Mercury News is reporting that Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-PA, has introduced a bill banning access to Myspace and other social networking sites at any place that receives government funds, like public schools and libraries.

The bill, called the Deleting Online Predators Act, has drawn opposition among schools, librarians and free-speech advocates, who warn that it would have limited effect and could unintentionally block access to scores of other Web sites. Officials of the sites also say they are taking aggressive steps to protect their users.

In addition, testimony before a House subcommitte portrayed Myspace as a playground for sexual predators.

Although Myspace does need to be concerned about the safety of its youngest users, banning access outright is not a good or productive idea. 

The number of wholesome, honest, socially acceptable uses for Myspace and other such sites greatly outnumbers the risk of predators, especially if parents and kids are educated about how to protect themselves.

The Republican government seems to have this need to stick its nose into the public's life and regulate all aspects of social discourse.  Whatever happened to the old "hands off" model of conservatism?

The link:  http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15016310.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp