The Pros And Cons Of Pornography

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pornography: the conventional or traditional position and the civil libertarian stance. though new approaches have been developed recently .. philosophical approaches have been evolved by people who have studied the issue and reached at a conclusion on the basis of argument concerning the public interest as well as perhaps the interest of an important personal reference group: religion/the establishment, authors/publishers, or women as a class, to name just a few of the many possible reference groups. Usually only scholars and other elites have the leisure and intellectual training to do this and there are not very many of them (us) in American society36. In the general public, symbolism, self-interest, or class interests are more likely to…show more content…
ELDER & R. COBB, THE POLITICAL USES OF SYMBOLS 62 (1983). 37 Generally McConahay, Self-Interest Versus Racial Attitudes as Correlates of Anti-busing Attitudes in Louisville: Is it the Buses or the Blacks?, 44J. POL. 692, 715-16 (1982); C. ELDER & R. COBB, 38 Berns, Pornography v. Democracy: The Case for Censorship, THE PUBLIC INTEREST 3-24(1971). 39 . A HANDBOOK OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH 325-42 (Rev. J. Greenwood ed. 1956). 40 . Kristol, Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship, N.Y. Times, March 28, 1971. 41 . van den Haag, Is Pornography a Crime?, ENCOUNTER 29, 53 (1967). 13 children42, and to treat women as mere sex objects who have been dehumanized43. It therefore follows that the law must be used both as "morality's handmaiden Constitutional objections to censorship are countered either by the assertion that pornographic materials cannot be considered speech44 or, even if pornography is speech, that the first amendment was never intended to protect all forms of speech45. B. THE CIVIL LIBERTARIAN POSITION. Many who adopt the civil libertarian position accept the sacredness of sex assumption, but reject the other assertions of the traditionalists about the effects of pornography. Others reject even this…show more content…
Thus, most feminists believe that pornography should be censored or banned. Additionally, Susan Brownmiller has mentioned that, “Pornography is the undiluted essence of anti-female propaganda”54. Another author has also stated that violent pornography results in violence against women, where men would rape and commit misdemeanour55. This would eventually promote oppression and exploitation on women by defaming women and supporting sexism56. Hence, this should be censored or else banned57. Robin Morgan, in her article58 has proposed an alternative solution. She acknowledges the existence of menace or threats against women, but she ‘despises censorship’ (although she has conceded on advocating it once). Moreover, she has prompted that a ‘phallocentric culture’59 would presumably drive a ban on books by lesbians and feminists before male oriented violent pornography is banned60. Therefore, she proposes of a direct action by championing against stores that sell pornography61. 50 G. GORDON, EROTIC COMMUNICATIONS: STUDIES IN SEX, SIN, AND CENSORSHIP 304

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