Day 170 Question 170:

Should pornography be banned?  Should there be limitations/restrictions?

So I flipped through a bunch of documentaries last night trying to figure out what I wanted to watch.  I had many to choose from but I wasn’t in the mood for anything with too serious of a tone or anything that was going to emotionally exhaust me.  I came across a documentary called Adult Entertainment Disrobing an American Idol…YEP THIS WAS THE ONE!!!  Within the first 3 minutes of the documentary, I was absolutely floored to find out the revenue that the porn industry makes in only one year.  We are talking about billions of dollars.  The porn industry financially exceeds major sports entertainment by an insane amount.  This documentary was (surprisingly) extremely interesting.

The filmmaker along with some various doctors and psychologists decided to do a blind study in which they would examine the affects porn had on people.  People in the medical field have argued that pornography can be an addiction in the same way that cocaine or heroin can be.  In this study 2 men (one single, one married) were required to view porn (video) daily, visit adult entertainment stores or strip clubs once a week and look at internet porn twice a week.  The results in just a one month time were so interesting.  Both men (after taking repeat surveys) had a decrease in their values of relationships and commitment.  Both men had a decrease in believing in the importance of fidelity.  Both men had an increase in believing that all women liked rough sex.  Both men had an increase in believing that sex between two people was not as stimulating as amongst 3 or more people.  I wish I could give more details but the documentary was just packed full of information that blew my mind.

Ok, so where do I stand on the issue?  I will admit that I have watched porn.  I am not ashamed to say that.  I have watched porn of many kinds (more than just one man and one woman).  I do not view porn regularly so therefore I do not have an addiction to it.  I do believe, like anything else (drugs, food, alcohol, tobacco), that sex and porn can be something that a person can become addicted to.  A person can become addicted to anything if they are exposed to it long enough.  People can get a rush from just about anything and after time they may not even realize that they are addicted.  Should there be laws and regulations made banning this material?  In my opinion, we already have enough things that are taking away our rights as people.  This is one area that I do not believe the government needs to step in.  Yes, this industry can be very “dirty” and there are health risks but these are people that are CHOOSING to do this and the people viewing these pornos are CHOOSING to do so.  Some porn may (in my opinion) be very graphic and extreme but there is always an audience for that.  The only regulation that needs to be enforced is one in which child pornography is made illegal.  No minor should be allowed to be in any sort of pornography whether voluntary or involuntary…and if they are then the production company should face jail time.

This is a difficult question for me to answer because this documentary had so much great information when looking at both sides of the coin.  Lawmakers are no longer viewing regulating porn as taking away 1^st amendment rights but instead viewing it as a health issue because it (potentially) can affect someone psychologically and physically.  I can’t help but think that food can have the same effect on people and we surely can’t take food away from people or force them to eat only certain foods.  I am not a prude but I am also not on the other end of the spectrum either.  I do believe that porn can have some very negative effects on people.  I do believe many relationships have suffered because of porn.  I do not believe that the huge increase in divorce rates is due to pornography.  I believe as people we need to stop blaming everyone else for our problems and look within ourselves.  This country has been all about the dollar bills and I do not see that changing anytime in my life.  I do not see the porn industry shutting down any time in my life…actually I see them pushing the envelope just that much further to make even more money.  That is their prerogative and it is MY prerogative to choose whether or not to watch it.  I do not think it is right to take something about from the majority because of the negative effects it has had on a small population.  Some people have addictive personalities and some don’t.  Some people can practice self-control and some cannot.  I, personally, do not enjoy watching pornography where a woman is being slapped and spit on and outright degraded but it is MY choice to turn it off if it were on.  Some people have some crazy fantasies that get their engines revving.  We can’t keep taking things away from people in hopes that they will resist from treating women disrespectfully or going out and raping a woman.  We have turned into a society that has suffered from MANY mental disorders.  We have seen an outrageous increase in the last 30 years of people seeking treatment for different psychological disorders.  In my opinion, the increase in technology and media has brought us to that place.  We choose this though and it is use that has to face the consequences.  Unless we want to turn into a communist nation, we cannot keep allowing the government to control our every little move.  And again, before anyone goes biting my head off about this entry, REMEMBER this is strictly my opinion…I never claimed to be right or wrong about anything.  :0)

And on a final note….HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY to my fellow Americans.  Have a wonderful and safe holiday!!!!