While I was passing out candy to the little gremlins, I was watching Hardball with Chris Matthews. On it, they said Bush announced this week is War on Pornography week.
They said pornography had a negative effect on families and they were asking families to only watch family appropriate shows this week.
I'm searching for info now on it.
They had a woman from Concerned Women for America on. I've often liked CWA. I endorsed them while in college. I saw them on Fox News once, and they were pointing out that women in abusive situations needed to take some responsiblity for themselves.
CWA supported the War on Pornography. The woman, Sandy Rios did a poor job of defending her position. It sounded like she had talked about it for sometime, already came to her conclusion, and couldn't really provide the specifics or the grounds for why she came to those conclusions.
I could see what she was getting at in some of her arguments. First, her main point was to enforce the laws already in existence. That is a semi-decent position, because unlike gun control nuts ... it alerts me to the fact that she is not a statist, because she is advocating enforcing the laws in existence now, not making more ones. I think she was genuine in her concern over pornography.
She was also saying the pornography in question isn't just naked women, but bestiality, having sex with babies, and the like. Her points would have been stronger if she could have defined what she meant. I don't think she got around to it because I think she does actually want to ban all pornography, therefore wasn't willing to make the differentiation between some really nasty porn and more regular porn.
The one thing that got to me about the anti-porn laws was that the only criterion for them are what holds up to "community standards." This does not make for objective law. "Community standards" puts anyone, anywhere at the risk of arbitary enforcement.
Now, for my views.
Yes, I agree, pornography is bad, and specifically has a negative influence on families. This War on Pornography week preys on people and women like me, who are not only opposed to pornography within a family, but feel absent and loss in our quest for it, since the culture is so hostile to people like us.
But I don't think leadership needs to come in the form of a gun. In theory, I do not support making pornography illegal.
However, if we were to go by the guidelines of the Constitution, I do believe local governments have the right to "legislate morality." As a Constitutionalist (which I consider myself to be), I would not question these local laws against pornography. However, I would voice concern over the basis being "community standards" instead I would say it should be "objective law."
Indeed, in a local community, things like pornography will effect your home even if you don't buy it yourself. If I'm raising a family, I don't want a strip club down the street or adult advertisements in windows. Keeping it at a very local level would allow a person massive choice in where they choose to live, thus those that want to be freaks can go to freaky places and those that want clean neighborhoods can go to clean neighborhoods.
Although the argument could be made that the free market would handle itself; since a strip club would not set up shop where it is not wanted.
Here, I found a press release from the whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031025-1.htmlProtection From Pornography Week, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Pornography can have debilitating effects on communities, marriages, families, and children. During Protection From Pornography Week, we commit to take steps to confront the dangers of pornography.
The effects of pornography are particularly pernicious with respect to children. The recent enactment of the PROTECT Act of 2003 strengthens child pornography laws, establishes the Federal Government's role in the AMBER Alert System, increases punishment for Federal crimes against children, and authorizes judges to require extended supervision of sex offenders who are released from prison.
We have committed significant resources to the Department of Justice to intensify investigative and prosecutorial efforts to combat obscenity, child pornography, and child sexual exploi-ta-tion on the Internet. We are vigorously prosecuting and severely punishing those who would harm our children. Last July, the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Predator, an initiative to help identify child predators, rescue children depicted in child pornography, and prosecute those responsible for making and distributing child pornography.
Last year, I signed legislation creating the Dot Kids domain, a child-friendly zone on the Internet. The sites on this domain are monitored for content and safety, offering parents assurances that their children are learning in a healthy environment. Working together with law enforcement officials, parents, and other caregivers, we are making progress in protecting our children from pornography.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 26 through November 1, 2003, as Protection From Pornography Week. I call upon public officials, law enforcement officers, parents, and all the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH