Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!bbncca!wdoherty From: wdoherty@bbncca.ARPA (Will Doherty) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Pornography Message-ID: <595@bbncca.ARPA> Date: Sun, 19-Feb-84 21:43:45 EST Article-I.D.: bbncca.595 Posted: Sun Feb 19 21:43:45 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 20-Feb-84 02:16:09 EST References: <586@orca.UUCP> Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma. Lines: 54 What if two consenting people want to degrade each other or inflict pain (mild or severe) upon each other? What if they wish to watch or make films of such actions? I guess I don't believe that anyone should prohibit consenting people from inflicting pain or from assuming dominant/susmissive roles in sexual activities. After all, in non-sexual activities, people inflict pain and assume dominant/submissive roles all of the time, and usually that's not consensual. (Rule: If it ain't consensual, it ain't right.) I guess this fits in with my conception of the Golden Rule. As I heard it, the Golden Rule is supposed to be: "Do unto others as you would they do unto you." Well, this is OK. But all people do not want me to do the same things to them that I want them to do to me. If, for instance, I like getting pounded on the back whenever I greet someone (or getting kissed for that matter), that doesn't mean that all people I know will want to get pounded on the back (or kissed) when I greet them. So I had to modify the rule. Golden Rule II: "Do unto others as they would you do unto them." Well, that sounded good for a while. But then I realized that if people want me to shoot them (or to kiss them), I would be obligated to do so because that is what they wanted. I decided that this approach had some obvious bugs as well. The next step--I know you are all in suspense--is Golden Rule III: "Do unto others as they would you do unto them as long as it doesn't make you feel overly uncomfortable." This is the way I try to live my life. Any bugs, revisions, etc. welcomed. As far as porn, I believe that people should watch whatever they want. There just isn't good enough evidence to show a causal link between watching porn and acting violent (or "perverted"). Besides, I don't want some (read any) of the people on this board to control my porn intake. After all, some of you out there think all lesbians and gays are perverts, and random deity frobid (intentional misspelling) I should mention consensual cross-generational sensuality. Wish I could produce a fancy flame with my sign-off, 'cause I know there are flames aplenty firing up out there. Will Doherty decvax!bbncca!wdoherty