I can't believe I actually read this.

On Facebook, I've "liked" the page for writer J. Michael Straczynski - the creator of the 1990s show "Babylon 5". He's always been articulate, intelligent and makes people think even when they might disagree with him.

Here's a post that just blew me away:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...39652459402959

I'd rather not post the whole thing but if that link doesn't work I can probably repost the appropriate text. Suffice to say that customs is now intercepting DVDs coming into this country (forcing FedEx and UPS to take them aside) and making the recipient sign a form stating:

"I/we declare the the films/videos contain no obscene or immoral matter, nor any matter advocating or urging treason or insurrection against the United States, nor any threat to take the life of or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the United States."

JMS (as Mr. Staczynski is known) had ordered some video editing software and it had instruction DVDs in it. Now he had to sign a statement about it not having 'obscene' (for which little definition exists) or 'immoral' (for which NO definition exists) material. Apparently this is a new policy because some videos of the Occupy London protests were being shipped around actually got bounced because of this policy - they were afraid that the DVDs were being used to 'coordinate' events (like anyone with a phone or webcam didn't exist).

Now we're censoring ideas?

Quoting from him:

Under this new stipulation, if V for Vendetta had, for instance, been produced in the UK (instead of just filmed there), importing it into the US would be considered subject matter "advocating or urging treason or insurrection." And if you lied about it on the form, you could be held liable for this.

Is this the country we were raised to think we lived in?

When I go to the Department of Homeland Security's homepage there is a link for "Import Safety (HHS) The Working Group on Import Safety is conducting a comprehensive review of current import safety practices and determining where improvements can be made." When you click on the link, it says, "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage."

I wonder what type of "comprehensive review" is underway?

http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/travel-trade.shtm

I guess we're not cleared to know that.

Originally Posted by djplong

I guess we're not cleared to know that.

I suspect that until we know the purpose it would be difficult to draw an opinion. Freedoms and protection of citizens is a very difficult line to walk???

But it's the censoring of *ideas*. That's what's so horrible. Until now, bad ideas were something you could hold up to the light and ridicule for what they were - bad. Now some nanny state government has to protect us from dangerous ideas? Tell me what that sounds like.

Link doesnt work censorship makes you wonder doesnt it face the facts