Many who consider themselves pro-life are actually
pro-State: they want more power for the government to prosecute
those who seek or provide pornography. Why would a Christian
concerned for the spiritual state of a pornographer lock him in
prison with a carjacker and a homosexual rapist? Given the fact
that nearly 60% of all federal inmates are non-violent drug users,
why should these losers be subjected to a new inmate who is a
pornographer? Legal solutions to pornography (those involving
State-imposed violence) are not the answer to the problem of
pornography.
Because I am a libertarian and oppose laws against pornography,
I have been called an "anarchist." Actually I believe in
MORE government than those who support "the
government." I believe in self-government.
The vast majority of Americans oppose the vast majority of
pornography in America, according
to all polls. This should be the source of social power needed
to effectively end pornography without prisons.
If there are 150 million people who oppose pornography, and
only a few thousand actively involved in production of
pornography, then the odds are in favor of those who oppose
pornography. Unfortunately, most of these 150 million to
absolutely nothing to stop pornography. And the few who take steps
to stop pornography usually do nothing more than ask the
government to inflict violence on
pornographers.
Here's how self-government works to eliminate
pornography better than the federal government:
Even before pornography is published, self-government operates
to cultivate a positive value for human life. If Americans had the
liberty to put their money where their values are, schools would
teach "the Laws of Nature and
of Nature's God" and most pornography would never be
published and would be instinctively opposed.
Families: Parents who are not victims of government
schooling and who have been trained to appreciate America's
pro-life values can pass these values on to their children. Constant
reminders from the earliest ages that human beings are created
by God with unalienable rights is the soil in which pornographic
weeds are less likely to grow. Children steeped in pro-life views
will inevitably pass these views onto their playmates, and should
be encouraged to do so. American parents have always been careful
to know who their children play with, and always make an effort to
meet the parents of their children's playmates and invite them to
learn more about our God-given rights.
- Hitting
the Escape Button
- How to persuade your local library to eliminate internet
pornography
Making
Your Grocery Store Porn-Free
Employers should not hesitate to hire single mothers who
struggle to make ends meet, take an interest in their private
lives, and see that various forms of pornography don't offer a
tempting substitute for gainful employment. Merchants must
substitute generous pay for government welfare. Lunchtime Bible
studies and employee training sessions can pass on America's
pro-life values. Personal encouragement increases job performance
better than an impersonal workplace, and may result in
opportunities for interdicting the demand for pornography.
Landlords should use their relationship with tenants to
cultivate respect for life through respect for property; the
two are not unrelated. Weekend classes in property management,
concern for the environment, and household budgeting can be
required of tenants in rental agreements. These sessions provide
opportunities to stress the importance of human beings created in
the Image of God, and their role as stewards
of the creation.
Teachers should pass on pro-life values to their
students, even in classes that do not directly teach social and
cultural subjects. Like the Apostles (Acts
5:29), teachers should defy court
orders prohibiting a discussion of American values before and
after school, and at lunch.
Media sources which propagate pro-death anti-family
values should be boycotted. Americans should patronize movies,
television, plays, concerts, and other events which transmit
American values. Americans should invite neighbors to neighborhood
reading circles in which great pro-life books are read and
discussed.
Merchants and business owners can join all of the above
in a more negative but essential social function: ostracization.
Parents can disinherit, landlords can refuse to rent, teachers can
expel, media sources can give unfavorable publicity, and merchants
can refuse to sell to those who exploit women and children.
Professional organizations such as the AMA and the ABA
should penalize members who have significant ties to the porn
industry.
If 90% of all pornography is opposed by 90% of Americans, then
the lives of these 90% are being controlled by pro-porn forces:
the 90% have been subtly coerced into silence and inaction.
Cultural transformation begins with self-government, not the
federal government.
It is only because Americans are no longer self-governing
that they appeal to "the government" to use armed force
against those who publish or consume pornography.
back to: Pornography
|