Mr. Speaker, several months ago the Coalition for the Safety of Our Daughters distributed a videotape to some members of the House called "Reel Hatred". This video contains clips from so-called slasher films which depict horrible acts of violence against women and girls.
The distributors and retailers of these videos hide behind the principle of free speech which is the foundation of a free and democratic society. However, all good democrats know that the freedom to commit an act ends when that act causes another individual harm.
This is the case with slasher films. Just as movies can inspire us to do great things, they can also inspire individuals to commit horrible acts of violence, a fact which is demonstrated by so-called copycat crimes.
In our zeal to protect free speech, we should not protect the right to produce and distribute such rubbish.