Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihuxl!seifert From: seifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Pornography, good or bad? Message-ID: <909@ihuxl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Feb-84 09:36:14 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxl.909 Posted: Wed Feb 15 09:36:14 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Feb-84 04:40:03 EST References: <212@hou2d.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 41 Pornography degrades people. Of both sexes. ( *Maybe* it degrades females more than males, but let's not argue the point, ok?) Maybe porno gives certain people an outlet for their sexual feelings/frustrations/whatever, which allows them to *not* commit sex-related crimes. On the other hand, it could work some people up to the point of commiting a sex-related crime when they wouldn't have otherwise. So do we ban porno because it degrades people and might encourage sex-crimes, or do we allow it because it might reduce sex-crimes? If we are going to consider banning it, we have major problems with "freedom of speech", and "who gets to decide what is obscene?" Larry Flint, whatever we may think of him, does raise some valid questions. What is obscene? Where do we draw the line? Who do we allow to draw the line? How can we call sex obscene but allow violence? Is there some way to ban "Hustler" without banning "Playboy"? Can we ban "Playboy" without banning some medical journal which may contain 'explicit' photos? The Bible contains stories involving sex. Do we ban the Bible? Is allowing censorship worse than allowing porno? I suspect that porno may reduce sex-crimes more than it increases them. {Do we have any good solid evidence for/against this theory?} If we can suffer a little degrading, but reduce the number of rapes, this is a good trade-off. (choosing the lesser evil) While I think we might be better off without some of the more hard core stuff, I don't see any way of banning it without opening the pandora's box of censorship. -- _____ /_____\ "Happiness is a warm puppy" /_______\ Snoopy |___| ____|___|_____ ihnp4!ihuxl!seifert