From:    the Bard
Subject: Censorship of recordings

DON'T PASS THE BUCK
 STOP CENSORSHIP

Arizona Senate Bill 1481: A bill to sticker so-called "offensive"  records.

  "No person may sell or offer to sell any audio recording
  phonograph record, magnetic tape, or compact disc which
  contains lyrics describing, advocating or encouraging sodomy,
  incest, beastiality, sadomasochism, or any other sexual
  conduct in a violent context, satanism, murder or morbid
  violence or which contain lyrics advocating or encouraging the
  use of illegal drugs or alcohol unless the cover of the
  recording contains a parental warning label."

  -S.B. 1481 Paragraph A

REASONS TO OPPOSE THE BILL:

 Because parents and parents alone are the proper arbiters of a
 child's values.  Parents, not record store owners or legislators,
 should be the judges of what is suitable music for their home.

 Because the legislation would impose an impossible burden on the
 retailer, who would be asked to listen to and assess every recording
 he carried in  his store, and would face fines and imprisonment
 whenever his interpetation of a recording differed from the court's.
 There are approximately 25,000 new songs released yearly.

 Because the record industry already provides the consumer information
 SB 1481 is seeking in the form of voluntary labeling. The resources
 are in place, so  that a parent may exercise discretion.

 Because it is unconstitutional. It is an abuse of the First Amendment
 freedoms of artists and their audiences. This legislation singles out
 recordings, even though a child has just as much access to books,
 movies, radio and television.

 VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION! Call or write your State Representative and/or
 Senator.  Be cordial and have consideration for them as elected
 officials. Express your concerns. If you don't know who your
 Representative and/or Senator is, you may find out by calling the
 State Capitol at 542-4900.

 ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO:

  (Your Senator)                  (Your Representative)
  State Capitol-Senate Wing       State Capitol-House Wing
  1700 W Washington St            1700 W Washington St
  Phoenix AZ  85007               Phoenix AZ  85007

(NOTE: For those of you outside Arizona who are reading this and
thinking  "Gawd! How Dumb!" I refer you to BILLBOARD magazine of 17  March
1990, where proposed legislation very similar to this, or worse,  is mentioned
as pending  in several other States.....is yours one of  them?)