Alabama Sex Toy Law upheld

[Blalron]

In a 2-1 decision overturning a lower court, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the state has a right to police the sale of devices that can be sexually stimulating.
The American Civil Liberties Union which represented merchants and users who sued to overturn the law, asked the appeals court to rule that the Constitution included a right to sexual privacy that the ban on sex toy sales would violate. The court declined, indicating such a decision could lead down other paths.
“If the people of Alabama in time decide that a prohibition on sex toys is misguided, or ineffective, or just plain silly, they can repeal the law and be finished with the matter,” the court said.

It fucking boggles my mind that in the Land of the Free, laws like this exist. I cannot comprehend why they would be enacted. So to try to understand this, I’m hoping some conservative Alabaman, any of the conservative alabamans which apparently make up the voting majority of this state will step up the plate and explain why he supports this law.

And for those who are against it, why aren’t you writing angry letters to your legislators demanding they repeal it? Why are you not organizing protests at the capitol holding up dildos and shouting “OUT OF MY COLD DEAD HANDS!” like Charlton Heston does with guns?

I almost want to move to Alabama or some other backward state just to agitate for change.

[Blalron]

Here’s the link:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/sex_toys_ban

[sangfroid]

@Blalron

It fucking boggles my mind that in the Land of the Free, laws like this exist. I cannot comprehend why they would be enacted.

One MIGHT think we have more important topics to address as a country, but hey, some state (the LEGISLATORS; I’m not dumping on the great people of Alabama, fellow Dopers) has to be the asshole of the country. After all, if you use sex toys, the terrorists win! :dubious: BTW; is your hand a sex toy? Perhaps the vile lawyer crowd would like to respond; no doubt with their usual condemnation of anyone NOT in lock-step with the current mind-set of litigation as the holy grail of modern society. :rolleyes:

[Aries28]

Couple of facts:

1. You can use or have as many sex toys as your little backward heart desires here in Alabama. They can’t be SOLD here. I can order as much as I want from the net. In fact, several novelty shops in the area sell them as massagers and get away with it just fine.

2. The court that this ruling came from isn’t in Alabama…it’s in Georgia.

Every single state has some fucked laws on the books…Alabama is no different.

[RTFirefly]

Y’know, the Founders really goofed when they didn’t copy that part about “pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence over to the Bill of Rights.

[Chastain86]

@Aries28

1. You can use or have as many sex toys as your little backward heart desires here in Alabama. They can’t be SOLD here. I can order as much as I want from the net. In fact, several novelty shops in the area sell them as massagers and get away with it just fine.

Wait a second.

You mean to tell me they have the internet in Alabama?

[CrazyCatLady]

Well, sugar, it’s pronounced “inner-neh-yut”, but yeah, they’ve got it.

[CrazyCatLady]

And I hear tell they’s plannin’ on gettin’ some of them thar new-fangled flush toilets right soon like, too.

[MrTuffPaws]

The laws are called “Blue Laws” and were meant to uphold moral purity. Most states have them of some form, but they are rarely enforced.

As for the courts decision, it is sad, being that once a law is on the books, it is almost impossible to take off.