Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill that would ban the sale, creation and distribution of crush videos, or sexual fetish videos showing small live animals being tortured, maimed and crushed by women in heels.

Crush videos were illegal in the U.S. until the Supreme Court overturned the 1999 Crush Act in the case of U.S. v. Stevens last April with the position that it violated the First Amendment right to free speech.

The vote overturned the conviction of Robert Stevens, who was found guilty of selling videotapes of dogfights in 2005. While the Crush Act was intended to target crush porn and other depictions of animal cruelty, some had problems with with the breadth of the law and many were concerned that it would be used to prosecute people with videos of hunting, bullfights or undercover footage.

Unfortunately, after the Crush Act was struck down, the industry has made a comeback, according to Nancy Perry, Vice President of Government Affairs of the Humane Society of the United States.

Since then, a new bill was drafted and passed in the House by a vote of 416-3 in July. The revised senate version, sponsored by Senators Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., Richard Burr, R-N.C. and Jeff Merkely, D-Ore., is a little bit stronger and will now make its way back to the House for approval before going to Obama for his signature.

The Senate bill prohibits the creation of crush videos, in addition to their sale and distribution and does not require proof that the videos were intended for commercial gain, simply having them will be illegal. Additionally, turning materials over to law enforcement would not make someone guilty of possession.

While the First Amendment is vital for our freedom of expression, most of us would agree that materials containing anything showing cruelty to animals simply has no inherent value, and falls on the scale of obscenity or child pornography, which are afforded no constitutional protection.

Don’t let those who abuse the innocent hide behind free speech. Please take a minute to contact your representatives asking them to pass the Senate version of the bill and send it off to the President for a signature and sign Care2’s petition urging Congress to ban videos of animal cruelty.

For more info visit stopcrush.org.

Source Link:  

http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/senate-votes-to-ban-crush-porn/

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional |