BY SHARON MARTIN

Sexting, for you digital immigrants out there, is the act of sending a nude or explicit photo of oneself using a cell phone. A Congressman from New York lost his job because of sexting.

But imagine you are a 13- or 14-year-old girl. You send the photo of your left boob and pretty face to your boyfriend who sends the picture to half a dozen of his buddies. The charges for these acts can be dire, including distribution of child pornography.

Sure, the kids were as stupid as the Congressman. But should they have to register as sex offenders their entire life?

Anastasia Pittman, the Democratic state representative from Oklahoma City doesn’t think so, so she authored HB 3321 last year, but it didn’t get a hearing.

This year, Anthony Sykes, Republican Senator from Moore, has requested a study.

The story aired on KOSU. Rep. Pittman made a compelling case for creating laws and punishments that specifically address sexting, but we were denied Sen. Sykes’ side of the story.

When the reporter contacted Sen. Sykes for his comments, the arch-conservative said, “I don’t speak to publicly-funded media.”

Yes, he only speaks to corporate-owned media.

About 10% of a public radio station’s funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. More than one-third of its funding comes from listeners. Business donations account for another 20%.

Funds come from a variety of sources, including foundations and the universities from which stations broadcast, but the stations are owned by the people [you know, of the people, by the people, and for the people].

So what is it about public media that Mr. Sykes disagrees with? Well, those taxes, one supposes.

Congress and state Legislatures can slap fees on the little people. Counties can tax our property [which means we don’t really own it, the county does]. They tax our food and clothing, our gasoline, and our beer.

All these nickels and dimes from nickeled-and-dimed workers pay for pared-down services.

Just don’t ask corporations, including those who own the media that Mr. Sykes favors, to give up their subsidies or their tax breaks.

In the digital age, I propose a new political term: Sykes conservatism.

A Sykes conservative is one who believes in government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations.

Lincoln is spinning in his grave.

– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer