Re: [dvd-discuss] You can go swimming, but....

["Steve Hosgood" <steve(at)caederus.com>]

Mickym wrote:
> "State attorneys argued the law, which prohibits tattooing by anyone 
> other than a doctor, is a public health issue. The justices upheld 
> White's conviction, saying the First Amendment right to have a tattoo is 
> a separate issue from the process of tattooing."
> 
> How does one argue against that?
> 

You probably don't. I can think of quite a few scenarios where a "right"
is only there under certain provisos. You have a "right" to be a doctor, but
you can only practice as a doctor if you get qualified to do so by certain
institutions.

You have a "right" to drive, but if you want to do so on public highways, you
must have a valid driving licence. Etc.

Public health/safety issues will always infringe a bit on "rights" but
hopefully, under a sensible regime, both can co-exist without excessive
conflict.

( In the UK, tattoo artists don't AFAIK have to be doctors, but if they're not
members of the Guild of Tattooists (or whatever) I suspect no-one would go
near them! )

                             --------------

The question is, does the US tattoo case (above) have any influence on whether
your DVD player has to be approved by the DVDCCA in order to play the DVDs *you
bought* (in the US)?

No public health/safety issues there, surely? :-)
In fact, I'm having trouble seeing any parallels at all between the two!

--

Steve Hosgood                               |
steve@caederus.com                          | "A good plan today is better
Phone: +44 1792 203707 + ask for Steve      |   than a perfect plan tomorrow"
Fax:   +44 70922 70944                      |              - Conrad Brean
--------------------------------------------+
        http://tallyho.bc.nu/~steve         |  ( from the film "Wag the Dog" )