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From: prs@oliveb.UUCP (Phil Stephens)
Newsgroups: soc.singles
Subject: Re: porn report --- includes Virginia Masters quote ---
Message-ID: <5@oliveb.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Sep-86 17:15:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: oliveb.5
Posted: Wed Sep 24 17:15:50 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Sep-86 05:02:20 EDT
References: <1800@well.UUCP> <1566@mtx5a.UUCP>
Reply-To: prs@oliven.UUCP (Philip Stephens)
Distribution: net
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 69
Keywords: --- includes Virginia Masters quote ---

In article <1566@mtx5a.UUCP> mat@mtx5a.UUCP (m.terribile) writes:
>'Scuse me.  I really *do* think that if I were exposed to that stuff,
> ...
>seems to me that if you have a damaging behavior that is reinforced through
>exposure to something, one way to help cut into that reinforcement is to
>remove the exposure.  And if the damage to even a few is great enough, and if
>those few include victims who did not choose to be exposed to the material
>in question, and were not, you have a sufficient cause for restricting at
>least the most damaging material, especially if it is also of relatively
>little interest to those who are not harmed by it, and are not affected to
>harm someone else by it.

>	from Mole End			Mark Terribile

Trouble is, at least with porn as-a-whole, the evidence of actual experience
indicates that "removing the exposure" does more harm than good, in terms of
actual violent sexual crime.  You may argue that some porn is available now
that was not when those statistics were gathered, but I think you cannot say
that without departing from reality contact.  You must repeatedly say "if you
accept" and "granted that" and so forth to bolster your case, because you
have none.

Sexual censorship doesn't just threaten freedom; it has the opposite effect of
what is intended.  Censorship creates *more* danger to the people you are 
trying to protect, *not less*.  See quote below.

I am open to "further studies", if well done, but the benefit of the doubt
clearly goes to the current low level of censorship rather than to your
emotion-based appeal to retreat to more conservative "values".  (For physically
nonviolent porn) I expect and support a (gradual) *loosening* of censorship, 
as other communities catch up to the level in my area.  (Silicon Valley)

For perspective on community standards, please read "Ordinary People" by Susan
Squire, p112 of the November Playboy.  Discusses what X-rated videos normal
people in a suburb of Chicago rent, and how they "use" it.  Not a scholarly
article, just perspective.

For FBI debunking of Rev. Wildmon's crazy statistics on missing children and
child abuse, see Commentary on p41 of same issue.  I'll quote one section that
happens to support my "opposite effect" statement above: 

"Is there a connection, then, between adult erotica and child sex abuse?  Well,
two civilized countries with a higher regard for truth have studied the issue.
Both Denmark and West Germany legalized adult pornography and, years later,
re-evaluated that decision.  In both countries, it was found that legalization
of adult porn was associated with a dramatic decrease in all sex crimes, 
particularly offenses against female minors."

The same article says a recent Senate subcommittee investigation found that
there are on the order of 2000 pedophiles nationwide, rather than the
100,000 to 1,000,000 claimed by alarmists.  (Could explain why I haven't
happened to stumble across any pedophile material). 

Page 42 has a letter from Virginia Johnson-Masters, of the Masters and
Johnson institute.  A partial quote of the letter: 

"...the literature and our own clinical experience show no link between child
sexual abuse and sexually explicite material.  While it has been clinically
noted that some perpetrators read or view sexually explicite material, many
others object to pornography as immoral.  In contrast to common belief, a
great number of men who turn to their children for sexual purposes are highly
religious or morally rigid individuals who feel that this is less of a sin
than masturbation or seeking outside sexual liasons."

There is other relevant information in pp 41-46; please read it.

						- Phil
Reply-To: prs@oliven.UUCP (Phil Stephens)
Organization not responsible for these opinions: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca