Overlooked Privacy Invasion Ruling

Sometimes a story comes along that I am honestly amazed that people overlook and are not outraged by.

'Paternalistic' Law Banning Upskirt Photos Thrown Out By Texas Court

"Protecting someone who appears in public from being the object of sexual thoughts seems to be the sort of 'paternalistic interest in regulating the defendant's mind' that the First Amendment was designed to guard against. We also keep in mind the Supreme Court's admonition that the forms of speech that are exempt from First Amendment protection are limited, and we should not be quick to recognize new categories of unprotected expression."

So a law banning people talking upskirt photos of people against their will was overturned because the breaking the law amounted to a thought crime, and upskirt photography might be a new kind of expression that was unprotected up to this point.  I know that we're all distracted by the Ray Rice and other spouse beating scandal thing, and us going to war against a group of people on the other side of the planet because of the outside possibility that they might attack us here in America, again, but come on!  This ruling isn't getting the attention that it deserves.  This ruling just made it legal in Texas for people to invade people's privacy.  That's wrong, and the reasoning used for the decision is wrong.  The way we thing about things is a primary motivating factor of why we do things.  To discount people's thoughts as it relates to their actions is to discount a basic part of the way that people live.

Also, saying that a law is paternalistic in nature is not accurate.  It's not that woman are specifically protected from having their underwear photographed surreptitiously, it's that in most instances of laws like this being broken it's men photographing women's underwear surreptitiously.  It's like saying that laws against graffiti are specifically against people expression involving spraypaint.  No, that's just the circumstance where the law is most often broken.  There isn't a pervasive number of women who are surreptitiously taking photographs of men in their underwear, so women are not likely to break laws having to do with people surreptitiously taking pictures of people's underwear.

Why aren't people making a big deal about this ruling?  The only place I saw this case being reported on was on Jezebel.  As near as I can tell, this ruling did not get picked up for national news attention to any degree.  Why aren't people getting motivated about this?  Why aren't people getting mad about this?  Why don't I have an ending for this piece?  Hey look, a kittie!

FBI Seeking Serial Bridge Burner

The FBI is currently hot on the trail of a serial arsonist.  They are zeroing in on a suspect and are seeking the public's help.  The suspect the FBI is seeking stands accused of committing arson on or around several bridges.  These incidents span over a decade and have occurred across the United States.

On December 20th, 2000 a fire broke out in the area underneath the Arboretum Sewer Trestle in Seattle, Washington.  Police say that gasoline was spread around some of the vegetation in the area, which was lit with a Zippo lighter.  The FBI aren't giving details, but this fire is the first one they are attributing to their suspect.

On the evening of February 17th, 2004, a fire broke out on the Rector Road Bridge in Denton, Texas.  An accelerant, believed to be kerosene, was spread along the length of the bridge, which was lit with a Zippo lighter.  Unlike in the case of the Arboretum Sewer Trestle fire, this fire was spread on the bridge itself and resulted in considerable property damage.  Firefighters in the area say that the fire could have spread further into town if not for their swift response.  Again, the FBI are not giving details as to how they connected this fire to their suspect.

The most recent incident, and the one that brought renewed attention to this case, occurred on January 13th, 2014.  On that day, a large fire broke out on the walkway of the Pelham Bridge in the Bronx, New York.  Forensic analysis is still pending, but initial reports suggest that a large amount of documents were doused with some form of accelerant and set ablaze.  It is believed that the documents involved in this incident are what ties this case to the incidents in Seattle and Denton, although the FBI can neither confirm nor deny this.  Video surveillance in the area of the bridge is what has allowed police to identify a suspect.

Police in New York, as well as the FBI, are currently looking for this yet to be identified suspect, pictured above.  This man is believed to be in his late thirties with black hair and an athletic build.  Police do not have a name for him, but anyone who thinks that they have information on this case, as well as the fires on the Arboretum Sewer Trestle in Seattle, Washington and the Rector Road Bridge in Denton, Texas is strongly urged to contact their local police.