In a blistering column last week, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof exposed the cavalier attitude employees at porn companies have about videos featuring children.
His reporting centered on the vilest form of evil afflicting this visual cancer on society, concluding that various “tube” sites on the internet carry hundreds of thousands of videos with children as the main subjects. He interviewed a victim who, at age 15, had been unwittingly drugged at a stranger’s house and sexually abused while being filmed. The resulting trauma she endured was staggering, as were her relentless efforts to have the images removed.
“I am sharing my story because I want there to be laws and safeguards in place to prevent this from happening to anyone else,” she told Kristof.
Indeed, modern society owes her that for allowing such things to happen. Images of child pornography are illegal under federal law.
And so it’s encouraging to see Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, sponsoring the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act, which would establish a uniform definition of obscenity under the Communications Act of 1934 that would be enforced across state lines.
The bill is meant to make it easier to protect children from being exposed to pornography, which is another side to the problem about which Kristof wrote. Any movement against this relentless monster should be seen as good.
Confusion and unclear definitions “have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,” Lee said in a statement. “Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.”
Whether the focus is on children who become exposed to pornography or those who become subjects of it, the concern is similar. Regularly viewing such things leads to a host of problems, and it is becoming endemic. An essay published on lifeplan.org noted that the porn industry today generates more income each year than the revenues of the NFL, NBA and MLB combined. “Every second, $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography,” it said.
Studies have shown how pornography desensitizes viewers, leading to addictive behavior as they consume more in order to achieve the desired stimulus.
A behavioral study published by the National Institutes of Health concluded, “In all facets of the users’ lives, negative consequences (from pornography) were seen. Due to the explosion of new technologies, online pornography has risen to an alarming level, which has very injurious effects on societies and individuals. Therefore, it is high time to get rid of this addiction to protect our lives from its harmful effects.”
Two years ago, the Deseret News reported on a survey by Common Sense Media that found more than half of children had watched pornography online by age 13.
Getting rid of it entirely runs headlong into First Amendment issues, but Congress can act to better protect children. Nine years ago, Utah lawmakers passed a resolution declaring pornography a public health hazard and calling for research, public education, prevention and policy changes. But Washington can do much more than any state to attack the problem.
As the Deseret News reported, Lee’s bill would amend the definition of obscenity to be more explicit and direct. It also would delete language in the current law that prohibits such content only if there is proof of “abusing, threatening, or harassing a person.” Law enforcement would have more power to keep obscene content from being transmitted across state lines — a challenge in the internet age but an absolute necessity for effectiveness.
Earlier this year, Lee also introduced the Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act. That would require strengthened age verification technology on pornography websites. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, is a co-sponsor.
Unfortunately, pornography has gained a foothold of acceptance in American culture. About 60% of men and 40% of women have viewed it, according to addictionhelp.com. In addition, the website reports that 51% do not believe watching pornography is wrong. However, 84% of American adults say child pornography is morally wrong and should be illegal.
Logically, it makes little sense to believe that celebrating an 18th birthday should automatically make such a thing proper entertainment, but that is a bigger battle.
Meanwhile, we hope bills such as these can begin to put a dent in a growing industry that does tremendous harm to the most vulnerable among us.