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Subject: 
Re: What is spam? (was Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Thu, 12 Jul 2001 08:19:40 GMT
Viewed: 
847 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
I know this was a troll, but I thought I'd bite.

In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Scott Arthur writes:
  I think he was referring to your efforts to veer the debate
  in an attempt to make First Amendment = Child Pornography.
  Granted, there's room for a .debate there, but that's not the
  crux of the matter (nor, technically, is it a problem with
  the First Amendment--child porn is *illegal* in every state
  of the US, and just because people still do it doesn't mean
  that the First Amendment is to blame).

Why is it illegal? Is it because the majority find it offensive, or because
of the exploitation/harm to children? Perhaps both?

Certainly we tell ourselves that the children involved are deeply damaged by
the experience.  I'm not so sure that it's just our squicky puritanical
knee-jerk doing that rationalizing sometimes.  But of course it depends on what
you mean.  Child pornography, as I understand it -- in the US, can mean a
snapshot of a naken six year old playing in the sprinkler or it can mean movies
of nine year olds being raped, or of fourteen year olds having consensual sex.
So what do _you_ mean?  Or what do _we_ mean?

A good question. If it is publically avaible it could include all 3. But I
see your point. But lets leave the marginal side of kiddy porn aside for now.


If no exploitation/harm
to childrenwas involved in any way, should it be available in a free
society?

I think so.  Further, I think that even _some_ degree of exploitation needs to
be tolerated.

My view would be that individuals who use this material may need help in
some way. *I expect*, that making the material available only justifies
their condition. I recognised your rights based outlook on this, but I think
a mature democracy should be able to make a decisions and ban such material.


One could make a case that prostitutes are being exploited, but
I encourage our society to legalize prostitution.  Heck, I'm being exploited by
my company, right?  Or am I exploiting them?  Or both?

Symbiosis.

So we'd need some
deeper definition of exploitation too.

Should the market be allowed to decide?

Maybe.  If there is no victim, there is no crime.

Flatulence has many victims, but it is not a crime. If there is no law,
there is no crime. :)

Scott A


Chris



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: What is spam? (was Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
 
(...) But what is marginal? And I disagree that all three could be included. I can envision a gallery selling 20x24" matted prints of a naked six year old and his dog playing in a sprinkler. Would that under any reasonable set of circumstances be (...) (23 years ago, 12-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: What is spam? (was Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
 
I know this was a troll, but I thought I'd bite. (...) Certainly we tell ourselves that the children involved are deeply damaged by the experience. I'm not so sure that it's just our squicky puritanical knee-jerk doing that rationalizing sometimes. (...) (23 years ago, 11-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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