WASHINGTON, DC—At President Obama’s invitation, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) stood with him as the President signed Gallegly’s bill to outlaw animal crush videos at a White House ceremony today.
Crush videos graphically depict the abuse and killing of animals. In 1999, President Clinton signed into law a Gallegly bill to outlaw the videos and for 10 years the industry disappeared. However, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the law earlier this year and videos reappeared on the market.
Gallegly’s new law, the Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010, will prevent video depictions of drowning, impaling, burning and crushing of animals. After careful restructuring, both House members and senators believe Gallegly’s new bill addresses the U.S. Supreme Court’s constitutional concerns.
The House passed Gallegly’s bill by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 416-3 in July and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent last month.
Violence is not a First Amendment issue; it is a law enforcement issue,” Gallegly said. “While the torture of defenseless animals is in itself despicable, numerous studies also show cruelty to animals is often the first step leading to violence against people. This law is one step toward ending this cycle of violence.”
I’d like to thank those who made the passage of this bill possible. To see these videos of innocent animals tortured, abused & killed is beyond abhorrent. It is also true that violence toward animals does lead to violence toward people. This bill is a win – win for all.
WoW. This is sick! What type of human does something like this for sexual satisfaction, I am literally sick to my stomach and cannot imagine enjoying something like this. The penalty for this should be extreme, the fact that someone would torture a baby animal is genuinely disgusting and really saddened me to hear how popular it is )-:
I dont understand how the Supreme Courts and reverse the law… In america it is illigal to abuse, torture and kill animals, so how can it be overturned, if whats on those video’s is against the law? I am 100% for free speech, and will forever be supportive of free speech, but this isnt about free speech when whats being shown is against the law…
SO OBAMA IS DOING OK FOR THE ANIMALS, WELL HES MADE A START.LETS SEE WHAT ELSE HE WILL DO FOR OUR LIVING ANIMALS WHO DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED FROM ALL HARM AS WE ARE TOO!
Thank God. The Supreme Court has gone off the deep end lately, and this is one of the most despicable judgments in the history of the court.