Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucdavis.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!ucdavis!up547413042 From: up547413042@ucdavis.UUCP (up547413042) Newsgroups: net.women,net.motss,net.flame Subject: Re: Possible Ban on Pornography Message-ID: <106@ucdavis.UUCP> Date: Mon, 30-Sep-85 15:17:43 EDT Article-I.D.: ucdavis.106 Posted: Mon Sep 30 15:17:43 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Oct-85 04:00:05 EDT Organization: University of California, Davis Lines: 35 Xref: watmath net.women:7607 net.motss:2128 net.flame:12161 I guess some people didn't take to well to my opinion on pornography. I think already it's been argued that morality is subjective. I think there is no arguing around that point. It is also a basis by which I have formed my veiwpoint. Personally, I really don't think pornography is such a nice thing. I don't care for it too well, anyway. I think it depicts sex in a negitive light. That's just my opinion though, and my opinion, as with everybody's opinion, may be wrong (if there is such a thing). I do believe censorship of pornography *can* lead to censorship in other areas though. For instance, lets assume pornography is banned because we believe it's obscene and leads to immoral attitudes and behaviour. Then, what is to stop big bad Jerry Fallwell from leading a campaign against Gay publications? It is, to him, obscene and leads to immoral homosexual behaviour. We can't have that, can we? It may sound far fetched, but similar things have happened (in Nazi- Germany, for instance). I have no great respect for pornographers or nazis, etc, but I do respect the rights of people to hold views which I disagree with. As long as they don't force them on me. I agree that, if one feels something is wrong and is suffciently moved to do so, one should take action. This would best be manifested in persuasion and the demonstration of alternatives to what one is objecting to. Censorship I feel is unacceptable. Finally, I am not convinced that pornography leads to violence against women. Nobody would buy that stuff unless they already had an attitude which is manifested in the pornographic publication which is degrading to women. It seems to me that such pornography is the *manifestation* of a much more deeply rooted problem. I would therefore suggest that the reason why people buy the stuff be given closer scrutiny. I was talking to a friend a mine, by the way, (I say this because I don't which to attatch myself to this viewpoint, though I'm neither for it nor against it) who felt that pornography actually reduces the amount of violence against women. He said that pornography allows a release of whatever it is that they have inside of them (their fantasies, or whatever), and they then have no impulse to carry their fantasy out in reality. -- Chris Young. Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com