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From: scott@scirtp.UUCP (Scott Crenshaw)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics,net.women
Subject: Re: Possible Ban on Pornography
Message-ID: <372@scirtp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 16:27:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: scirtp.372
Posted: Thu Aug 29 16:27:53 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 09:10:02 EDT
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Organization: SCI Systems, Research Triangle Park, NC
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Todd includes these among his reasons for opposing a ban on pornorgraphy:
> 
> 1. The practicality of enforcement.
>    Who decides what is obscene? A council of religious zealots?
>    A panel of enraged feminists?  
> 
> 2. The practicality of exemptions.
>    Who decides what isn't obscene? the above groups? What if I
>    want The Bible banned for its graphic depictions of lust,
>    adultery, sodomy, etc...?
> 
	I don't have a stand on the broader issue of porn bans, but
concerning these two points I will take exception. Every community has
(often broad) standards of morality and taste. What causes Todd to later
write that he wouldn't approve of child pornography ? Why would most
people be repulsed by ,say, photos of dogs being chopped up (yuck)?
Obviously most people feel that these are obscene and their distribution
would be detrimental to society as a whole . We can set standards. 
And we do.  Obviously , everyone is not going to be happy with any
standard. But the ones we have , although not explicitly stated,
do work. I suspect that only a small minority activelly disagree with them.
It seems as though the right want newer, narrower standards. That's where
the problems arise. In matters of personal taste, the broader the 
standards , the better. And the happier most people are.
	
-- 
(Scott Crenshaw @ SCI Systems , Inc.)  {akgua,decvax}!mcnc!rti-sel!scirtp!scott 

	The views expressed are my own, not necessarily those of SCI Systems,  
Inc., or Monty Python.