Predators & Pornography. A disturbing link.

NRO ^ | May 19, 2005, 8:15 a.m. | By Penny Nance

[.cnI redruM]

Assuming life imitates art to a certain extent, here's the FR philosophical question o' the day...

So if life imitates art, and a piece of suppossed art models a destructive form of behavior that we would never want to see indulged, should that piece of art be banned?

[mlc9852]

Should get interesting - I'll save my two cents for later.

[Dead Corpse]

Post hoc ergo propter hoc violation. Every single one of those predators also drank water and ate bread at some point in their lives. This does not mean that bread and water drove them to predation.

[raivyn]

A classic catch-22...

Those "iffy" questions are such a pain!

[.cnI redruM]

So if people already are fully aware that Coca-Cola exists as a brand and manufactures soft drinks, and they know exactly where to buy Coca-Cola, why would the company waste millions of dollars on advertising it's products if the advertisements in and of themselves did not make more people buy coke?

[Dead Corpse]

Wrong argument. I occassionally drink Coke as it tastes good. You appear to be trying to draw the corralary that I drink Coke because of the commercials. If that were true, I'd be drinking an equal amount of Pepsi wouldn't I?

"The Devil made me do it" is just laying blame elsewhere. I like porn. I have NEVER, nor would I EVER, become a sexual predator. Period.

[CobaltBlue]

I've been around a fair number of people who -- what's the word, "consume"? "use"?, porn. I guess it depends to some extent how you define porn.

Playboy?

Women's bodice-ripper fiction?

At any rate, I don't think any of them were inspired to commit violence.

I agree that it's better to not expose yourself to certain types of images.

Personally, I don't watch explicit porn or gratuitously violent films, and that's fine by me, but I don't feel I should stop you as long as it's just fantasy.

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>I like porn. I have NEVER, nor would I EVER, become a sexual predator. Period.

Thus no one else would either...hmm...

I guess if one person isn't allergic to bee stings, no one else could possibly be allergic either.

[frogjerk]

Post hoc ergo propter hoc violation. Every single one of those predators also drank water and ate bread at some point in their lives. This does not mean that bread and water drove them to predation.

Drinking water and eating bread are socially unacceptable behavior? Your logic makes no sense.

Bad behavior sometimes leading to worse behavior does not take a huge amount of common sense to understand.

[Dead Corpse]

One person uses a gun to commit a crime, so all of us gun owners are criminals?

Yeah, that logic works well doesn't it?

[Dead Corpse]

Define "socially unacceptable". Most of my friends like porn as well. And no, I'm not a swinger either. Nor am I tempted to give it a try.

Excusing bad behavior never gets anywhere either.

[Antoninus]

Certain forms of pornography are already banned. I'm in favor of pushing the line back a lot further.

[AppyPappy]

Every single one of those predators also drank water and ate bread at some point in their lives.

That is so weak. If a guy drinks a ton of beer, gets drunk and drives home, gets involved in a wreck, are you going to say the beer and the wreck are merely coincidental because he drank water at some time as well?

[.cnI redruM]

The gun is not a medium conveying a message that encourages you to load it full of bullets and shoot somebody.

Watching "Natural Born Killers" or "Reservoir Dogs" may make a susceptible individual more likely to engage in violence, owning a gun simply provides them with a tool. Owning a Louisville slugger or an ax would provide them another, less efficient tool.

[Antoninus]

I like porn. I have NEVER, nor would I EVER, become a sexual predator. Period.

Are you married? If so, what does your wife have to say about your "hobby"?

[frogjerk]

One person uses a gun to commit a crime, so all of us gun owners are criminals?

Yeah, that logic works well doesn't it?

Again, owning a gun is not a socially unacceptable behavior (Unless you're a liberal nut). Committing a crime is bad behavior. If you believe someone who commits a crime will not sometimes commit another crime (maybe even a worse crime) you are not being realistic.

[Dead Corpse]

That isn't an equal argument and you damn well know it. I'd say you should be ashamed of yourself, but I also know you better than that.

Mrs. Grundy would be proud.

[AppyPappy]

Commercials do not make you buy Coke. They influence your behavior.

Just as porn influences behavior.

But watch out. The Porn lovers will defend it to the death. Porn is the most sacred institution in the First Amendment.

[AppyPappy]

That isn't an equal argument and you damn well know it.

It's better than your water = porn argument

[Dead Corpse]

Hobby? Not exactly a hobby. Why? ARen't you getting any? Want to live vicariously through me? Or are you just trying to drum up a good head of rigtheous indignation?