Michelle Bachmann Ban On Porn?

[Spartana]

Government regulations banning certain things: toys, cribs, cars, foods, paints, medicines, etc... are for safety reasons not ethical or moral reasons. There is an implyed belief that what we put in our mouth, on or in our bodies, have our kids play with, vehicles we drive, etc... with will be safe and we will not be hurt physically or die from those things. Whereas porn (and books or movies that many would find to be "R" or "X" rated), while offensive to many- including myself - in and of themselves can't physically harm you - unless you get a paper cut - like the lead paint in a childs toy which has been banned.

[Gregg]

When you get right down to it porn is similar to the violent video games we were discussing a few threads back. Neither have many (if any) socially redeeming qualities, but both are necessarily protected under the 1st amendment. Porn has been limited for participation in and sale to adults by the SC, but aside from access limitations it is protected by the constitution.

[Zigzagman]

I don't consider porn a big deal (not talking about child or underage porn). Admittedly, in my younger days I always looked forward to the latest Playboy and even went to a couple of the Playboy clubs in the 70's. They were fun and in those days just a little skin or so was so "risqué". Later I went to a couple of the all-nude places - Gold Club and Cheetah Lounge - both in Atlanta. Now that is what I am talking about!!

I didn't tell my DW about either of the clubs in Atlanta (company team-building) but did bring home a Cheetah Club T-shirt. She was wearing it one day and someone commented about it (it pretty much looked like an athletic jersey with the XXX size thingy on it. She came home so mad! I would have never thought out here in po-dunk Central Texas anyone would have known about that place.

I also have been to the "Yellow Rose" in Austin - only to eat the $10 prime rib at lunch. Some of our most famous "Conservative" Texas politicians are regulars (not far from the Texas Capitol building). FYI - Renée Zellweger was a waitress there while attending UT/Austin (not a stripper). Just some pretty college girls trying to pay for their education!

Peace

[reader99]

I think it likely that a ban on porn would be as effective, and as harmful, as the ban on alcohol during Prohibition.

[heydude]

Much of my "porn" is actually day-time Tv Soap Operas. Would those be banned?

[flowerseverywhere]

Much of my "porn" is actually day-time Tv Soap Operas. Would those be banned?

you just beat me to it. Who will define porn? Should art museums paint drapes over any painting with "naughty bits" showing? What about novels that describe sex scenes? What about movies? Will we go back to a married couple sleeping in separate beds on TV shows? I think a lot of the stuff I see on the TV at the gym (two and a half men jumps to mind) could be called into question?


Is this what we elected these people to do? There are laws in place that protect children and other victims of sex crimes and it doesn't deter these things from happening.

Don't make government bigger. Please.

[The Storyteller]

Edited...

Others beat me to it...

Define porn.

[Alan]

Define porn.

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . ." ~ Justice Potter Stewart, 1964

[flowerseverywhere]

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . ." ~ Justice Potter Stewart, 1964

if it were only that easy. Did you know that the Sistine Chapel paintings were recently restored and they removed the modesty drapes that had been placed on some of the figures? That is why I mentioned art.

And don't forget there are women in this world who are only allowed out in public covered from head to toe with a little slit for their eyes to see. Even breast feeding in public has been very controversial. The right to breastfeed act was only passed in 1999 in the US. Every now and then a woman is harassed for breast feeding in public even now. I know a very Christian family whose young girls are not allowed to wear pants so wear long skirts and never show their shoulders, and at the other extreme I was at a graduation party last week and some of the little bathing suits had only a few square inches of fabric. So we obviously all have differing views of modesty and public displays of skin.

So I really don't want anyone meddling in what I can see or do as long as it does not involve minors, the participants are willing and consenting, and no one is being harmed. And I am a woman. Of course I think it is demeaning to women but if that is what you want to do it is not my business to tell you that you cannot. and it is not the governments business either.

One thing we can all be sure of is that there are plenty of problems our government can work on, they don't have to start making new problems.

[The Storyteller]

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . ." ~ Justice Potter Stewart, 1964

That was about obscenity, not porn. Obscene materials are already unprotected and illegal, pornography is not. All obscene materials are pornography, but not all pornography is obscene.

Legally speaking, at any rate.