[Teralogos News] Memetic Crimes Bill Fails in Senate

[dlpulver@sjgames.com]

Memetic Crimes Bill Fails in Senate

WASHINGTON DC, United States/Teralogos	June 16, 2101 
 
The Senate rejected a bill which would have criminalized certain kinds of "memetic transmission," with a majority of lawmakers accepting the argument that the bill would fail to pass constitutional muster. The vote was 63 to 55 against the bill, with two senators absent or abstaining. 
 
"Naturally I'm disappointed," said Senator Patrick Walsh (D-Seattle-Tacoma), who was one of the bill's sponsors in the Senate. "There are some awful memes out there, preying on the mental health and well-being of our citizens. We have got to find a way to deal with the criminals who build and release these memes without any thought for the harm they cause." 
 
The decisive vote against the bill was a personal defeat for Walsh, who had staked much of his political reputation on its passage. Opponents of the legislation were jubilant. "This is a victory for the American people," said Linda Cordova, vice president of the advocacy group Thought Freedom. "Senator Walsh and his cronies are very good at muddying the issue. I'll clarify it. Memes are ideas. Memes are speech. From the First Amendment on down, the law says that the government has no business regulating ideas or speech." 
 
Senator Walsh said that he had no plans to re-introduce similar legislation, making it almost certain that no law addressing memetic dissemination will be passed this year. 
 
- filed by Jon F. Zeigler