The Federal Bureau of Investigation is recruiting agents for a new anti-pornography squad to be based in the Washington, D.C. field office.
Early last month, the bureau’s Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as “one of the top priorities” of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of “the Director.” That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.
Mischievous commentary began propagating around the water coolers at 601 Fourth St. NW and its satellites, where the FBI’s second-largest field office concentrates on national security, high-technology crimes and public corruption.
The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against “manufacturers and purveyors” of pornography — not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.
“I guess this means we’ve won the war on terror,” said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. “We must not need any more resources for espionage.”
Among friends and trusted colleagues, an experienced national security analyst said, “it’s a running joke for us.”
A few of the printable samples:
“Things I Don’t Want On My Résumé, Volume Four.”
“I already gave at home.”
“Honestly, most of the guys would have to recuse themselves.” — Washington Post
The article goes on to point out the obvious, that porn is much more widely accepted in the U.S. now than it was in the “good old days” of Ed Meese.
Congress began funding the obscenity initiative in fiscal 2005 and specified that the FBI must devote 10 agents to adult pornography. The bureau decided to create a dedicated squad only in the Washington Field Office. “All other field offices may investigate obscenity cases pursuant to this initiative if resources are available,” the directive from headquarters said. “Field offices should not, however, divert resources from higher priority matters, such as public corruption.”
And this isn’t child porn, either. It’s your regular, garden variety, adult porn. You know, the stuff that’s perfectly legal for people over 18 to enjoy in the privacy of their own bedrooms. At least in most places. And when the Supreme Court doesn’t have their heads up their asses.
We’re looking for things to cut out of the federal budget to pay for the reconstruction of New Orleans and Iraq, right? Here’s a good one to get rid of.
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Tropical WeatherLast week, in the wake of another uptick in the official unemployment rate, the administration continued to claim that their economic policies were working, just not fast enough. Not only does the administration have a funny way of ending a war, but now they claim their economic policies are successful. For whom, I wonder?
Gardner Goldsmith teams up with Brett Veinotte, of the excellent School Sucks Project and the School Sucks podcast. Gard and Brett discuss the impetus of the series and project, and why public education must be stopped.
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J. Terry
Sep 21, 2005
Big Brother:
Apparently the FBI and general government has too much free time and funds to waste it on something that should be left up to the adults of this country to police for themselves. What ever happened to the right of free speach/press? You don’t like to see porn in any capacity then don’t look. Personally I don’t want to see your bible thumping witnessing however you don’t see me trying to outlaw your bible do you?
Big brother you are getting too far out of hand. This is a country that was founded on freedom to express ones self as long as it doesn’t harm others. The adults posing in porn pictures are doing it of thier own consent and accord.
Get a life and concentrate on important issues, war, terrorisum, and taking care of our own people. Save the money and use it for medical care, or to feed the homeless or something constructive , oh wait I am talking about our government. In that case keep buying those 600.00 toilet seats, and sit on it.
Thank you
Jason
Sep 21, 2005
If you’re going to tell them to concentrate on important issues, please don’t include the baulderdash that is war and terrorism.
:)
Coyote Osborne
Sep 22, 2005
While they’re at it, in addition to ending the “Warn on Porn,” which is one of the most asinine things I can think of to spend money on, maybe they could save some more money by scaling back the “War on Drugs” too, and at least decriminalize less harmful things like Marijuana. I can think of about a jillion things that money and energy could be spent on in this country, than preventing people from looking at naughty pictures.
But of course, the bill on all of these unecessary things is miniscule compared to the amount of money we’re spending to commit acts of war, alienate other countries, get our soldiers killed, and bail out large corporations that mismanage national resources like energy and retirement plans and run infrastructure like airlines into the ground.
Don’t people realize that the money for these things comes out of their paychecks? And that the time comes from people who could be working at things that benefit the country more? And that the lives often ruined or destroyed can’t be replaced?
Maybe I’m just grouchy.
I don’t think porn or pot are worth expending my personal energy on, and that’s a decision I’m capable of making for myself. I don’t need the governemt to protect me from porn, because I do not _care_ if someone wants to look at porn.
Michael Hampton
Sep 22, 2005
Coyote, it sounds like you’re becoming (or already are) a libertarian. Welcome!
Darrell Ford
Nov 17, 2005
Allthough wasting funds on fighting porn is an issue. What the real issue is here, is the freedom as an American Adult to be able to make the choice to view it or not. Sure Child porn laws should be enforced, but if we let them take our rights of viewing our choice of material made by adults, with adult, for adults.. Then we may as well change the name of this country while we are at it. How does United States Of Communist America sound?
Michael Hampton
Nov 17, 2005
Hm, I prefer United Soviet Socialist America, myself.
tom
Dec 08, 2005
now the war on porn is odd. cause obscenity laws are to protect a community.let say run porn site out of home.
ware the content is bought wholsale or supplied from 3rd party or simply me and my wife doing in front of camra. obscenity laws do not apply because my website is just as accessible by next door naighber as is some guy in new york or idaho but thare are so many community standerds thare the internet would become well g grated would be a under statement oh ya my son has hand fetish so eveyone in his school has to ware big clonky gloves but my doughter has glove fetish!!!!
and since the internet is global network should india be alowed to force all women to cover thair faces on the internet dont any mention that india has fiterd out all porn because they done by negative filtering so if site is not a list it is automatically baned in india so unles some authority has screened the site of lexmark.com it would be banned until it screened and it could banned again if some poeple complain that it is obscene this would never work in america
SHUOLD THE FIRST AMENDMENT READ SOMTHING LIKE THIS
all poeple have the freedom of speech unless other wise dictated by law. all speech is protected unless other wise dictated by law
a good gov is a absent 1
Dec 08, 2005
artistic mariet if one enjoys veiwing or listening to something than it has artistic mariet
so if some content is intended to ofend everyone who veiws or listens to it it would have no artistic mariet but porn has artistic mariet people like veiwing it and since the internet is a global network no one contry has the right to impose thare moral standerds on it so denmak can sell pot and the dutch can sell prustudes so how does some small town in texas have the right to ban porn witch is leagle most of europe and in good part of asia
so shuould izbekistan be alowed to ban the idea of women geting education from the internet or iran be alowed to force all women to cover thare faces on the internet this is the precedent we are setting ya I gess porn is demeaning to women hay without sex you wouldnt be here to protest it I want the internet to be uncensord as nobody has the right to censor the free speech of the whole planet but soon everyone will be able to define obscenity by thare standerds impose it world wide MY bid no redcoats because the represent slavery by representing the united federation of states
those wish to ban sex should follow thare own advice and not pass this on to to thare children oh what children or we could solve to whole problem no sex = no children to expose to it no children = the extinction of the humane race so thare you have promblem solved
the right wing is not right and left wing is certainly not
Jan 01, 2006
Give up your freedom for a false sense of security - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity
Jun 05, 2006
5 GigaWatt Lizard » Confessions of a Republican Defector (Wonders Never Cease Pt 1)
Tyler Muck
Dec 08, 2006
these guys are morons they cant get rid of all of the porn in the united states
Anonymous
Jul 04, 2007
I have watched some porn on the internet, and while I don,t see any redeaming value about porn, it should be a person’s right to look at that stuff if they want. I mean more than 40 million females have paid to have their babies killed in the womb. I am not as concered about the people watching it as I am about the young people who perform in porn. Most of it is really quite disgusting and there are probably a lot of people who are influenced by watching the stuff. I think a person who wants to watch it should be willing to pay for a permit to watch porn on the internet.Dwayne
ghodh
Nov 11, 2009
“as not what your country can do for you, it’s what you can do for your contry”
go blow a load on mother russia for the team=p