can't be bothered to look it up).

I could go on, but I have to end this post sometime.

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