The illogic in Rep. Ted Poe’s speech is indicative of blind panic.

“Social networking sites such as MySpace and chat rooms have allowed sexual predators to sneak into homes and solicit kids,” said Rep. Ted Poe, a Texas Republican and co-founder of the Congressional Victim’s Rights Caucus. “This bill requires schools and libraries to establish (important) protections.”

Congressman Poe assumes that if people are handing out keys to their homes, the problem will be solved by placing restrictions on schools. This of course only makes sense if you are also afraid of the dark and think it reasonable to make a law requiring everyone to sit up all night with the lights on. It is irresponsible fear mongering. Read Herman Melville’s little parable of The Lightning Rod Man to get a literary perspective.

I heard a conversation on the radio yesterday among some civil engineers talking about structural failures and one of them used the term “too safe” to describe a class of design flaws caused by overcompensating for possible hazards. I thought about how overbuilding things reduces their utility. A bridge becomes a culvert, for example. A fence would be a wall. A shoe becomes a boot. Some things would be altogether useless. As in, what would a boot become?

The Cool Cat Teacher Blog takes the DOPA bill apart and looks at its various problems. The main difficulty with the law is that it is over-broad and treats technology as something inherently dangerous when it’s the people using it we should worry about.

I propose an alternative motion. It is called “Deleting Ignorant Congressional Kneejerk-Emergency Motions” (You can work out the acronym). I move that any law exploiting fear and panic for support be automatically disqualified from legislative consideration, and it’s sponsor stripped naked and made to stand on the steps of the Capitol for a day with a cardboard sign that says No Place to Hide.

But spite of my treatment, and spite of my dissuasive talk of him to my neighbours, the Lightning-rod man still dwells in the land; still travels in storm-time, and drives a brave trade with the fears of man. (Melville, The Lightning Rod Man)