§ 14:390 — Declaration of public policy

In the interpretation and application of R.S. 14:390 and the Subsections thereof, and as a result of certain evidence having been presented to the Joint Legislative Committee on Un-American Activities of this Legislature, the public policy of this state is declared to be as follows:
There exists a clear, present and distinct danger to the security of the state of Louisiana and the well-being and security of the citizens of Louisiana arising from the infiltration of a significant amount of communist propaganda into the state. In addition, this state is a stopping place or "way station" for sizeable shipments of dangerous communist propaganda to the rest of the United States and to many foreign countries.
The danger of communist propaganda lies not in its being "different" in the philosophy it expresses from the philosophy generally held in this state and nation, but instead in the fact that it is a specific tool or weapon used by the communists for the express purpose of bringing about the forcible total destruction or subjugation of this state and nation and the total eradication of the philosophy of freedom upon which this state and nation were founded. "Words are bullets" and the communists know it and use them so. Whatever guarantees of sovereignty and freedom are enjoyed by this state and its citizens are certain to vanish if the United States of America is destroyed or taken over by the communists, and we therefore declare that any communist effort by propaganda infiltration or otherwise against the United States is and should rightly be considered an attack upon or clear and present danger to the state of Louisiana and its citizens. Such attacks should therefore be the subject of concurrent jurisdiction through remedial legislation such as is now in effect on both the state and federal level concerning such dangers as the narcotics traffic, bank robbery, kidnapping, etc. We hereby declare that the danger of communist propaganda infiltration is even greater than the danger from narcotics, pornographic literature, switch blade knives, burglar tools or illicit alcohol in dry jurisdictions, all of which have been the subject of valid statutory regulation by the States within the constitutional framework. The federal legislation on this subject matter is either inadequate in its scope, or not being effectively enforced, as much communistic propaganda material unlabeled and unidentified as such, is in fact entering the state of Louisiana at this time.
We further declare that communist propaganda, properly identified in terms similar to those used in the Foreign Agents Registration Act of the United States, is hereby identified as illicit dangerous contraband material. We further declare that certain exemptions hereinafter provided are for the purpose of allowing bona fide students of foreign languages, foreign affairs or foreign political systems, other interested individuals, and also bona fide educational institutions, to obtain this contraband upon specifically requesting its delivery for the purpose of personal or institutional use in the due course of the educational process. We do not believe that the possession or use of such material by knowing and informed individuals for their personal use is any significant danger, and in fact it might be of some benefit in informing such individuals of the cynical and insidious nature of the communist party line. In view of these facts and so that any user of such materials will be adequately forewarned, we declare that all such material in any way entering the state of Louisiana should be required to be clearly labeled as communist propaganda as hereinafter provided.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1962, No. 245, §1.