Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008    Text size: 

The Military Honor and Decency Act, introduced last week by Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., would amend a provision of the 1997 Defense Authorization Act that limited sales of sexually explicit material on military bases.

Broun said in a statement that he wants to bring the Defense Department into compliance with the intent of the 1997 law “so that taxpayers will not be footing the costs of distributing pornography.”

“The Military Honor and Decency Act will right a bureaucratic — and moral — wrong,” he said.

Broun’s proposal would require Defense Department to review on an annual basis all material that is not deemed sexually explicit now, and is therefore allowed in military stores, to determine if it should be prohibited.

A Defense Department review board, however, didn't meet between 2000 and 2005. In 2006, the Defense Department changed its policy to let banned material be resubmitted for review every five years.

Broun’s legislation also would modify the current definition of sexually explicit, to lower the threshold required to deem material sexually explicit. It also adds a new definition of “principal theme,” adds a definition of “lascivious” that is broader than what is included in the current definition, and adds a definition of “nudity” that makes it much more difficult for the sale of sexually explicit material.

Attorney Greg Piccionelli of Los Angeles-based Piccionelli & Sarno told XBIZ that he was offended by the proposal by “ignorant and intolerant hypocrites like Broun and his ilk who are currently plaguing the planet.”

“May I remind the congressman that our troops honor stems from their willingness to lay down their lives to preserve the very freedom that he is so willing to take away from them,” he said. “They are defending our way of life, which fortunately includes our ability to read Playboy and Penthouse magazines. How dare he insult our brave soldiers by claiming they can be sullied by viewing ink on a page.

“If one of our troops, who daily risks being blinded or killed by a roadside explosive tomorrow, would like to view nude images of one of God's greatest creations, a woman, on what could be his last day of sight, how dare this hypocritical imposter of a patriot try to take that sacred right away from one of our true guardians of freedom. Shame, shame, shame on you Mr. Broun.”

Gary Kaufman of Los Angeles-based The Kaufman Law Group told XBIZ he also was outraged upon finding out about H.R. 5821, which already has attracted 15 cosponsoring legislators.

“It’s ironic that a congressman is actually advocating that the men and women of our armed forces should have fewer rights than the people back home who they are risking their lives on a daily basis for,” Kaufman said. “Our brave soldiers should have at least equal, if not more, rights.”

“With morale always being an issue, shame on this congressman who while sitting in his comfortable office seeks to interfere with the comfort and relaxation of our fighting men and women.”

Broun’s press secretary, Jessica Morris, told XBIZ that the congressman nor his legislative office aides would comment further on the bill or provide any data relative to the sale of adult material at military bases to XBIZ or any other news organization whose primary readership is targeted to the adult entertainment industry.