When the legislature wants to do something unpopular (or even stupid which is what this is), associate it with the "Evil Of The Era" and propose the bad legislation as the solution to said evil. These days, popular "Evils" are Human Trafficking, Child Porn, and "Terrorism". The first two evoke extreme emotion of crimes committed against the most innocent of victims, so they're the best choice in this scenario. In the 80s-90s it was anything to reduce "Crack Babies" or win "The War on Drugs".
It's an old trick -- when people talk about logical limits placed on the first amendment, you'll hear the phrase "Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theater". Most of those who utter it don't realize that this phrase originated as part of a ruling that had nothing to do with "fire" or a "crowded theater" but was made to curtail the dangerous speech of opposing the draft during World War I[1].
When the legislature wants to do something unpopular (or even stupid which is what this is), associate it with the "Evil Of The Era" and propose the bad legislation as the solution to said evil. These days, popular "Evils" are Human Trafficking, Child Porn, and "Terrorism". The first two evoke extreme emotion of crimes committed against the most innocent of victims, so they're the best choice in this scenario. In the 80s-90s it was anything to reduce "Crack Babies" or win "The War on Drugs".
It's an old trick -- when people talk about logical limits placed on the first amendment, you'll hear the phrase "Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theater". Most of those who utter it don't realize that this phrase originated as part of a ruling that had nothing to do with "fire" or a "crowded theater" but was made to curtail the dangerous speech of opposing the draft during World War I[1].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_the...