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From: regard@ttidcc.UUCP (Adrienne Regard)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: re possible ban on pornography
Message-ID: <731@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 12:52:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.731
Posted: Tue Sep 24 12:52:56 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 06:33:10 EDT
Organization: TTI, Santa Monica, CA.
Lines: 28



>>> Pornography does not, in and of itself, cause violent and anti-social
>>> behavior.
>>I agree with your argument but this is vaguely reminicent of the NRA --
>>"Guns don't kill..." [I favour much stronger gun control.]
>To the extent that it goes, the NRA argument is accurate.  However, there
>is a very fundamental difference between pornography and guns:  guns can
>be dangerous simply because someone doesn't understand them, whereas porn
>is only dangerous in the hands of a (mentally) sick individual -- be they
>male or female.

First, let me say that I'm not interested in banning pornography.  Second,
let me say that the above comment is absurd.  Does a 13 year old
"understand" all the implications of what s/he sees in pornography,
especially pornography that depicts degrading or dangerous sexual
practices?  That's a rather large assumption to make.  It is one of the
basic assumptions of the anti-porn movement that people sub-consciously
"see" much more than consenting adults doing what they enjoy -- which may
also be incorrect, but errs on the side of care rather than neglect.  There
is very little fundamental difference as you cite it above.  The _real_
fundamental difference is that a gun is a weapon that can be used harmfully
on another human being (for protection or harm.  I don't support stronger
gun control), whereas it's a little difficult to imagine someone harming
someone else using porn material as the actual agent -- stuffing a magazine
down a throat?  Using film to hang someone?  Better if you must, to compare
pornographic pictures with pictures of guns in use, and compare merely the
consenting adult to the possessor of the actual weapon.