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Texas law would make underage sexting a crime
By Ben ReiningaNovember 8th, 2010, 6:14 pmComments (4)
Texas is notorious for doing things backwards when it comes to sex. Metaphorically, at least. Actually "doing things backwards" was illegal in the state until the mid '90s — and it's still frowned upon. Today, the state is back in the news for a proposed law that would make sexting a misdemeanor for minors.
This is relevant for several reasons. Firstly, a pretty annoying portmanteau has officially entered the law books. More importantly, any effort towards criminalizing sexual activity among minors seems out of line. I mean, it's not new that teenagers are showing each other their boobs. It's just new that teenagers are using their cell phones to do it. Sexting -- if it's voluntary and among two kids with no grown-ups involved -- is normal, healthy, and in slightly poor taste. Like Hot Topic and Jamba Juice.
And while we're on the subject -- Texas is one of the staunchest "abstinence-only" states. Which opens an interesting can of worms. How can you make teen sexuality illegal, when you're trying to pretend it doesn't exist?
Commentarium (4 Comments)
The time used looking up "portmanteau" would have been been better spent reading the linked article. While I am loath to defend any Texas law regarding speech and sexuality, this law is a significant improvement over the existing law that exposes the very same teenagers to a much more serious charge of distributing child pornography by sending out pictures of their own private bits. (see, e.g., http://bit.ly/4e8WQh) While not ideal, and possibly unconstitutional for punishing speech that would not be considered obscene, dealing with a misdemeanor charge is a lot easier than having to fight a child pornography charge, and the new law would also tamp down the more zealous prosecutors who would be willing to destroy some poor kid's life to appear though on crime during the next election cycle.
Read the article. It would make the current *felony for child porn* only a misdemeanor. Not that I'm supporting TX sex laws. But folks don't need to wind up on a sex offender list for life just for a few underage sexts.
Is there anything that's legal in Tejas, besides executing innocent people, that is?
Nothing fun