The Pornography Debate

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Recommended: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998

The Pornography Debate

Pornography has been the topic of discussion in the court systems for years. Many would like to see legislation against it and software to filter it. The problem is it's not that easy and making laws against it would pose a problem against the first amendment. There have many issues brought up on the grounds that it is demoralizing to women and is filth for the eyes of children. But, is pornography really that harmful?

There are many reasons why the government is having trouble putting restrictions on pornography. As Cynthia Stark states in Social Theory and Practice," just because some find certain materials offensive is not a sufficient reason for restricting those materials." There has to be proper grounds for making such laws to prevent pornography distribution because either way you look at it, it goes against the free speech laws of the first amendment. Nadine Strossen of the ACLU had a good point when she said "the First Amendment contains no exception for sexual speech. If sexual speech is censored or regulated then other forms of political expression will also be threatened." It is hard to find the proper grounds in which restricting pornography is appropriate and yet still doesn't go against the First Amendment of free speech. Pornography can be described as prurient and so why should it be against the law to express your feelings freely? Does pornography it's really cause any harm?

New laws that involve the internet have been passed but are now getting a second look, as they too may be against the Constitution. The Children's Internet Protection Act that requires libraries to use anti-pornography software has been brought back into the Supreme Court with the help of the ACLU because it...

... middle of paper ...

...ims of the explicit nature pornography has, or are people going overboard with all the restriction they are putting on TV and the internet? There needs to be a middle ground found somewhere to guard people who may become offensive to this type of behavior. But then again, isn't it just free speech?

Works Cited

Roleff, Tamara L. Civil Liberties: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, San Diego CA, 1999

Alexander, Mark C. "The First Amendment and Problems of Political Viability: The Case of Internet Pornography" Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. v.21 no3 p. 977-1030, 2002

Stark, Cynthia A. "Is Pornography An Action: The Causal vs. The Conceptual View of Pornography's Harm" Social Theory and Practice. v.23 p. 277-306, 1997

Charles Lane. "Justices to Hear Internet Porn Case" Washington Post. November 13, p. A08. Washington Post Company, 2002

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