Inside Scoop

Profit, Intolerance and the Freedom to Disagree

We've become a nation of Ferengi. If you watch any of the Star Trek shows on TV, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, don' worry, Lucy, I'll explain. The Ferengi are a vertically-challenged race whose culture is built on the sacred pursuit of profit; indeed, making profit is the only reason for a male Ferengi to exist. Yes, male. Female Ferengi are relegated to cooking, cleaning and bearing children, all while au naturale. Clothing is for men, you see.

I bring this up as I step onto my soap box. This is supposed to be a column about marketing and advertising, and those subjects will come up, but some things just gotta be bitched about. I bring this up because we're becoming Ferengi ourselves, a people capable of no action that doesn't have 'Profit' as its ultimate goal. The recent passing of the new Telecommunications Bill - particularly the provisions that make illegal the dissemination of "indecent" material on the Internet - is motivated solely and completely by the insatiable, vampire-like hunger for profit. Nothing more.

Those of you who protest that the bill is a crusade to keep the delicate minds of our children unsullied by the filth and perversion of pornographers, I offer this mild reproof: "Open your %#@&*$@ eyes!" As I ranted in a previous column, this ban on Internet content, like all censorship, is not motivated by a selfless interest in the greater good. Nor is it the product of misty-eyed Congressional kid lovers who are worried about the minds and hearts of our young'uns. The ban on "indecent" material has been fueled by Conservative (read: terrified of change) politicians whose campaigns are in turn fueled by funds and support from vocal, powerful right-wing conservatives like the Ralph Reed's Christian Coalition.

Simply put, like most fundamentalists, these ignorant Bible-flingers have an extremist agenda which does not allow for any ideas that contradict their narrow, Scripture-fed view of How Jesus Said Things Should Be. The grass roots right-wingers, many of whom have probably never even seen the Web, express their disapproval over the "pornography" they've heard can be found on that Internet thing, and their leaders listen. Said leaders make it known to their Congressional representatives that continued support and funding will depend on legislating this "filth" out of existence so that "decent people" (read: Christians) can surf the 'Net in safety. The reps, showing all the backbone and integrity that politicos are so known for, trip over each other to pass a bill that placates the God Squad and screws over those of us who value free speech.

Yeah, I'm a little worked up about it all. I'm worked up because this all reflects on a culture that will gladly sacrifice ethics, morals, education, free speech, art, the environment and anything else that gets in the way as long as there's a pot of dollars at the end of the chase. It's disgusting, and I worry.

Now, before I get too carried away, let's bring this back to the context of the Internet. This bill affects every one of us who use the 'Net, restricting our rights to free expression. To me and many people like me, there's nothing more vile. True, the right to free speech has been used to defend some pretty stupid causes, from graffiti on buildings to distributing hate literature to people's homes. But overall, it's the most important right we possess as journalists, business people, and citizens. As with everything else, that right has become road kill on the Interstate to political dollars.

If you're an advertiser on the Web, you might think you're really not affected. And many companies that run ads or maintain sites to tell users about their company and products may not be affected. But what if you're a firm that sells lingerie? Or sexual devices that people use in the privacy of their bedrooms? Or condoms? What if your site contains Calvin-Klein style photos of semi-nude people that most of us would consider artsy but Uncle Newt considers smut? When you really look at it, the vagueness of that word "decency" leaves a lot of loopholes for censorship and prosecution.

So what do you do about the Telecommunications Bill if you're an online advertiser (ah, finally the windbag gets to the point!)? My advice is...nothing. First off, the ACLU (another subject on which my opinions run thick and acidic) has tied the bill up in court for the present time, so you can pretty much act as before. Second, with 100,000+ Web sites and counting, it's gonna be pretty tough for any agency to monitor and confirm what they consider to be "indecent" content, much less do something about it.

Third, and most important, this is too important for any of us to give in. Several groups have already started "civil disobedience" e-mail campaigns, and more are on the way. In essence, my advice is to fight this censorship by looking it in the eye and saying "Go ahead, arrest me," and continuing to publish what you feel is right and necessary. Am I advising you to break the law? Yes. Am I suggesting that you engage in an activity that could get you fined and cost your business money? Affirmative. But for the sake of all of us who value free speech and who loathe ignorance and intolerance, do it. Do it for the most important of reasons, a reason other than the bottom line. Fight back because it's the right thing to do.

Peace.

Tim Vandehey

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