Military Honor and Decency Act

[Capper]

Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., has proposed H.R. 5821, the so-called “Military Honor and Decency Act” to close a “loophole” in the law that allows nudie magazines to be sold on military bases. Irony alert! If it passes, the people who are fighting the taliban, allegedly to protect our freedom, will no longer have the freedom to buy the latest issue of Penthouse.

“Our troops should not see their honor sullied so that the moguls behind magazines like Playboy and Penthouse can profit,” said Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., unveiling his House bill April 16. (source)

Broun trotted out the typical anti-porn rhetoric, spouted from pulpits and womens’ studies departments nationwide.

“Allowing sale of pornography on military bases has harmed military men and women by escalating the number of violent, sexual crimes, feeding a base addiction, eroding the family as the primary building block of society, and denigrating the moral standing of our troops both here and abroad.” (source)

If our military members are so fragile that they can’t take the sight of a naked woman (or man) in a magazine without falling apart, we’re going to need to hire some mercenaries to handle our foreign expeditions. Anyone soft enough to lose it over Penthouse isn’t really fit to write traffic tickets, let alone tote an M-16.
The measure was specifically targeted at Playboy and Penthouse. Those two publications made it through an earlier, less restrictive, review process. The military censorship board decided that both Penthouse and Playboy had “enough nonsexual content to be acceptable.” (source)
One veteran made a particularly sharp point:

So what basis does this Paul Broun make on pornography being unsuitable for us to view? As a former paramedic was I able to view the human body injured, mishapen, diseased and traumatized for the good of the country, but unable to exercise individual responsibility by going to a strip club on a Friday night? (source)

Another military member had this to say:

Still, the irksome thing about the Christian Taliban trying to deny everyone else anything they don’t approve of is that it creates a more uptight and less “fun” military. Good thing the Recession arrived to ensure retention.
The Cold War USAF, for example, was a “work hard, play hard” environment. Now it’s a “one mistake Air Force” where it’s all work and boring wholesomeness (well, someone ELSES idea of wholesomeness) instead of real martial spirit. Now that we are gradually morphing into a drone deployment corporation this may not matter much…but consider the people who want to micromanage what you read are displaying UTTER contempt for YOU by restricting YOUR choices. (source)

Yet another made this point:

Bottom line, I’ve been to Iraq twice now and sacrificed for the country and its freedom. What the hell are these Republican fundamentalists to push their morality on us? (source)

Amen, brother.
Oh, I almost forgot the best part. Broun’s justification for this measure? He doesn’t want government funds to go toward procurement of pornographic materials. When he was informed that the PX doesn’t give the magazines away, and that the base exchanges are self-funded, a Broun spokesman responded with this zinger.

Broun’s spokesman John Kennedy contended that taxpayer dollars are involved — “used to pay military salaries, so taxpayer money is, in effect, being used to buy these materials,” he said.

A man in uniform replies:

If the senator thinks that taxpayer money is used to buy these items because our salary comes from taxes I feel that all government employees should be subjected to the same standards. This should not include just pornography, but also alcohol, tobacco, violent video games & movies, any clothing that is a color other than white or black(could over stimulate your senses otherwise), spending more than $10 on a haircut, or anything else someone can come up with that would make him have to give up something. We are paid for services rendered and we should be allowed to spend our money in a way we see fit. Last time I checked all mombers of the military are legally adults and therefore can make decisions for themselves. (source)

Paul Broun, you are the ass-hat of the week, and the first to bear the title “Ass hat who hates our freedom and hates our troops.”
Runners up for the ass-hat award are the 16 freedom and troop hating sleazes who co-sponsored the bill. Take a bow, y’all.

Paul Broun hates our freedom and hates our troops « The Legal Satyricon

what an asshat, probably has subscriptions to all these mags, and more......Why are people like this making decisions for us?

[screwballl]

That is a tough call.... I understand the need to maintain a specific public face of integrity and honor but on the other hand if this is kept private whether stateside or overseas it is their personal freedom...

[Hitman]

That's BS!!!, Porn Mags are one of the few "Sexual" outlets Military Members deployed have. It's not about profit, it's about soldier moral.

[Capper]

Yeah, I agree with Joe completely......

#1 the PX is FOR SOLDIERS to shop....and a place where they can save a little money to make up for crap wages.

#2 The mags are in plastic wrappers with any nudity or offensive material gerally covered or sealed....they aren't at the register next to the anal beads (they might be at the Navy stores).

#3 Who the frick does this asshat think he is? What gives him the right to tell these guys what they can and can't buy? Its already an embarrassment that these kids can fight and die for their country, but can't drink......but for these guys who are deployed much of the time, or training to be deployed much of the time, they need a release.

Back in the early 90's, we had a Brigade Commander, whose wife thought it was a good idea to ban alcohol and porn on base.......needless to say, she was told to shut her yap pretty quick.

Too bad guys like this can't put their energy into bringing our troops home, or fixing the economy.

[Hitman]

Thank God Penthouse and Playboy delivers to APO's.

[Tech Geek Deluxe]

Honor and morality cannot be regulated ... it is dishonorable and immoral to try.

[Capper]

Originally Posted by Tech Geek Deluxe

Honor and morality cannot be regulated ... it is dishonorable and immoral to try.

Well said

[OcciferFriendly]

Originally Posted by Tech Geek Deluxe

Honor and morality cannot be regulated ... it is dishonorable and immoral to try.

+1 - Quote of the month here!

This guy's an asshat - why not deal with REAL problems.....

There are enough restrictions to military life as it is, you don't need to go finding more to add......

[qazwsx]

isn't it ironic and pathetic that America are apparently fighting for things like peace, freedom and equal rights ect.. when this guy wants to take away the freedom for a soldier to look at a porn mag?

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by qazwsx

isn't it ironic and pathetic that America are apparently fighting for things like peace, freedom and equal rights ect.. when this guy wants to take away the freedom for a soldier to look at a porn mag?

That's what I was thinking too! I totally disagree with this. Our soldiers should have the same rights and privileges as anyone else in the USA!