New Porn Squad at the FBI

(H/T: Jon J)
We have the War on Drugs and the War on Terror. Now there is a new war: War on Porn. This Washington Post article explains.

Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

That's all fine and dandy, but what about our other current Wars and their resources?

The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.

To this I say that porn, gambling, drinking, drugs and prostitution all should be treated the same way: if consenting adults wish to engage in it then so be it as long as they are not directly harming society (i.e. with other crimes). It's the libertarian in me, I guess. Furthermore this should NOT be a federal issue, but a state by state issue.

This is a big hit with Christian Coalition.

But Gonzales endorses the rationale of predecessor Meese: that adult pornography is a threat to families and children. Christian conservatives, long skeptical of Gonzales, greeted the pornography initiative with what the Family Research Council called "a growing sense of confidence in our new attorney general."

This is just one more instance of Bush expanding the Federal government (and its intrusion into private lives) not to mention the indefensible act of legislating morality for the sake of morality.