J.D. Vance Is Coming for Your Porn–Watch Out The war on porn could get even worse in 2023 thanks to new Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who has said he wants to ban porn nationwide. Vance’s proclamations come at a time when fringe extremists, including Ye (the rapper formerly known as Kanye West), are pushing for porn prohibition. Their demands may lack legal grounding, but they pose serious threats. **** If Vance were a lone anti-porn senator, he would be frightening but less dangerous. Unfortunately, many other Republicans hold anti-porn views. According to The Guardian, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley blames feminism for driving men to porn (whatever that means), while West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice blamed porn for school shootings. Most frighteningly of all, these are mainstream Republicans. More fringe actors take things even further. In a recent episode of Vice Media and Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes’ streaming show, Ye pushed a gross antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jews operated MindGeek to poison people’s minds. **** Ironically, Ye made these statements while complaining about being “canceled.” Similarly, Republicans have painted themselves as free-speech warriors while seeking to silence pornographers’ speech. I have heard conservatives argue that the First Amendment only protects political speech. But the last time I checked, it was the Supreme Court—not conservative senators or political consultants—who ruled on speech, and the court long ago protected legal consenting adults’ rights to create and sell porn. Free speech also protects visual art, parody, and other non-political speech. The First Amendment covers more than Ye’s and other conservatives’ rights to spout nonsense.
How Republicans who vote for people like this fail to see the Taliban-esque of what they are voting for is puzzling...
I was reading something relating to abortions, but there probably is some kind of Comstock law revival happening among social conservative types, it covers all their bases too: Comstock laws - Wikipedia Technically these laws are still on the books (except the contraception part), but if the courts were to reverse course on rulings which rendered these laws unenforceable ... Maybe there are still people who mail order porn, but I think the internet would make it difficult to do any kind of ban with existing legal mechanisms.
Do as we say not as we do. Even if that nutjob were successful in "getting porn banned" nationwide, we all know damn well that the rich and powerful and many others will still find ways to access it. Just red meat for the self appointed self righteous morality police. Perhaps Mr. Vance should consider Iran for a place of residence. He would fit right in.
A lot of Republicans have obtained or paid for abortions, too. I'm not sure that's the test. Consider Ye, for example. His guilt about porn - and presumably his struggles with it - are part of the reason he is so angry about it. Perhaps not unlike people who suffer from other addictions. That's not to say that there aren't people who oppose porn for other reasons. But I suspect that a significant number of these guys who are the most vocal about getting rid of it have probably watched more than their fair share and may even continue to do so.
It’s ok to recognize that there are things in society that can be unhealthy while also recognizing the solution isn’t a government ban.
JD: 1. I agree with you that porn is generally unhealthy. Of course, so is: alcohol, most fast food, watching TV and sitting for many hours a day. Are we asking Gov't to ban those too? 2. Make VERY, VERY sure your internet history is private. Not saying you did anything but you can hardly hop on the internet without some sort of enticement to click a pic...all of course, by accident.
I'm sorry but the Women's Christian Temperance Union is long gone and unless you can get a case before the Supreme Court People vs Larry Flynt there isn't much anyone can do about it. Last but not least anyone who uses a VPN can find porn anywhere on the globe.
Man's sexual predilections are varied and largely uncontrollable. As long as it only involves consenting adults on the monitor, who cares if someone wants to sit in front of it and masturbate? Who's harmed? We're Victorian compared to some European countries.
Don't get me wrong porn is here to stay. It is monitored and it is legal among consenting adults. I have no issue with that. That said sexual crimes should always be prosecuted.
