the paper on porn!
For my public policy class I have to write a paper that will be 1/3 of my grade and since I can't do gay marriage like I wanted I decided to pick pornography or, more practically, obscenity laws. :)
so I'm thinking of looking at the practicality of obscenity laws that govern the placement of sex shops and strip clubs in the face of the following arguments:
1) the laws are said to protect children from early corruption during their developmental years.
2) young children do not pick up on sexual innuendo and that doesn't start until they begin to become sexually aware around 12 or 13 - puberty. with the internet a child that wants to experience these things will be able to. there's no real way to prevent it. childeren are more tech savvy than their parents, and tech continues to evolve so that banned content is accessible if you know how to look for it. a child that wants to be corrupt will become corrupt.
3) the restrictions placed on sex shops etc actually add to their visibility because they stand out by not conforming to other shops presentation - in britan they have blackened or opaque windows so people can't see in. this creates an air of mystery to be solved and also builds a sense of taboo on the shops. this would lead curious children to seek out the answers they cannot find by observing the world they're in. thereby promoting the early corruption the laws seek to prevent.
back to "children who want to be corrupted will become corrupt"
4) whereas, if you put pressure on the parents to instill the morals they want in their children, a sex shop with a more common window display will not entice the child to corruption.
5) it's not the state's place to impose restrictions on a business for the sake of a prudish parent who doesn't want to put the effort they need into raising their child in a modern world. the costs of the restrictions far out way the benefits available to society because technology advancements provide easy access to those who want to find it.
6) only those who want to find it will become corrupt. because a child with solid morals of his/her family will not seek it out
7) this does of course require open discussion with your child when they become curious so that you can address it appropriately and steer their development in the direction that you want. but in today's world, this is the only way to truly insure your child develops your shared morals. otherwise they will be raised by their friends, neighbors, tv, and the internet w/o your guidance
thoughts?
so I'm thinking of looking at the practicality of obscenity laws that govern the placement of sex shops and strip clubs in the face of the following arguments:
1) the laws are said to protect children from early corruption during their developmental years.
2) young children do not pick up on sexual innuendo and that doesn't start until they begin to become sexually aware around 12 or 13 - puberty. with the internet a child that wants to experience these things will be able to. there's no real way to prevent it. childeren are more tech savvy than their parents, and tech continues to evolve so that banned content is accessible if you know how to look for it. a child that wants to be corrupt will become corrupt.
3) the restrictions placed on sex shops etc actually add to their visibility because they stand out by not conforming to other shops presentation - in britan they have blackened or opaque windows so people can't see in. this creates an air of mystery to be solved and also builds a sense of taboo on the shops. this would lead curious children to seek out the answers they cannot find by observing the world they're in. thereby promoting the early corruption the laws seek to prevent.
back to "children who want to be corrupted will become corrupt"
4) whereas, if you put pressure on the parents to instill the morals they want in their children, a sex shop with a more common window display will not entice the child to corruption.
5) it's not the state's place to impose restrictions on a business for the sake of a prudish parent who doesn't want to put the effort they need into raising their child in a modern world. the costs of the restrictions far out way the benefits available to society because technology advancements provide easy access to those who want to find it.
6) only those who want to find it will become corrupt. because a child with solid morals of his/her family will not seek it out
7) this does of course require open discussion with your child when they become curious so that you can address it appropriately and steer their development in the direction that you want. but in today's world, this is the only way to truly insure your child develops your shared morals. otherwise they will be raised by their friends, neighbors, tv, and the internet w/o your guidance
thoughts?