Sexting Hysteria Breeds Stupid Lawmaking

As predicted by Dr. Marty Klein, Ohio state and local legislators and law enforcement officials, accompanied by Cynthia Logan whose daughter committed suicide for reasons attributed to a nude photo she took of herself, are set to announce a new sexting law which specifically targets children. Make no mistake - if you are a parent in Ohio, your children will now be able to be arrested merely for being stupid sexually, and charged with a misdemeanor. As if our prisons are not already overcrowded with people incarcerated for drug possession and other pointless crimes, we are now plotting to put sexually curious children behind bars.

The answer is to change current child pornography laws so that children are not made victims of the very statutes which are supposed to protect them. Adding this new law that "would make teenagers sending sexually provocative or nude pictures of themselves or others a first degree misdemeanor" is a crime in itself. I find it astounding that so many public officials could actually think that they are protecting children by turning them into criminals, putting blemishes on their records which could keep them out of college or a job, prevent them from getting a loan, etc.

And who is going to decide the definition of "sexually provocative?" Any teenage girl who poses for a photo showing a little cleavage and making pouty lips could be arrested.

In one respect, it's correct that these lawmakers feel that making sex offenders out of children is wrong, But this is not the way to correct a system gone awry.

So what's next? Teens caught half-naked in their cars on lover's lane will be locked up and charged with a crime? What about a teen who gets pregnant after having real in-the-flesh sex - will we lock her up, too? If the law is written to consider the mere image of sexuality to be criminal, it's only logical that eventually the real thing will be outlawed, too.

As a society we cannot keep allowing lawmakers to interfere with our personal lives, to not only take away civil liberties, but parental rights as well. The "nanny state" mentality has really run amok.