Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site randvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!edhall From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Anti-porn ordinance Message-ID: <2240@randvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 00:44:57 EST Article-I.D.: randvax.2240 Posted: Thu Jan 10 00:44:57 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 14-Jan-85 01:12:36 EST References: <249@ahuta.UUCP> <894@dual.UUCP> <550@ut-sally.UUCP> <900@dual.UUCP> <637@utcsrgv.UUCP> Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica Lines: 31 > In article <900@dual.UUCP> hav@dual.UUCP (Helen Anne Vigneau) writes: > >... Those who are offended by pornography need not be forced to endure it... > > However, those offended by pornography *are* forced to live in a society > warped by it and the attitudes it advances. And for the most part these > attitudes *aren't* pleasant or desirable ones, especially for women. > When was the last time that Penthouse portrayed women as thinking human beings? > Tom West I agree, though I think pornography is more a symptom of the problem than a cause. Pornography pretty much mirrors prevailing sexual attitudes; as such, it probably slows the process of changing those attitudes, but it doesn't have much more to do with creating sexist attitudes than, say, advertising or TV drama. If you're into banning things as a way of improving society, try banning alcohol. This would differentially help women, too, as alcohol is involved in a great deal (probably a majority) of wife-abuse cases. And drunk driving is a *proven* killer of all sexes, ages, and races. You don't think prohibition of alcohol is reasonable? How is prohibition of pornography any different? The only difference I see is the banning of *ideas* in the latter case. Except you can't really outlaw ideas. If you wish to change them, you have to supplant them with other ideas. This is the challenge: what realistic *alternative* is there to pornography? Look for causes--don't just sweep their effects under the rug. Reducing the *demand* for pornography is the objective, not reducing the supply. -Ed Hall decvax!randvax!edhall