Keep track of this bill at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1966
At a time when freedom of speech is already under attack like never
before, a shocking new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would
make it a felony to offend someone online.
A felony.
Under this new law you would not just be slapped on the wrist and have to pay a fine.
You would go to big boy prison.
While
most free speech activists have been watching the recent "hate crimes"
bill, this much more insidious piece of legislation has received almost
no notice whatsoever.
Just take a look at what H.R. 1966 actually says.....
Whoever
transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the
intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional
distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe,
repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Whoa.
So if you offend someone on Facebook you could go to federal prison for two years?
Yup.
If your blog insults someone and causes them to feel bad you could go to prison for two years?
Yeppers.
If
you are in a bad mood one day and you send fire off an angry tweet on
Twitter that you maybe should not have you could go to prison for two
years over it?
Yes indeed.
Are you starting to get the picture yet?
Talk about an attempt to chill free speech. [DO NOT SUBMIT TO FEAR] - (Emphasis mine)
So
if someone reads something that you have written and it makes them feel
bad they can take it to the feds and have them come get you?
That is a very, very frightening thought. [SO THE TIME IS NOW TO STAND UP]
The
reality is that the government is increasingly trying to control even
the very small details of our lives. They are even increasingly trying
to control what we say and what we think.
Freedom of speech is
one of the cornerstones of a free society. If we are not free to
express ourselves without the fear that someone will be offended, then
what freedom will we really have left?
The reality is that if we
do not stand up to this, the United States of America will quickly
become overrun with politically-correct "commissars" who are eager to
throw anyone who disagrees with them in jail for "hate crimes" and
"thought crimes".
Things are already out of control in the
United Kingdom. Did you know that there are actually undercover
officers in some areas of the U.K. that sit in bars and restaurants
listening for anyone who might say something offensive or racist?
You may laugh, but the United States is quickly heading down that road.
The full text of H.R. 1966 is below.....
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http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1966:
Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act (Introduced in House)
HR 1966 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1966
To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to cyberbullying.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 2, 2009
Ms.
LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California (for herself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. YARMUTH,
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. BRALEY of
Iowa, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HARE, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. SARBANES, Mr.
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. COURTNEY, and Mr. KIRK) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to cyberbullying.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Four out of five of United States children aged 2 to 17 live in a home
where either they or their parents access the Internet.
(2) Youth who create Internet content and use social networking sites are more likely to be targets of cyberbullying.
(3)
Electronic communications provide anonymity to the perpetrator and the
potential for widespread public distribution, potentially making them
severely dangerous and cruel to youth.
(4) Online victimizations are associated with emotional distress and other psychological problems, including depression.
(5)
Cyberbullying can cause psychological harm, including depression;
negatively impact academic performance, safety, and the well-being of
children in school; force children to change schools; and in some cases
lead to extreme violent behavior, including murder and suicide.
(6)
Sixty percent of mental health professionals who responded to the
Survey of Internet Mental Health Issues report having treated at least
one patient with a problematic Internet experience in the previous five
years; 54 percent of these clients were 18 years of age or younger.
SEC. 3. CYBERBULLYING.
(a) In General- Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Sec. 881. Cyberbullying
(a)
Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication,
with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial
emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support
severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title
or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(b) As used in this section–
(1)
the term ‘communication’ means the electronic transmission, between or
among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s
choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as
sent and received; and
(2) the term `electronic means’ means any
equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information
service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites,
telephones, and text messages.’.
(b) Clerical Amendment- The table
of sections at the beginning of chapter 41 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
881. Cyberbullying.’.
