Today's Topics:
Serial Killer Trading Cards
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From: Christopher Penrose <penrose@silvertone.princeton.edu>
Date: Sun, 10 May 92 22:22:27 EDT
Message-Id: <9205110222.AA23000@lespaul>
To: Subgenius@mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Serial Killer Trading Cards
Path:
princeton!rutgers!stanford.edu!lll-winken!looking!clarinews
From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.news.books
Subject: Florida official wants ``Serial Killer'' cards banned
Keywords: violent crime, legal, state government, government,
books,
books & publishing, media
Message-ID: <crimecardsU2AM430pe@clarinet.com>
Date: 22 Apr 92 20:35:21 GMT
Lines: 48
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (UPI) -- The head of the Florida
Department of Law
Enforcement urged Gov. Lawton Chiles and legislative leaders
Wednesday
to work for a ban on ``serial killer'' trading cards in
Florida.
But the California publisher of the series, which
features men like
executed killer Ted Bundy and convicted mass murderer Jeffrey
Dahmer,
said the series was harmless.
Dean Mullaney, publisher of Eclipse Comics in
Guerneyville, Calif.,
said he was not glorifying crime -- and that the series of 110
cards
includes famous police figures like J. Edgar Hoover and Elliot
Ness.
FDLE Commissioner Tim Moore said he recently learned
of ``an alarming
promotional enterprise'' involving trading cards, similar to
baseball
cards, that are popular with children. Moore said the company
plans to
distribute the cards nationwide next month.
``It is my recommendation that legislation be
introduced to prohibit
this type of 'tabloid merchandising' from reaching our youth
in Florida,
'' wrote Moore. ``This would follow the rationale used in the
so-called
'Son of Sam' legislation, which prohibited criminals from
profiteering
in movie and media depictions of their crimes.''
The U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down New
York's ``Son of Sam''
law, which was enacted after convicted killer David Berkowitz
was
offered lucrative book and movie contracts for his story.
Florida has a
similar law, which has not been challenged in court.
Mullaney said his company does not pay any royalties
to killers. He
said the series is historically accurate and constitutionally
protected
as a form of free speech.
In an interview, Moore said he finds the cards
``repulsive.''
``Back in February, as soon as we heard that Eclipse
Comics was
thinking of marketing them, we communicated in writing with
them and
expressed our sincere concern,'' he said.
``I'm real concerned as a parent and as a professional
in law
enforcement,'' he said. ``I think anything ... glorifying
serial killers
is wrong.''
Moore said the cards were an attempt by the company to
make money
while hiding behind the First Amendment at the expense of
Florida's
youth.
``I think we're further elevating the immunity that
kids, and even
the adult population, seem to have about the grave
consequences of
criminal activity,'' he said. ``Kids are saying 'This must be
OK,
because they're on a trading card just like Babe Ruth.'''
Moore said Florida recorded 160,000 violent crimes
last year.
``We're reinforcing the wrong kind of values in a
society that has
very little values left,'' he said.
Moore said he also would be working with retailers and
victims
rights' groups to discourage sales of the cards.
``There never would be a good time for this (cards),''
he said.
``This is sure a bad time with our juvenile crime problem and
the
violent crime problem we have.''
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End of Subgenius Digest
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