I
wonder if a Louisiana judge wasn't trying to protect Jeebus from harm
when she decided this case. Judge Dee Drell sided with a magistrate and struck down a ban on fortunetelling for a spurious reason:
The city argued the business of fortunetelling is a fraud and inherently deceptive, but U.S. Magistrate James Kirk concluded that fortunetelling is free speech protected by the First Amendment.
I don't see how that argument holds water. Sure, if you're fortunetelling on a streetcorner for free, you might conclude this is free speech. But these "psychics" charge money for their lies. It is indeed a fraud.
But
horrors, if they let the law stand, it might cast a shadow on churches
where they also collect money and tell people lies. Might religion be
the same sort of illegal fraud? I imagine the authorities had an aha
moment that went something like this: "We'd better get this goldarned
law off the books right quick before it hurts the baby Jeebus!"
Fraud is fraud. The judge was wrong and the magistrate before her was wrong.
By the way, here's my favorite part of the linked story:
Adams told The Town Talk newspaper last year that she is a fifth-generation psychic.
