Dear Friends,
It seems to me, all jokes are deceptive, that is the nature of humor. Once jokes are made illegal, because there are called deceptive, we have entered a brave new world of totalitarianism. Freedom of speech is all about allowing people to speak their minds, especially to ridicule the political class, and make jokes. Many jokes are distasteful, racist and/or unfunny, but that shouldn’t make them illegal. Once any joke is criminalized, all jokes are subject to criminal charges, when jokes become part of criminal law, government will abuse that law to create political tests for humor. Because politics, corruption and abuse of power, are the nature of government. Therefore, once jokes are criminalized, that creates the perfect environment for political tests of speech. Very progressive.
One day two guys were drinking on a rooftop bar. The first guy told the other, “The winds are so strong I could jump off the north side of this building and the wind will lift me up and put me back on the top.” The second guy scoffs and bets $10.00 that is not true. The first guy walks to the edge, holds his breath… and jumps. A moment later he rises up and is set back where he jumped! The second man is amazed. He hands over the money and asks, “Would it work for me too?” The first guys says, “I don’t see why not…” So the second guy jumps off… and is crushed at the bottom. The bartender says to the first guy, “When your drunk, you’re a real asshole, Superman.” Now if someone jumped off a building because of that joke, in the context of a criminal complaint, the teller would be liable.
An Indian boy goes to his father one day and asks, “How do we get our names?” The Father smiles lovingly at his boy and says, “When a child is born, the father looks out the tee pee and whatever he sees becomes the name of the newborn. That is how your sister, Soaring Eagle, got her name. Why do you ask Dog Taking a Shit?” I ask you, that may be off color and perhaps racist, but should it be illegal? Yet if jokes become criminalized, that joke could be called deceptive, harmful and even violent. You could be charged and imprisoned for making that joke. Do you really think that comports with the First Amendment’s freedom of speech doctrine? Of course not, criminalizing speech, especially humor, is a sure path to tyranny, despotism and oppression.
Would the same standard, a political test, be made a religious one too? Two guys were at the gates of Heaven. The first is dressed in idiot shorts, a loud shirt, sandals and a pork pie hat. He says, “David Cohen, cab driver.” Micheal looks down at his clipboard and says, “You will be given a large mansion, with an 18 hole golf course, angelic servants and unlimited beer.” Angels descend and carry him into heaven. The next guy steps up. He says, “Father O’Brien, priest.” Micheal looks at his clipboard. “You will get a nice condo next to the public pool with an 18 hole golf course nearby and unlimited whiskey.” Father O’Brien is annoyed and asks, “Why did that taxi driver get a mansion but I only got a condo?” Micheal replied, “When you preached, people slept, but when David drove… they prayed.”
The nature of humor is to offend the sensibilities. This latest step by our psychotic rulers, to criminalize humor, is very dangerous indeed. The example of the guy who posted internet memes, (stupid ones I agree) being charged with fraud, is chilling. To those who think that the nature of the meme was sufficient to make the charge stick, I would say, that is only the small end of the wedge. Once it is driven in, the log must split open, that is what wedges do. Because if humor can be criminalized, any speech can be. Many might argue that the US Constitution will protect him, To them I would remind, we live in post constitutional Amerika, our Constitution is only a wisp of lace, covering naked oppression today… and this case proves it. Urinals and politicians are the same… they both stink.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
