Before I started this site, I wanted to start a blog called youpeople.org because, folks, there are times when you just want to grab the public by the shoulders and yell, “What’s wrong with You People?”
While everyone has heard the phrase, ‘sex sells’, it would be a challenge to find anyone more dedicated to that philosophy for their own personal gain than politicians. And way out ahead of the pack you will find prosecutors.
Nothing exemplifies that approach to self fulfillment quite like the parade of state attorneys general who have hitched their wagon to the moral crusade against craigslist. As described on Huffington Post, seventeen state attorneys general have signed a letter (PDF) demanding that craigslist remove its adult services section.
“Only Craigslist has the power to stop these ads before they are even published,” Kansas attorney general Steve Six said in a statement.
Yes, that is absolutely correct. That’s because the First Amendment prevents the government from doing it itself. Unfortunately, being good students of the persuasion techniques practiced by organized crime, state governments are masters at intimidation when it looks like it could gain them some votes.
The campaign against craigslist didn’t start as a grass roots movement. It started as a crusade by a noisy minority who are adept at stirring up public emotion with visions of children being exploited.
“No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist,” the letter said.
Women who advertise on criagslist are invariably described as idiots with no will of their own to resist exploitation by evil pimps and slave masters. They have to be victims, otherwise who would get worked up about it? And, of course, a lot of them have to be children for the same reason.
While wearing sheets is out of fashion, there should be no mistake that these state attorneys general are using persecution of a favorite target as a means to inflame the public’s mob mentality. They might as well be carrying torches and pitchforks. And the public, knowing that it would be impolite to demand actual numerical evidence that rises above the level of guesses and delusional claims, mindlessly goes along with the hysteria. Who would oppose those whose only wish is to “help women and children”? But, the last time I heard, a willingness to be your brother’s keeper wasn’t sufficient reason to burn the Constitution.
My message to the people of these states is this:
Well, folks, your wish is coming true. In your fervor to impose your narrow personal values on everyone else, You People have created a monster who will enthusiastically piss on free speech in order to carry out your will. But, be warned. The monster is pretty kinky. He likes a threesome, so don’t be surprised to find him in your bed as a supervising partner deciding what does or doesn’t constitute acceptable behavior between you and your lover.
P.S. I intentionally avoided mention of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley simply because if I started writing about her, this post would have turned into a book. She is probably one of the most self-serving and parasitic of politicians, having mastered the craft of exploiting children and sex hysteria for her own personal benefit. In a contest to be the antichrist, Coakley would be a leading contender.
