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That seems a strained analogy, though. Equating beating people for only wearing hibab rather than a burkha with restricting hardcore porn is like comparing a supernova with a firecracker.

One should look at the reson for controlling dangerous substances, like meth, for example. One dose can powerfully addict the user. It destroys all motivation, along with a significant fraction of higher reasoning skills. It also smashes most inbuilt inhibition, making normal people into hopeless addicts very quickly. These addicts more often than not then go and commit criminal acts to sustain their habbits, since regular employment is impossible in their crippled state.

Similary for pornography, it has been shown that brain chemistry and funciton is altered significanly, though the full effects of those changes are only beginning to be documented. Furthermore, it is also easily proven that obsession with pornography can rapidly spiral out of control. Who doesn't know of a marraige or life that hasn't been thoroughly screwed up by such an addiction?

The thrust of my arugment is, once using or distributing a substance causes great harm to a large section of the non-using populace without any positive return, the right to it's usage must limited.

This is also the rationale, mind you, behind keeping tobacco legal. True, it does harm the user, but its effects on surrounding non-users are minimal except in the case of extensive overuse (several packs a day in a closed space over an extended period).

So although the burkha pic is cute and witty, it really doesn't address my main points at all. For most of our history the US had what would be considered "oppressive" decency laws, yet it never pushed us into the horror of tyranny as some suggest might happen. Could you perhaps elaborate on your argument a bit more?

Thanks,

c13

Nice picture. Here's an in-kind response:

That's the thinking behind the Taliban prohibiting the viewing of any female ankle.

It's a false dichotomy that you offer. Either cover up everything or nothing.

The problem with porn lovers is they don't understand what pandering is. Their particular lusts become more important than the innocence and safety of others. That is certainly selfish, but then that's what American hedonism is all about.