Crazy Sexy!

I found the following blog through Google but it's also on WordPress… I don't think it's from this class b/c it doesn't seem familiar but it seems to be from another student taking a class like this one!!

 Porn in the halls of academia

Women #1, Men #2 »

I Downloaded Child Porn?

       The issue regarding child pornography online and being arrested for possessing it is extremely controversial.  Although there is nothing controversial about child porn being illegal I just feel that since it is so easily attainable that the consequences should be reviewed.  In a blog post I just read from garyng44 he states that he read an article where a university student from LSU was charged with 12 counts of possessing child pornography.  Maybe this student is intrigued by child pornography, where in this case he should be arrested, or maybe he accidentally downloaded it.  I remember the introduction of this class warned us that we could be arrested if we download child pornography and I can definitely see this happening involuntarily.  These pornographic sites often cater to all types of fetishes and if one does not read the titles or skims through them very quickly, then they may come across and download a child pornography by mistake.

            This is definitely a federal offense, but let’s put this into perspective.  If I was online and wanted to download pornography for my personal pleasure and I accidentally downloaded a child pornography I could be arrested and publicly humiliated.  More times than none these child pornographies are found on a computer when the “Feds” confiscate it, but I can see how one could forget to delete it.  I have downloaded so many things in the past for school or from what friends have sent me via email and have totally forgotten to delete them.  I know one should not forget to delete child pornography on their PC, but it sometimes slips one’s mind and some people may feel it’s not a big deal or are not aware of the crime.  I don’t know much about computers, but even after the pornography was deleted maybe there is a way to detect that it was downloaded. 

            I in no way feel that the downloading of child pornography is acceptable, but some people do make honest mistakes and should not have to go through the drama and humiliation that it is attached to.  I honestly have no idea of how the government could produce a system where one would be able to know if it were by accident or on purpose, but it just does not seem 100% fair.  On the other hand if one is going to download porn they should be wise enough to know what is what and be cautious for the government watches our every move.

            This blog also intrigued me for is made me realize that the government is more a part of our private lives than I realized.  They have people watching everything we download from family pictures to S&M pornography.  I frankly think that it is not the government’s business what I download or what I enjoy sexually.  I know that to some extent the government is trying to protect the country is some manipulative way, but it should be made clearly aware that there are people out there sharing our personal lives over the internet.

In agree that the government is a little too involved in our personal lives (even if they are trying to protect us). Since there is no way to know the reasoning behind what sites we go on, I think the government should just be more obvious that they are watching us so closely. I for one didn't know the extent to which our online activity is monitored so maybe just making it more publicly known through advertisements, newcasts, warnings on websites, etc. Sure it will probably deture some criminals and the feds won't make as many arrests, but that means that as many children might not be exploited and that's what the real problem is… protecting our children from predators.

I read through most of the posts on Mr. Lucas's blog and also looked at the Lucas Entertainment Website. First off I thought his blog was very interesting and intriquing. Many of the posts were funny, some serious, it was just a very good mix that I found to be entertaining and informational- it just made me think about a lot of new things. I would ask Mr. Lucas more about why he got into the industry and how his sexual life has changed because of it (if that's appropriate to ask haha). I think I would also  ask about the business aspect of it and if it's hard to run a business that is so controversial.

The excerpt from the Congressional Record about the Debate on the Communications Decency Act talked a lot about children viewing pornography as well as violent or “indecent” types of pornography on the internet. Even after reading this chapter in the book what I found most compelling and interesting was the prayer that was given at the beginning of the hearing. Perhaps it is because I, myself, am a religious person but I do believe that there is a strong religious aspect that must be brought into play when discussing pornography, especially when we are relating the issue to children.

This prayer says that we are thankful for so many technological advances but that people in our society have taken it too far and are hurting children and others around us. When children see even the slightest of pornography at a young age, addiction to porn is not uncommon and this leads to a whole plethora of problems later in life. In this day and age, almost every child has access to the internet, and many children are more computer literate than their parents. This is a problem that is different from any other one that has ever been faced and in cases like this I strongly believe that prayer and possibly some type of divine intervention is one of our only hopes. The prayer ends very strongly by reminding us that children are the future of our society. This is so true but often forgotten. We need to teach our children the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. By constantly exposing them to violence, pornography, and other filth on the internet, we are taking both their futures and the future of our society, and destroying it child by child.

Although this prayer gives no real solution to the problem, I think it can be seen as a wake up call to this whole nation. We need to remember that these are our children and that what they see now will affect the rest of their lives. We should also remember that we are “one nation under God” and that in tough times it is ok to turn to God in prayer and ask for His help.

One blog that stood out to me this week was by ‘ajpetko’ and was entitled “Won’t Someone please think about the children?” The original blog can be found below.

When I watched the Congressional Hearing, I got the same vibe that is illustrated in this blog. First of all, pornography is not to be seen by children of any age. It is solely for use by responsible persons over the age of 18. Moreover, parents must do everything in their power to limit internet access to pornography. Pornography is easily found even when one is searching the web for the most innocent of topics. Because of this, I believe the government should do their part and get up to date with filters, and knowing what is available online, etc. I still believe that parents are the most influential, significant, and constant part of a child’s life. But it is impossible for even the best of parents to monitor their children 24/7. Most school-age children will be either left alone or with a sibling or babysitter at some time. Most children will also go over to their friends’ houses. Most children will be exposed to the internet in the classroom. The point is that a parent cannot be attached to a child at all times. Even at school, one of the “safest” places for children, a child researching information for a school project can inadvertently stumble across a pornographic website. Bottom line, kids will find it whether or not they are trying to.

 So since parents cannot always monitor their children, I believe that the government should take more of a stand. Ajpetko’s idea of a completely government owned internet would probably work, but indeed a lot of jobs would be lost. Instead, more jobs should be created! The government should start by hiring and training a group of individuals that can oversee each internet provider (AOL, Netscape, Verizon DSL, etc). Once trained, each government representative will be operating along the same exact guidelines but will be responsible for his/ her specific internet provider. In this way, the government will still gain control over the internet, but jobs will not be lost.Won’t someone please think about the children? By ajpetko…Who else needs to step in besides parents? Should the government step in or should it be the parent’s job to control what our children do on the internet? After watching the Congressional Hearing, I agree with Senator Blanche Lincoln. She mentioned that parents can not do it alone and I couldn’t agree more. Now days both parents work just to make it through life and leaving that middle school child at home during the summer is the only economical and logical solutions. Part of the problem is our parents don’t know how to use the computer, let alone the internet. Their children have two legs up on them; can hide what they do on the internet without their parents finding out. Senator Daniel Inouye mentioned technology has made it a difficult task to keep an eye on our children and know what they are doing on the computer. I couldn’t agree more with the Senator. I believe this is part of the reason why the government should get involved to extent. Although our privacy is at risk; I don’t have a problem showing someone from the government what sites I go on but some people might take offense to it. I could see why. Nothing wrong with looking at a little porn here or there. The solutions to this problem that I can think of is a centralized government owned internet but that would take jobs away. We can’t afford to lose anymore jobs considering the unemployment rate. I do think that a lot of good internet protection programs are available. The government should make these programs more available. I know AOL provides its members with protection but it is very flawed because it use to block the wrestling sites I would visit! Netnanny.com offers protection from porn, file sharing, and limit time online (which is a huge problem) among other things. Netnanny.com “Net Nanny Stops illicit material from invading your child’s computer by filtering and blocking web content while they surf.” at 3.95 a month. There is also cybersitter among others that cost one-time fee of $39.95. The government should offer free internet protection for their children. Yes, free…we pay enough in taxes already. The idea is to protect our children and also eliminate file sharing. The set-up process would be simple as possible for those computer illiterate

After reading through the Porn Myths website, I have come to the conclusion that pornography certainly has the ability to enhance a sexual relationship between two adults.

Watching porn can give a much needed spark to any couple’s love life. As well as creating sexual arousal, viewing porn on a regular basis can give the couple new ideas and new things to try in the bedroom. I think that if both the man and woman were to watch pornography together that this would be an even better idea. There is nothing wrong with watching other people engage in sexual acts in order to arouse oneself when normal activities just aren’t enough.

It is true that with some couples, one partner is interested in pornography and the other is not. Even one person watching porn can enhance the relationship by that person either using it to get him or her aroused before meeting with the partner or by viewing it when the sexual relationship needs that extra push. You can watch porn simply to get new ideas and then try and recreate them with your significant other.

Apparently an objection to using pornography to enhance a sexual relationship is that it might be taken to extreme levels. Of course this is possible but it is possible no matter what you are using to enhance a relationship. I believe that as long as communication lines are open between the couple and that both adults are responsible and care about each other to some degree that pornography is a great tool that can and should be used candidly.

In my opinion, one of the best full blogs in the class would have to be by ajpetko (Porn and I don’t even have to pay for it). This blog always has some creative arguments and takes on what we have read about and I often find myself commenting on their blogs when I write my own. This person clearly understands a lot of the material presented in the lectures and the reading but does more than just make comments about the information. It is taken to the next level when ‘ajpetko’ is able to engage readers and make a new argument out of what was presented.

Many studies have been done in an attempt to explain sexual tendencies and to gage the effect of sexual stimuli on a person's behavior. According to Fisher and Barak's article entitled "Internet Pornography: A Social Psychological Perspective on Internet Sexuality" many of these studies are flawed and inconsistent and yield results that end up being published but are often biased and unusable.

In many of the studies described, undergraduate students were brought in for a psychology study and told to pick from a variety of films: non-pornographic, soft-core, hard-care, child porn, and everything in between. These studies showed that a very small percentage of people chose to watch extremely hard-core, violent, or pornography involving children. In contrast, internet servers claim that hard-core porn sites are some of the most visited of any variety.

There are several biases with the first psychological type of study. First, most of the undergraduate students tested were males. Although there is no guarantee the results would be different with mixed gender groups, it is always important to have a diverse group. Secondly, while the internet is quite private and anonymous, these psych studies required students to pick a film and then the experimenter was conscious of that participant's choice. I think that even if a student loved child pornography, he would be so inclined to pick a film that was more socially acceptable as not to draw attention to himself. Society has a profound effect on the image we try and portray but as far as experimental studies go, if people are not honest we will not get valid results.

Before reading the article "Porn in the Positive" my mlloyd, I had never really considered some of the very positive effects that pornography may have. When people talk about pornography it always seems so controversial and what is heard most often are those arguments that porn has such a bad effect on society but this is truely only one side of the story.

I think that everyone is entitled to their opinion, however as with any argument, one must consider both sides. When people argue against pornography is is usually based on emotion and not pure facts. Although it is admittable that horrible things happen because of excessive viewing of pornography, it is also true that it gives much needed pleasure to some and saves relationships for others.

I think that for every person who is against pornography you could find at least one more who is pro-porn and both may have very good and valid reasons for their positions. Overall I just think we need to stop judging so much and realize that we as a society can have individual differences and opinions and that there may not be a clear cut answer to whether porn is good or bad.

I found this post ” entitled “Bearing the Boobs” on NicoleR’s web blog page. Although I have never been to a nude beach I have talked to people who have and it indeed sounds like a completely different type of environment. Relating this issue to pornography, one must ask if nude beaches are a type of live porn. Sure the girl’s bottom half might be covered and there is not neccessarily any touching going on, but still I am willing to bet that many people (especially visitors) can get aroused by walking down a beach a seeing naked bodies.

Selling sex through means of young women held as slaves is degrading and unnecessary. Before watching the Frontine Special on Sex Slaves I had no idea that this type of behavior was evening happening. I felt extremely naive but I also have a feeling that many people either don’t know anything of it at all (like me) or don’t know the extent of the project.

Sex slavery reminds me a lot of drug trafficking except that it is so much worse because it is literally the slavery and selling of people. I think a common argument of someone for sex slavery would be that the girls do it of their own free will and that it is their own fault the types of situations they get into. While some girls do knowingly get into sex trafficking there are many who simply think they are going to a normal job interview and end up having a completely new life. Even those who do know what they are getting into often have no other choice because they need the money.

What I found most appauling is that the authorities did not do anything to help many of these girls. Some of the policemen even went as far as to participate in the trafficking and help out the pimps. Regardless of the situation and why the girls are there, there should always be people to help out in a dangerous situation.

Sex slavery is an unnecessary evil and needs to be stopped. Hundreds of thousands innocent lives are being ruined or even taken and for what? SEX