Maryland strikes again

[Tim Wicinski <wicinski@nrl-css.ARPA>]

This state called Maryland (you know the one with the commercial "Ohhh,
the state I'm in".  I always thought it was the state of mind of the 
scantily clad wench singing the song, but forget it) is trying to amend
an already existing law that would outlaw the sales of all obscene 
records and tapes to minors.  This article is from Saturday, Feb. 8 
Washington Post. My comments are in [].

   X-RATED-LYRICS BILL ON MARYLAND SLATE
    Measure Would Outlaw Sales to Minors

Richard Harrington, Washington Post Staff Geek [actually okay dude, 
always trys to push the Hardcore shows, recommneded Descendent, etc]

The Maryland state legislature is considering a bill that would make it a 
crime, punishable by a fine or jail term, to sell records, tapes, or
laser discs with state-determined obscenity values to anyone under 18.
[This is like the Film censor gone mad.]

The bill would force retailers to segregates materials along the lines
of X-rated videocasettes or explicit magazines. Young consumers would need
identification to buy such material. Under the measures, introduced in
the Maryland Assembly's Judicary Committee by state Del. Judith Toth
(D-Montgomery) [picture also. Looks like she's been visited by some
kind of hofmann in the dead of night who was chanting "anal vapors, anal
vapors."] in early January, first time penalities would be a maximum $1,000
fine or a year in jail, while repeat offenses could bring $5,00 fines
and three years in jail. 

If the bill passes before the Maryland legistature adjourns on April 7,
it will be the first such state law in the nation. [wow, fucking trensetters]

Toth says that House Bill 111 [should be 666] simply amends Maryland's
existing codes prohibiting the sale of pornographic materials
to minors.

[...blah..]

The rest says no one should up to testify at the hearings, The record 
chains said they were never notified and called it "a repulsive concept."
Wow, heavy duty.  Also the article says this Toth wanker gets all her
materials from, guess who ?? that's right, the PRMC. Now you know where
she's coming from. 

What I want to know is how are they going to decide what's obscene
and what's not ?? Will Prince's "Erotic City" or Sheena Easton's "Sugar
Walls" be labeled obscene, even though these songs were HITS.  Now,
maybe the Mentors might just be banned all together, but I have a
felling (I don't know why, I just do) that's this will be very biased.
This is what the PRMC wants !! They want to put some panel to rate 
records just like the Maryland Censor board used to rate and censor
films.   

tim