The Scoop: Kids can see what Debbie does in Dallas
It was about 10 or 15 minutes ago when I checked my e-mail and what I received wasn’t the least bit startling. What popped up on my screen could best be described as a scantily clad woman, in a very seductive pose, urging me to click on the address below to visit her “XXX-rated” Web site.
Since my wife may be reading this column, it goes without saying I deleted the message immediately. I even paused for a moment in disgust to gather my composure and think about the significance of what just happened.
To state it as plainly as possible, we have become a nation of Internet porn. I’ve read statistics that say up to 60 percent of all material on the World Wide Web is sex related, and that figure could very well be a low-ball estimate. Depending on your point of view, this could be great news, or it could be disturbing.
Probably the easiest way to generate a little controversy, and find several letters to the editor in my mailbox, is to argue these sleazy, pornographic Internet sites represent an expression of free speech. One of the fundamental principles our founding fathers sought to ensure with the writing of our Constitution is that every American should be free to express their views.
What that means to us today is that the minority has the unique ability to say whatever they please, even if it may offend the majority. The obvious exception to this rule is the gay marriage issue, where the majority is successfully force feeding their beliefs down the throats of the minority.
Not to wander off track, I am concerned with the porn issue and the fact today’s children, our first true Internet generation, are gaining amazingly simple access to lewd material. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed 70 percent of all teens have searched for pornographic material online.
Pornography has always been a fascination for kids, and middle-aged men. Growing up, I still remember visits to one of my friend’s houses for one main reason — his dad had Playboy magazines in the closet. And I think every kid in the neighborhood knew it.
The problem is that a picture of a naked woman is no longer “cutting edge” material. A woman without clothes is (yawn) boring by today’s porn industry standards.
Nowadays, the woman can be seen tied up. She can be seen having sex — with barnyard animals — thanks to the Web. Never before has adult content had such a far-reaching stage as the Internet. With a click of a mouse, kids can go from Sesame Street to Seductive Sabrina.
Porn is getting thrown at children at younger and younger ages. And they don’t even have to search for it. Sex hits them in the face when they aren’t looking, all in the name of free speech.
This tells me something needs to be done. I don’t normally support more rules and more regulations, but I also don’t like the thought of my children finding out what Debbie does in Dallas before they reach second grade.
The do-nothing answer is to say parents should be responsible for their children and what they view online. This has its truths, but parents also can’t walk around with a chain attached to their kids. There are times when kids are away from mom and dad, and computers are everywhere – in every classroom, every library, just about every home.
What needs to happen is for Congress and the FCC to take a long look at Internet porn, and not just for their adult viewing pleasure. These governing bodies need to realize exactly what filth kids can gain access to in just a matter of seconds thanks to the Internet.
Enacting tough regulations against the Internet porn industry isn’t hampering free speech. It’s doing exactly what responsible adults should do.
James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at editor@southernstandad.com.