"Protecting" the deaf from evil TV

Apparently, the Dept. of Education (or rather, a secret, anonymous committee within) has slashed funding to television closed-captioning, specifically targetting "inappropriate" shows. The choice of shows being targetted is absurd (worries about the witchcraft references on Bewitched, for example); more absurd than the specific, odd choices, though, is the underlying paternalism of the whole project.

"The government is refusing to caption Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, apparently fearing that the deaf would fall prey to witchcraft if they viewed the classic sitcoms.
Your government also believes that Law & Order is too intense for the hard-of-hearing. So is Power Rangers. You can rest easy knowing that your federal tax dollars aren't being spent to promote Sanford and Son, Judge Wapner's Animal Court and The Loretta Young Show within the deaf community. "

Censor 'Scooby-Doo'? Words fail (via boingboing)