Senate Hears Testimony on Porn Addiction

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- Comparing pornography to heroin, researchers on Thursday called on Congress to finance studies on "porn addiction" and launch a public health campaign about the dangers.

"We're so afraid to talk about sex in our society that we really give carte blanche to the people who are producing this kind of material," said James B. Weaver, a Virginia Tech professor who studies the impact of pornography.

Internet pornography is corrupting children and hooking adults into an addiction that threatens their jobs and families, a panel of anti-porn advocates told the hearing organized by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., chairman of the Commerce subcommittee on science.

Brownback, a father of five, said when he was a boy, the typical kid's exposure was limited to occasional peeks at dirty magazines illicitly obtained by a buddy.

Now, he said, pornography seems pervasive. Children run across it while researching homework on the Internet. Vulgar ads arrive unexpectedly by e-mail. Some of his middle-age male friends limit their time alone in hotel rooms to avoid the temptation of graphic pay-per-view movies, Brownback said.
............
Brownback, an outspoken Christian conservative who has championed efforts to curb indecency on television and the Internet, said the public is beginning to realize "they don't just have to take it."

But he acknowledged the First Amendment right to free speech has limited congressional efforts.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-pornography-senate,0,1223854.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[billyoc]

1. Fsckin' internet, we gotta start regulatin' that shit...

Here we go... :tinfoilhat:

[Nordic]

40. no tin foil hat required for that assumption

You're right on the money.

Imagine where we'd be with no internet?

We might actually believe all the crap on CNN and Fox.

The internet is the last enemy of fascism in America. Now that they have all branches of the government, the mainstream media and the elections fully under their control.

They need to control it. So they'll try.

Yet another reason to leave the US

[George_S]

70. Give up?

No! That is what they want: surrender or leave (a form of surrender).

[CitySky]

75. Remember, it's "Internets"

plural.

:D

[pelagius]

2. That's funny...

...I don't find porn on the Internet or anywhere else unless I go looking for it. Also, nobody has ever held a gun to my head and made me listen to Howard Stern. I think we need to have some Congressional hearings about the use of the on/off switch.

[Rose Siding]

7. Bet Brownbeck's writing a new prohibition amendment

I can imagine the kind of group that will be approved to do the study. "blah blah FAMILY blah"

[Sunny_Sunshine]

50. I'm so glad to hear that

I thought there was something wrong with me that I never run into porn unless I look for it and even then it's pretty sad or maybe I should say boring. Haven't had a TV in 25 years so I didn't see the boob that destroyed the super bowl.

[MotorCityMan]

67. I remember one news story

Might have been a local story, but it was about a young girl doing a report on bears. She did a search on the internet and got links to a bunch of gay porn sights ("bears" being hairy, masculine men (yum)).

There was a big stink about it. I remember thinking that the little darling's parents needed to get some of that screening software (NetNanny and such).

Of course that it involved gay pornography just made it so much worse.

What if she were doing her report on "beavers"?

[indigolady]

72. I did a search on "divine love" looking for a Hindu meditation society

and was guided to the motherlode of porn sites. didn't open them, though. don't want that cookie on my computer, or in my mail box,

[hunter]

80. I often see posts like this on RW boards...

"Whatever you do, do NOT google such-and-such. I was just looking for a muffin recipe, and can you believe it, OMG, so much porn! How can they let people post pictures like that??? What's the matter with this country???!!!"

[callous taoboy]

53. My step-mom is addicted to something far worse:

RUSH LIMBAUGH. When I visit she has him on all radios and then wears headphone radio if she goes out to the garage or yard.

[SmokingJacket]

96. He takes so much OxyContin, the addictive qualities leak out

through the radio!

My parents are also addicted. Do remember that old gadget you used to be able to buy from Ronco, it could scramble an egg inside the shell? I think of Limbaugh doing that to people's brains. WHIRRRRRRR!

Years ago -- seven -- I ran into porn while looking for breastfeeding information. WHOA! That was wild!!! But now I never see porn. Why give it to people free if you can get them to pay for it?

[Massacure]

3. The only reason people are addicted to it is because it is taboo

Perhaps if we took a more European approach...

[indigolady]

73. No, I'm getting addicted to DU and it's not tabu.

[Cheswick2.0]

86. people get addicted to many things that are not taboo

addiction is about emotional pain.

[flyingfysh]

4. that's keeping priorities straight

Millions of people have no health insurance or jobs, we'll killing thousands in Iraq, the federal deficit is going through the roof, but the Senate is focussing on the imporant stuff: dirty pictures.

[BayCityProgressive]

6. Wow

he says the first amenment right "Gets in the way"? What a nut!

[slor]

8. My sentiment exactly...

this is outrageous. Oh wait...I forgot...the chimp has a mandate from the idiots in America, so this is all ok.

[indigolady]

76. porn addiction may not be first on the list of priorities, but

it can ruin a normal sex life for a couple. if one of them is addicted to porn (usually the man, women get off on romance novels) he can't perform with a normal looking woman. now, some women may not care, but most of us do.
so maybe that's why viagra has become so popular.

[daleo]

84. The porn and viagra may both be related to declining libido

Pornography has a somewhat stimulative effect on males, so it may be that the usage of it is related to the performance issues of which you speak, but not necessarily causing them.

[mongo]

97. I think my wife would disagree with you

but then again we watch porn together most of the time.

[livinginphotographs]

89. I wonder what would happen if you googled "mandate"

:proceeds to finally get mind out of the gutter:

[LiberteToujours]

5. Funny how Republicans claim to be for "personal responsibility"

Yet they want the government to help them fight their own sexual urges.

[genieroze]

30. It's the repervakins that need help with this stuff

Check this out

http://www.geocities.com/arthursank/sexualmorality.html

[KDLarsen]

46. My god..

.. I almost threw up when I read about the girl that was raped by 3 boys, one of them son of a Republican deputy sheriff who has been trying tor uin the investigation.

[Art_from_Ark]

43. It's deja vu all over again!

remember the Meese Porn Commission during Idiot Reagan's term? What a waste of taxpayer money THAT was!

I swear, the only reason the repukes do this is so they can make an excuse for taking smut (officially disguised as a report) home and whacking off to it

[Mist]

56. That's it precisely

It's the only way they can have a good look at the material _and_ feel self-righteous about it. I'm always amazed at how twisted these types are.

And what about these "good Christian men" alone in hotel rooms who don't know it's an option to NOT WATCH TV?

[AngryAmish]

82. No, they whack off to pictures of dead Iraqis

[Brundle_Fly]

9. everything

must be regulated, its time to set down some real rules and laws making sure that the right to free thinking is denied. The more people think the worse the morality of this country is. It's time to go back to a more civilized age. The moral majority is key to your future survival in this society.


kill me.



please.




kill me.

[Tace]

10. This Part Is Great...

"Some of his middle-age male friends limit their time alone in hotel rooms to avoid the temptation of graphic pay-per-view movies," Brownback said.

I'm trying to imagine the daily life of someone so sexually repressed that they are afraid of the site if naked people.

Why they might... masturbate! Oh no!

[xray s]

13. Marriot Corporation is one of the biggest distributors of porn

When it come to conservative republicans, profits trump their morality every time.

[louis-t]

17. =afraid they might get wood?

Conservatives are truly disgusted with their own bodies. They hate themselves for having normal urges. The urges are suppressed, and you end up with sexually deviant behaviour, inability to control urges, and a list of Repub child molesters as long as your arm.

[sendero]

23. They should call it..

.... the anti-blindness act of 2004.

Well, get ready folks. These asses are going to try to control the country.

And you can bet they have the biggest nastiest porn stash in their closets that you could imagine. :)

[sallydallas124]

66. Yeah I love that part

Middle aged men regulating time they spend in hotel rooms because of the temptation to watch pay per porn - hilarious & creepy.

[Candide]

69. they limit their time

because callgirls charge by the hour

f'ing hypocrites

[ktowntennesseedem]

78. LOL!!! Welcome, Candide! -eom

[livinginphotographs]

90. Every piece of hotel porn I've ever viewed

is anything but "graphic." "Lame" or "rip-off" might be a better term for it.

What a bunch of prudes...

[pinniped]

11. Damm that pesky First Amendment to hell!

------But he acknowledged the First Amendment right to free speech has limited congressional efforts.------

I bet this guy has a stash of porn in his closet.

[d_b]

12. Porn addiction?

[NNN0LHI]

16. Yea. Only one cure fore it too

Age.

Don

[DS1]

14. Haha! Damn Porn and its EEEEEEVIL TEMPTATIONS!

JOSH STRENTGH LIVES ON!

[Tom Kitten]

15. Comparing pornography to heroin, eh? I can relate...

My whole neighborhood is undergoing a crime wave of unprecedented proportions, carried out by desperate internet porn junkies willing to do anything for cash so they can then deposit it in their bank account and then use their credit cards to access porn pay sites...

It's to the point where now on practically every freeway off ramp there stands a shabbily dressed bugeyed man in a trenchcoat holding up a cardboard sign saying "will work for porn" or "why lie? I need some porn"...

I'm so glad the Senate is working hard at overcoming this problem, obviously it's the First Amendment that's to blame! :eyes:

[d_b]

18. Be smart; Don't start.

[DS1]

20. I formed a spank support group

We all decide ahead of time who gets to be the Designated Surfer, and with a series or mirrors hooked up, 12 of us can spank-by-committee and pool our resources :eyes:

[Tom Kitten]

21. Now wait a minute here...

I never said I was the mysterious shabbily clad bugeyed man in the trenchcoat holding the signs at the freeway off ramps!
I don't own a trenchcoat!

[Rush1184]

19. This is your brain... This is your brain on porn...

Any Questions?


(Note: I wish I had my other computer so I could pull up this graphic of a brain made up of people having sex.)

[KTM]

34. Here ya go

[VegasWolf]

22. They say the 1st step for any addiction is to acknowledge that you

have a problem. Well, I have no problem,I have no problem,
I have no problem,I have no problem,I have no problem,

[PurityOfEssence]

24. We're so afraid to talk about sex that we don't see that that's a problem

No sex. No birth control. No Pornography. No sex education. Ban all birth control. Unwanted pregnancies are god's wrath, and you must bear your guilt and bring them to term. Venereal disease is the just retaliation for sin.

It took John Ashcroft 14 months to find 12 hookers in New Orleans. While doing this, he spent NO energy on counterterrorism.

No joy outside of the quivering love of god is to be tolerated. Ban all dancing, theatre, music, alcohol, drugs and sex. Life must be a hair-shirted shouldering of the merciless burden, and all happiness must be an apologetic act of concession to god. They'd ban eating if they could, but since they can't, they thank the gracious Witchy Man for every morsel, and hate anything that's tasty.

These people are sick, stupid, crazy and brutal killjoys, and they're winning.

[hunter]

77. That's Horrible! There were TWELVE hookers in New Orleans?

Thank you John Ashcroft for cleaning up that depraved city. Once again it is safe for a righteous man to visit New Orleans.

[vision]

25. Maybe if they watched more Porn

they wold not be so uptight.

Porn is better than violence imo. The death in Iraq is a lot more dangerous imo.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

26. Right. Big Brother's electronic burka coming soon..."for the children."

And thus the shamed and repressed infantalize a nation with blinders to their own physical humanity. (Read Kurt Vonnegut's futuristic short story 'Welcome to the Monkey House' where sexual pleasure's individuality-affirmation threatens the government so everyone must take pills that anaesthetize them below the waist. Only rebels still get to have sex. When a new rebel is brought into the cell, they are greeted with "welcome to the monkey house.")


Religious flinchy priggishness is now being used to plan the neutering of the internet, the only drum left in the slave rebellion. This is another symptom of Bible-brained ELECTILE dysfunction-make war, not love. Perhaps you've heard "erotic is what gets me off, perverted is what gets YOU off." And thus GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) people must only fuck who (insert authority figure here) wants to fuck, not who they want to fuck. Well, fuck that fascist shit...

I heard this crap on evangelical psychiatrist James Dobson's fundie 'Family Matters' radio show by accident. His show was right next to Air America Radio on the dial and I got an earful of some 'expert' with a book talking about husbands lying and hiding their porn viewing from their wives so "they don't really have a marriage at all!" and telling worried parents calling in that "the curse of porn, unlike acne, won't go away for the rest of their lives. It will just get worse and worse." OH NO! NOT PLEASURE! Tsk tsk. How ignoble.

Dobson also preaches beating children "like a dog" to break their spirit and, no surprise, he advises this administration. You see, Abu Ghraib and Gitmo are just tough love.

Shame and fear-mongering. Intentionally creating problems so they (self-proclaimed authorities) can solve them and be the Loving Fuhrer.

"We'll save you from yourself."

Fucking spiritual Munchausen syndrome is what this is.

Frank Zappa and John Denver testified in support of the First Amendment to the Senators whose wives got their knickers in a twist over cursing in pop music and decided to put warning labels on art like fucking Ashcroft hiding statue titties.

At the forefront of THAT CENSORSHIP in 1985 were TIPPER AND AL GORE.

[mithnanthy]

79. correction...

Al Gore and Tipper were for LABELING the records and CD's etc. containing obscene lyrics involved, helping parents decide if the material was appropriate for their children. They were NOT for censorship.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

27. Has Clarence Thomas testified?

I believe he knows all about porn addiction having been an addict himself

[OldLeftieLawyer]

28. Imagine if queers could marry!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See, it's all tied together.

First, you have people watching people having sex.

Second, you have people thinking about watching people having sex.

Third, you have people finding other people to have sex with.

Fourth, you have homosexuals wanting to get married.

(I know there's something wrong between Three and Four, but I can't seem to grasp it. It might have something to do with the Pledge of Allegiance and keeping God in the classrooms. Or it might have something to do with Sam Brownback dreaming of hummers from James B. Weaver.)

[Occulus]

41. Here's what's wrong: there are four steps missing

Third-and-one-fourth: Other people get bored (or reeeeaaaallly horny).

Third-and-a-halfth: Other people sometimes just don't care about the gender as long as the hummer's reeeaaally well done.

Third-and-three-fourths: Other people decide they could be as happy in either case- or as trapped, joyous, depressed, whatever that goes with being in a good or bad relationship.

Third-and-seven-eighths: Other people decide same gender relationships really are as valid.

So, there are four fairly incremental steps you left out, but that's ok, because that took some thought for me... and I'm gay myself.

Lots of logical leaps there, so please feel free to pick it apart. Hint: I don't actually believe what I wrote, I'm only pointing it out as a possible argument.

[fob]

29. "occasional peeks at dirty magazines illicitly obtained by a buddy. "

Riiigghhhttt. It's never these ultrarepressed "moral" fucks fault for anything. Illicitly obtained by a "buddy". Wink wink. Nudge nudge. Say no more!

Little Sam where did you get that, that, that SMUT! Well, uh, um, gee pa, it's not MINE a buddy got it, I'm just holding it for him until the good lord is done smitin' him and stuff.

[ally_sc]

31. Sometimes sex er porn can be misunderstood...

Love is a drug...Anything in excess is harmful.

[Democat]

32. Free speech is bad for America - we need censorship for our own good!

The new Bush America.

Censorship is good, free speech is bad.

If you support free speech, you are a terrorist. If you support censorship, you are a great American, comrade!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. Don't forget Asscrack's definition of porn...

[AllyCat]

35. This is important?

My God, people are dying in Iraqi, elections stolen here, kids subjected to mental health screenings so they can reap the full benefits of all Big Pharma has to offer, and Congress is talking about PORN ADDICTION?

My God, I cannot take this much longer.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

36. OMG

Our country is warring on another country that did nothing to us and we are killing its residents, we are up to our fucking EYEBALLS in debt, the dollar is sinking, more and more jobs lost all the time, global warming is real (congrats on joining us in the world of the FACTUAL, repugs) and THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?????

GET A GRIP.

Sheesh. Porn isn't killing anyone.

[Hosnon]

37. I agree totally. nt

[Nordic]

38. you're missing the point

this is all about finding reasons to shut down and control the internet.

It's all part of the fascist takeover of America.

They will use this, and other reasons, as excuses to "limit" or "restrict" the internet, and we will be told that it's for our own good.

Believe nothing.

Leave the country if you can.

[maxrandb]

87. Even More Scary is

that they pick such easy targets. NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE is going to stop this. They'd have an advertisement out stating that "such and such, had a chance to do something about porn, and what did he do? He sided with the pornographers".

If you find one politician who is going to stand up and defend the porn industry, I'll eat my hat. It was the same with all the gay marriage stuff. It effects such a small number of people, that it is an easy target. Isn't that why Hitler went after the mentally retarded first?

"If Republicans Outlaw Porn,
then Only Republicans will have Porn."

[NashVegas]

98. We Stopped It Before

and we can stop it again, but only if people are willing to work for it and possibly make some sacrifices.

Imagine the squeals a major boycott (Amazon, Yahoo, and every other corporate site).

[kapp]

109. Scared.

Ever since the Election, the news seems more frightening. They are passionate about whatever issue is raised by their side.

They will steamroll over all of us if we don't stand up to them...or is it too late?

I fear for the future of this country. :(

[VegasWolf]

115. Moonbeam, "GET A GRIP. " is what they're trying to prevent. n/t

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

39. That's it,

everyone right now go look at porn on the internet. Do it for your country!!! LOL! LOL! LOL!

There needs to be a SAVE PORN 527 group.EDITING to put my LAUGHING RIGHT HERE so that no freeper cuts and pastes JUST the part without the laughing. LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL!

LOL! Be sure to cut that part out when ya quote me, so you can get people to believe I really meant it, asswipes!

Now, everyone man the porn stations...

[ionchemyst]

58. Just to Clarify...

Now, everyone man the porn stations...

Is that a call for "all hands on, uh, deck?" ;)

[VegasWolf]

61. "man the stations", is that like pants down and at attention?

[ISUGRADIA]

42. Junk science plain and simple

There has never been any sound scientific study showing any physical addiction to "porn". If anything there are people with addictive personalities if porn was not available would be addicted to something else.

[mongo]

68. Being "addicted" is the new way to avoid responsibility

How many new addictions have been created: food, porn, shopping, video games, etc. etc. etc.

It is just a way for people to become a victim when they don't want to take responsibility for some compulsive behavior.

And if porn was "addictive" I would be a hell of a lot richer than I am now.

[donheld]

44. The second ammendment gives us the right to bare arms

don't you all think the founding fathers ment bare bottoms too? :evilgrin:

[saigon68]

45. Some of his middle-age male friends limit their time alone in hotel rooms

Is that before or after they purchase the HOOKER off the street.

What a Fucking piece of work this turd is.

[Judi Lynn]

47. If Sam Brownbeck needs any expert insights on pornography

he can check with Senator Phil Gramm, whom, as you probably remember, was found to have invested in a soft-core porn movie in the 1990's.

Checked to verify in google, and found this entertaining list of Republican Family Values events:
http://quinnell.us/politics/family.html

[undergroundpanther]

48. Porn

Shutting down porn on the net is pointless unless you are trying to repress people's freedoms.
Notice the wingnuts want to limit what people see, and get risd of the first amendment,while they say nothing about corrupted porn INDUSTRY,Things like slavery,like sex traffiking,and torture..where some of our porn comes from.
In reality not all porn you see was made with consent.
Not all porn is made by corrupted producers either.
It takes intellegence to weed out criminal abusive pornographers from the legit consent respecting ones.

But nooo the repugs don't wanna go there and do the sane thing, it might cut off thier supplies of women and kids they love to abuse in secret.
It might get them in trouble if they dared persue real justice with real integrity.

No these fruitcakes go after Joe Shmoe dumfuck lookin at dirty pictures on the net but they leave the criminal enterprizes that make SOME porn that use forien people in slavery, take pictures featuring real not staged abuse and insane international networks and cartels uthat are corrupted..

Criminality is going on in the international porn industry,alongside legit condsentual porn. Sex trafficking is real it's pervasive,and there are victims pictures peddled as legit porn.
But the Bush admin is simplistic fascist and stupid. They wanna censor dirty pictures on the web like fools,instead of cleaning out the dirty criminal cartels in the porn industry.(who knows these cartels might be bush administration freinds) Criminals are ruining the legit porn industry for everyone,making it an unsafe career move,and putting people who are desperate to survive who may be supporting addictions at grave risk. A choice made to do porn in desperation for food rent or to avoid torture by a pimp is a cocerced choice.It's NOT consent. This problem has to be considered.
It's not porn in of itself that is immoral,it's the violent pimps,criminals and sex slave cartels that are involved in the porn industry that are immoral.

So removing the first amendment will not take care of the sex criminals,in fact it forces it all underground,where people can pretend it's not really there,where criminals can do depraved horrors to girls from who knows where and take pictures and sell it ..In a criminal enterprize no one can see unless you are"in" while society at large thinks all is pure..in this christian family whited sepulchre....All for projecting the false image of piety and hiding the abusive domineering side of the two faces of the Christofascist perverted pigs..Save the cartels and abusers sex slave traffickers and pedophiles!..Could it be they go after Joe Schmoe's web porn stash because that is what these christofacists are,sex slave consumers, hobby child rapists, and torturers who get off on making other people suffer? Fukkin Hypocrites!

[mongo]

71. utter Bullshit

...corrupted porn INDUSTRY,Things like slavery,like sex traffiking,and torture..where some of our porn comes from.
In reality not all porn you see was made with consent.
Not all porn is made by corrupted producers either.
It takes intellegence to weed out criminal abusive pornographers from the legit consent respecting ones.

90% of all porn shot in the US is made in Charsworth (porn valley), CA. by legitimate companies, with the performers written consent.

Criminality is going on in the international porn industry,alongside legit condsentual porn. Sex trafficking is real it's pervasive,and there are victims pictures peddled as legit porn... Criminals are ruining the legit porn industry for everyone,making it an unsafe career move,and putting people who are desperate to survive who may be supporting addictions at grave risk.

Wanna provide some proof of that? Yes, sex trafficing occurs, MOSTLY OVERSEAS. But by far, the porn that is available in the US is shot by legitimate companies that hire women (and men) who have full knowledge and consent of what they are getting into. Are some of them naive? Sure. Have some drug prolems. Yep. But they are no more exploited that someone who goes to work at Walmart. And your assertion that "criminals" are ruining the legit porn industry? well, there may have been a case that the porn industry was created by some individuals in orgranized crime, or more correctly funded by organized crime, but today's porn mogul is nothing but a businessman trying to make a buck.

It's not porn in of itself that is immoral,it's the violent pimps,criminals and sex slave cartels that are involved in the porn industry that are immoral.

What RW site do you get all your "facts" from? I am in the retail end of the business, and just like any other business, most of the people I have met are good, decent human beings.

[undergroundpanther]

105. Proof.

I hit google and copied some sites. It's easy to find info on this problem..IF you are not in DENIAL.


http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0309/feature1/
http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/USA.htm
http://www.libertadlatina.org/lat_Florida_Immigrant_Women_Fear_Reporting_Rape_12-07-2004.htm
http://www.cubaminrex.cu/English/trafico/2004/Experts%20Vt.%20Sex%20Slavery%20Fits%20U.htm
http://www.womensfreedom.org/articA43.htm

Lastly I am from Maryland Here are LOCAL slave incidents..
http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_315140445.html


Article published Mar 4, 2004
Modern slave trade thrives
N.C. lawmakers told of need for tougher legislation
RALEIGH - Law enforcement officials and child welfare advocates told lawmakers Wednesday that North Carolina needs a law to match federal efforts to stop what they described as a growing illicit international trade in women and children.
No state-by-state figures are available, and national numbers are considered unreliable, but a University of Pennsylvania study estimates that 300,000 American children are sexually exploited through human trafficking networks in this country; and the number of foreign women and children brought into the United States for forced labor and sex is at least 20,000. The study was cited at the meeting of the Legislative Study Commission on Children and Youth.
At its base, human trafficking is the modern slave trade, experts said. In one form, international criminal organizations recruit, coerce or kidnap women and children to work in brothels. Women are often held on the belief they owe their captors money in return for bringing them to the United States. Most women caught up in the crimes come from Asia, Central America or Eastern Europe.
Those pushing for a new state law argued that the illicit sex industry finds North Carolina a good marketplace, with its large populations of military personnel and foreign-born migrant workers.
According to newspaper accounts, North Carolina police since 2001 have investigated alleged brothels or prostitution rings with suspected foreign connections in Raleigh, Asheville and Durham.
Defining the scope of these crimes, and acknowledging that such underground networks exist, is the first step, said Leslie R. Wolfe, president of the Center for Women Policy Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank.
"One thing we do know is that all the data are wrong," she said. "Is it 20,000 or 100,000? The answer is yes and no. What we do know is that this is a big business that is very profitable and very, very brutal."
University and federal studies express the opinion that human trafficking is the third largest criminal trade in the world, after arms and drugs.
In 2000, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The law made human trafficking for purposes of labor or prostitution a federal crime, set penalties and created a system to counsel and support victims, who usually are young women and girls.
The law directed the U.S. State Department to study the international sex-slave trade and provide a way for foreign victims to be protected in the United States. Federal law enforcement officers were empowered to begin investigations and prosecutions.
At Wednesday's meeting here, thought by many to be the first committee discussion of the topic by North Carolina lawmakers, several speakers said North Carolina needs its own law to empower the state's police and prosecutors to make arrests and seek convictions.
"There is a highly organized nature to the types of crimes we're talking about," said Sharon W. Cooper, a pediatrician who teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill and is affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Washington. "It's a situation our (state) prostitution laws are trying to address but aren't designed to handle."
Dr. Cooper said human trafficking is a crime distinct from traditional prostitution in that the women and girls are held against their will.
Human trafficking laws have been passed in Washington and Texas and are being considered in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota and Maryland.
Mike Smith, a N.C. State Bureau of Investigation officer whose work focuses on Internet sex crimes involving children, told the committee he would like to see the criminal code strengthened and changed.
The Polaris Project, which did not participate in Wednesday's meeting, is pushing for human trafficking laws in every state and will present model legislation to the states later this month, said Derek Ellerman, the Washington-based group's co-executive director.
State laws help with enforcement because, most often according to the group's research, the first contact between a trafficking victim and the government is on the local level.
"Often, they are the first to realize it's prostitution and then later come to understand that it is something far larger," he said.
He said his organization believes laws passed in Texas and Washington state are not strong enough and do little to support victims while their victimizers are being prosecuted.
"We are only beginning," said state Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-Pender, who chaired the meeting Wednesday. "But, clearly, this is something we've got to look at."

[mongo]

113. I think you proved my point

I read all of the links. Only one mentions pornography, in a blanket statement by a justice dept. official:

The report estimated that 18,000 to 20,000 people a year "are trafficked annually into the U.S." to be enslaved in "commercial sexual exploitation such as prostitution and pornography or labor exploitation."

Most of the articles are about overseas slave trading, and none of the personal stories are about women forced into pornography.

The porn industry has an endless supply of women who want to get into the business. There is a huge cattle call every month. Every performer is compensated for their work, signs a model release, and has their ID checked. Every movie sold in the US has a statement that all performers are over 18 and that records are kept to that effect. They are all US citizens or in the US legally, or they would not be allowed to work. In addition, all of the companies now send them for STD tests through AIM (adult industry medicine), who also makes them view a video made by previous performers to give them a realistic picture of the business. Some of the adult companies say the video is designed to scare the girls away.

Do some girls get into it because they are on drugs, or because their boyfriend "makes" them? Yeah. But there is just no link between the legit porn industry and the sex slave trade.

The only thing that I might add here is that yes there is a link between the ILLEGAL CHILD PORN market and criminality and sex slavery. But that is a whold different world that porn valley, CA., where almost all the videos sold in the US come from.

Oh and if I am in denial, tell me how much research have you done into the adult industry in America? How many company owners have you met? How many trade magazines do you read every month? How many people in the industry do you talk to every month?

Perhaps you are displacing your anger about the international sex trade, onto porn which is an easier target to attack.

[VegasWolf]

63. I'll volunteer to help the senator investigate all of these vile

internet porn sites. I'll even volunteer for free.
Hell, I might even pay the senator.

[VegasWolf]

103. Yea, and he can probably find a few experts here at DU! Excluding

myself, of course.

[DownNotOut]

49. I dont sweat it....

I know our porn is safe based on history. Congress has been exceptionally ineffective shutting down every other medium of porn delivery ever devised. Face it, people like to look at other people fucking! Well, at least I do...

Though let me be clear, porn is for consenting ADULTS 18 years or older.


D.N.O

[maxsolomon]

51. when you shame & oppress you cause what you fear

there wouldn't be so much porn if shame wasn't so closely associated with sex.

[RPM]

52. give me a fucking break...

... btw are they going to do anything about internet addiction? My DU habit has gotten out of control.

[Dem2theMax]

106. That's why they are going after porn first. Like someone said earlier,

who in the government will stand up for porn? (That was NOT a pun.) No one.
So, they do away with porn on the InternetS and next thing you know, every web site that does not agree with *'s vision of Amerika will be banned as well. DU is probably first on their hit list.
Well, maybe Michael Moore would be first. But we'd be second.


Sieg Heil folks. Get out while you still can.

[RPM]

112. who will support porn?

it is a huge billion$$$ industry - someone will support it, I am sure they have lobbyists too.

ANd I hope its the undoing of the GOP while fundies fight big-biz repubs over the matter; I hope dems emerge unscathed after supporting freedom of expression and standing on the sidelines

[mongo]

114. Yes there is a lobby for porn

the Free Speech Coalition http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/. They have had some success in the past, getting the COPA struck down, etc.

But most of the time they are more involved with court cases than actual lobbying. I believe that they only really lobby legislators in CA. where they actually have a little clout - and they are more interested in helping the producers rather than the retailers.

Now, the indsutry is in the process of being divided and conquered. Company a gets indicted for obscenity, but companies b & c won't help becase company a put out a video too extreme for their tastes. Company b gets in trouble too, but company c shuns them because they don't require condoms, etc.

When Extreme Associates was indicted for obscenity, Larry Flint made a statement to the effect of "their stuff is too hard anyway - and demeaning to the girls".

[Dem2theMax]

118. I was referring to the senate. lol.

I'm SURE there are lobbyists out there supporting porn.
It's the government/senate that won't support it.

[callous taoboy]

54. Can't type today. Too many warts on my hand.

[DubyaSux]

55. I'm not addicted to porn....

....seriously. I can quit anytime I want. Really. I swear.

[moggie]

57. "Professor who studies the impact of pornography"

Riiiight. And he's so dedicated to his work, I bet.

[Endangered Specie]

91. I bet he 'sticks' to his research

:evilgrin:

Some people have the best fucking jobs!

[GinaMaria]

59. umm.. did someone just make up a new diagnosis?

I've heard of sex addiction and porn is usually a part of sex addiction. What is porn addiction, a new term buzz word catch phrase?

[madison2000]

60. Is this the only way they can get the Senate to show up?

Now that the Reps are so dominant there's no need to really discuss anything anymore...
:puke:

[Beetwasher]

62. Get Ready for THE WAR ON PORNOGRAPHY!!!!

You heard it here first. They will use it as a tool to control the internet...

[mongo]

74. The war on pornography is already here

The justice dept under Ashcroft brought several indictments during *'s first term. The first federal prosecutions for "obsenity" in over a decade.

Reno and Clinton re-tooled the justice depts "obscenity unit" to only go after CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. Bush and Ashcroft have taken the focus off of child porn and onto adult obscenity. go figure.

[SKKY]

100. Hey, the war on Eastasia and Eurasia is going "swimmingly"...

...we need some other "demon" to slay.

[FlyByNight]

64. "Brownback, an outspoken Christian conservative", is...

Chairman of the Commerce subcommittee on SCIENCE? Oh, the irony. Orwell would love that one.

And I wonder what Prof. Weaver's research actually entails? :evilgrin:

[struggle4progress]

117. ... Ph.D.; Indiana University, 1987. (Advisor: Dolf Zillmann) ...

... Major: Mass Communications. Minors: Social Psychology and Educational Inquiry (statistics). Dissertation: Effects of portrayals of female sexuality and violence against women on perceptions of women ...

https://courseware.vt.edu/users/jbweaver/education.html


<A few selected pubs:>

(44) Weaver, J. B., III (2003). Individual differences in television viewing motives. Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 1427-1437.

(41) Oliver, M. B., Weaver, J. B., III, & Sargent, S. L. (2000). An examination of factors related to sex differences in enjoyment of sad films. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 44, 282-300.

(29) Weaver, J. B., III, Walker, J. R., McCord, L. L., & Bellamy, R. V. (1996). Exploring the links between personality and television remote control devise use. Personality and Individual Differences, 20, 483-489.

(24) Weaver, J. B., III, & Laird, E. A. (1995). Mood-management during the menstrual cycle through selective exposure to television. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 72(1), 139-146.

https://courseware.vt.edu/users/jbweaver/articles.html

[VegasWolf]

65. Porno, part of the axis of evil. n/t

[mongo]

81. more comments

Mary Anne Layden, co-director of a sexual trauma program at the University of Pennsylvania, said pornography's effect on the brain mirrors addiction to heroin or crack cocaine.

And what other substances produce this same effect? Chocolate? This is "morality" dressed up like science.

Weaver acknowledged that research "directly assessing the impact of pornography addiction on families and communities is rather limited."

But he pointed to studies that show prolonged use of pornography leads to "sexual callousness, the erosion of family values and diminished sexual satisfaction."

Meaningless coorallaries made to enforce a certain viewpoint. All pedophiles drink milk, therefore drinking milk makes you a pedophile.

Judith Reisman, a vocal critic of the Kinsey Institute and the field of sexology, suggested Congress require police officers to gather evidence of pornography at crime scenes to further research.

So that we can "prove" that porn causes crime? By that tactic, you would probably find that most criminals (due to social-economic status) smoke cigarettes too. Does that mean that smoking causes crime? (although if they raise the price much more, it probably will).

[daleo]

83. Abu Ghraib photos

I seem to recall reading that some of the Abu Ghraib pictures first got out into the wild through some unsavory websites. This may have some relationship to the planned pornography crusade.

[not fooled]

85. 'pukes: deregulate/regulate hypocrites

the great bernie Ward (www.kgo.com 10 PM-1AM PST) last night called the 'pukes on their hypocrisy and lack of moral consistency:
they want to DE-regulate everything good for the citizenry, i.e. laws that protect the weak from the strong: no labor laws, environmental laws, workplace safety, regulation of corporations, financial industry, etc. etc. etc.. And, of course, ineffective drug regulation (FDA) resulting in DEATHS of thousands.

BUT, they want to REGULATE porn, birth control, and other private matters that involve individual choice and pose no threat to society.

As Bernie pointed out, Europe is awash in porn, yet seems to be doing just fine.



"effen 51% MORANS. unfortunately we have to swirl around in the toilet bowl along with them as the country goes down the crapper"


"mandate" MY ASS:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[Rambis]

88. Just ask Jim Baker or Jimmy Swagman

They could tell you about the evils of porn and air conditioned dog houses.

[Endangered Specie]

92. Let me get this straight...

Watching two people do it, but actually consenting to do it... BAD
Sexual Harrasment, Intimidation and Child Abuse (Oreilly, Ryan, Law, etc.)... GOOD

[Endangered Specie]

93. Want to get over your addiction.

Whack off, smoke, youll be off it for a day or two ;)

5-10 minutes out of each day, that aint asking much is it?

[pcboss49]

94. C-Span showing examples.... jus' kidding.....

[Plaid Adder]

95. Yeah, that's a vital fucking issue of the day.

Afraid to talkin about sex? My ass! We're afraid to talk about MONEY. THat's what has this country in the fix it's in.

:grr:

The Plaid Adder

[Laelth]

99. You know ...

... my natural instinct is to gripe about the Senate wasting its time and my money on this issue. But, given who's in charge at the moment, I prefer to look at the bright side of this. Just think of all the harm the R's could be doing if they weren't wasting time on this!

And it truly is a waste of time. There's no way to stop porn, really. And the only way they could get it off the internet(s) would be to shut the internet(s) down completely. It may come to that sooner or later, but I think we're a ways from that yet.

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--spelling.

[SKKY]

101. This Porn on the Internet issue is getting tiresome...

...If the issue really was protecting our children from unsolicited porn, then we could have passed legislation and forced all "PORN" sites to sit in a .sex or .xxx domain. BUT NOOOOOOOOO. This is all about making daily life in America like a fucking Christian Bible Study Camp, a "retreat" they like to call them. And that my friends, is truly frightening.

[Minstrel Boy]

102. "Are you now or have you ever -"

"On advice of counsel, I plead the filth."

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

104. The return of Ed Meese. n/t

:scared:

[kapp]

107. Help for those who need it.

In this struggle for the very definition of America today, it's hard to simply believe there are only good intentions with movements such as this. Porn addiction does exist, and is a problem. But so is food addiction, and that is killing far more of us and is of greater detriment to our health, IMO. A lack of self control requires programs to help those who need help, not widespread restrictions. I hope this is the avenue they choose to resolve this issue, so people can get the help they need without restricting the freedom of individuals.

[Swamp Rat]

108. Porn?!? That's what these assholes are wasting our tax dollars on?

What about high treason in the Executive branch? ... Trading with the enemy? ... VOTER FRAUD?!? :mad:

The Dems in DC better start filibustering EVERY GODDAMN THING that the GOP brings up!!! :grr:

[Bark Bark Bark]

110. Scrawl On The Wall...

"STOP ME BEFORE I WANK OFF AGAIN!"

(quote)
Some of his middle-age male friends limit their time alone in hotel rooms to avoid the temptation of graphic pay-per-view movies, Brownback said.
(/quote)

Uh, how about keeping the TV off, joyboys? Oh, wait, we're talking about TEMPTATION here, riiiight. Like how I want hammers taken off of store shelves before I fall prey to the temptation to throw one at a baby. Or how the Taliban wants "whores" to cover themselves so as not to tempt the righteous males with their filthy feminine wiles.

(quote)
Brownback, a father of five, said when he was a boy, the typical kid's exposure was limited to occasional peeks at dirty magazines illicitly obtained by a buddy.
(/quote)

Ah, the good ol' days, when "buddy" got you porn to distract you from all the muscular superheroes in brightly-colored skin-tight costumes in yer funnybooks. When porn sometimes meant 'police' magazines about rape and strangulation and knife torture-murders. Yessir, times have changed. Time was, movies were wholesome and taught kids good values, like how grabbin' a woman and forcin' yourself on her will make her fall in love with ya. John Wayne did that all the time.

I can see the commercial now: "...I helped blow up a church today by looking at pornography."

[proudbluestater]

111. All this bullshit is just designed to distract us

From the fact that our democracy is dead, our rich get richer while the gap between rich and poor grows and grows. Our country is broke, our jobs are leaving the country so fast that soon we will just be another 3rd world country and people go hungry while we pour 420 billion dollars down a rat hole called "MILITARY SPENDING" each and every year. And to top it off, our president is a war criminal with no regard whatsoever for human rights.

Anything to get the citizen's minds off the REAL issues will do. Just pick a topic, any topic. Discuss. When the drones are done discussing, go back and listen to a little bit of Rush spewing his hatred. Top off with a little Faux News Propaganda. Mix well. Go insane.

[chenGOD]

116. The best line from this related Wired article:

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65772,00.html


"The campaign should combat the messages of pornography by putting signs on buses saying sex with children is not OK, said Layden."