[Cindy]

Thanks Duke for that comment.

I have realized for a very long time that the problems with our society are larger than the internet, but my daily e-mail does seem to reflect just how low our culture has sunk --- mired in the muck for sure.

[Mycroft Holmes]

A large part of the problem is that sending spam is free to the sender. I have been innundated lately by Chinese language spam, more than the sex spam. And I find it just as irritating. BTW, there is no reason for anybody on this planet to have the notion that I read Chinese.

[The Duke]

I didn't realize until this moment that you are not only sharing this piece, but perhaps the author as well(?) If that is in fact the case then thank you so much for addressing so succinctly and eloquently a topic that has irritated me for many years...that topic being the misapplication of the word "adult" in our modern lexicon.

Another topic that occupies a similar niche for me is the co-option of our symbology for love by the porn industry (valentines' hearts, little cupids, etc). Our culture does itself no small disservice by deliberately confusing love and lust.

In reality I'm no "enemy of pornography" however, unlike the crowds depicted at the beginning of the film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" I am not inclined to proclaim the grotesque to be king simply as an excuse to revel in grotesquery.

I have in the past found myself wondering where exactly in pornography lies the evil, and why a porn film should be considered any more evil than a slasher film or even a modern-day action movie. Ultimately I've concluded that the evil of pornography is it's depiction of selfishness - because it is a depiction of individuals pursuing their own base pleasure with no regard to those with whom they participate.

When "Rambo" risks his own life to rescue the prisoners it is a selfless act...when "Big John Holmes" gets it on it's a selfish act. I believe selfishness is at the core of pornography, and that it is perhaps the purest distillation of evil.

[JMJ333]

The pop culture in this society is at base level. I happened to catch on TV [Inside edition] that full frontal nudity will be aired on prime time within the next 4 years, according to tv executives for the major networks. It really isn't surprising considering that all of the pop culture icons [who are pushed toward children] sell pure sex. Brittany Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguillera, etc--all grovel around like dogs instead of acting like human beings with special dignity.

If decent human beings don't stand up and fight for our foundational culture, our republic will be lost, because as moral values are tossed aside, the government will be there to regulate the behavior produced by those loss of morals. A climate of immorality only gives the government an opportunity to expand.

[EODGUY]

Very good post, Cindy. Your point is well taken that the internet is not the panacea of decadence in our society, but the breakdown of our moral fiber is done by desensitizing ignorant people incrementally.

To those who have no concrete beliefs, if something is thrown in their face enough, they are willing to accept it. Pathetic, but true.

[Churchillspirit]

Great post, Cindy!

It is so frustrating to check e-mail and find all these disgusting messages (the titles alone. I never actually read them). It just does not seem enough to delete them, but I have read on this forum that to reply at all is a plus for the sender.