Anti-gambling law vs free speech = total hypocrisy

It is bad enough that the state of Washington passed an anti-online gambling law that puts gambling on the same felony level as child pornography, but now they are going after people for even posting information about gambling or discussing it. This is from the same state that advertises all the time to get people to buy lottery tickets, which is of course, gambling. It is completely stupid - they are not only targetting gambling, but just speaking about it:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003062386_danny15.html

I swear, I do not know what the hell is going on in this country. The priorities are so completely out of whack, it is not even funny. Even worse is that little by little, all those wonderful freedoms we are supposedly fighting for in Iraq and elsewhere are being assaulted day after day by the very people elected to protect them. * sigh *

Such bullshit. The state and prosecutor should be ashamed.

If this is challenged in court, once it gets out of the state(at least) the law banning speaking of it will be declared unconstitutional.Banning advertising is one thing - as long as the state doesn't advertise either. Banned open discussion is another.

You would be surprised - courts upheld making it illegal to link to DVD decryption software, or to discuss how to bypass the encryption, under the wonderful DMCA. Companies even try to use it to suppress discussion of legitimate security flaws. There are all kinds of attacks on free speech that actually do get upheld - it depends on how powerful the lobbying group is.

On one hand, on the list of things I would strike out of existance if I could, gambling is right up there near #1.

On the flip side, fuck you, Washington State.

Online gambling is illegal in Washington so it only makes sense that "aiding and abetting" would also be illegal.

So be outraged that they made online gambling illegal, but unless we're going to allow discussions, instructions, reviews and ads for all other illegal activities this is much ado about nothing.

Since child porn is the new trendy comparison; let's start a discussion board on how to find and download child porn without getting caught. Let's add reviews of child porn sites and ad links to the best ones. Unless you're willing to allow all that too, then there is no free speech issue here.

Wow I hadn't even heard of this...

Interesting... my roommate's boyfriend used to spend hours at a time playing Poker online, wonder what he's gonna do now..

My guess is he will spend hours at a time playing poker online.

Said it before, I'll say it again.
You guys need a revolution over there.

this is the state that, until recently didn't have an anti-lynching law. so this is unsurprising

High Times Magazine has a whole business model surrounding the discussion of illegal activities. I'm sure they've had their day in court by now..but they're still publishing..

So, folks, remember...

Thos who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.

Of course in the 86 years that lynchings are recorded, Washington State only had 26... or, .5% of the total that occured in the U.S. over that time.


Ok, it's a stupid law that is extremely unenforceable... what does that have to do with lynchings? Want me to start talking about dumbass legislation that's been passed in every other state in the U.S.?

ok calm down, now don'tcha think lynchings are a good thing to make illegal, no matter what the numbers are? Isn't one lynching, too many? Now that being said, I still find this laughable.

And the lobbying group in this case probably consists of the brick and mortar casinos. Although sometimes they limit themselves to funding right-wing religious lobbying...

That's captialism!

Well, without wishing to demonise the USA much

You have a country in which a company selling coffee can be sued by a customer because the customer finds the coffee is too hot.....

Don't you think that indicates a country needing either a wake up call or a big nappy?

You, as a country are managing to sue your doctors out of practicing, have absurd laws, such as the gambling issue, because apparently you need protecting.

Stop sueing and you will get fewer absurd and childish laws in place.

Much as I hate the UK laws, which are following the US, with the 'Nanny State' as we call it, I would hate to be a US citizen, with your control and command mentality.

I was with some guys from Texas earlier this week and their tales of the 'orthodox' American way, were just Orwellian. Children bust ups, resulting in litigation, using excessive water resulting in litigation, animals straying, resulting in litigation, cars parked in the wrong place and the neighbour sues. It seems that if you aren't wrapped up in cotton wool someone in the US will sue, although I am sure someone will point out the slave trade in the cotton fields, find an ancestor and demand that 'wrapped in cotton wool' be banned as a term for 'over protection' as it denegrates those subjected to the slave trade.

Freedom of speach means nothing when you can be sued for pursuing it.

Much as your political leaders think the rest of the world wants your democracy, I assure you much of the rest of the world laughs at your democracy.