US Intensifies Fight Against Child Pornography

TechnoGuyRob writes "BBC News is reporting that the Bush administration has recently stepped up its measures against child pornography. From the article 'Sadly, the internet age has created a vicious cycle in which child pornography continually becomes more widespread, more graphic, more sadistic, using younger and younger children. [...] Mr. Gonzales also said that he is investigating ways to ensure that ISPs retain records of a user's web activities to track down offenders.'"

Comments

What's needed is Catholic priest monitoring

[Animats]

What's needed is video surveillance of any place where a Catholic priest is alone with a child. There's a proven track record of molestation and coverups in that area. That might actually save some children.

Re:First Amendment Nullified

[Kenrod]

It has only been very recently (the past 40 years) that pornograpy has enjoyed any constitutional protection at all. People were routinely sent to jail before the 1970's for producing and distributing pornography. It is still quite normal for communities to restrict the manufacture, sale, and distribution of pornography in an entirely legal manner, per the Supreme Court test, although lengthy jail sentences are rare.

Whorley was sent to jail for violating a federal law, he is free to challenge his conviction on 1st Amendment grounds, but it is likely he will lose because he fails the Supreme Court's test for pornagraphic material. From your short description of the material he possesed, I'm guessing it doesn't have 1st Amendment protection.

Calling something "pure expression" because it does not contain images of living persons (or a victim in the case of child porn) isn't legally meaningful. A written description of child rape is just as legitimate a target of legal restriction as an actual picture. The idea that something can't be restricted because there is no victim is also without legal foundation and is libertarian nonsense.

I'm extremely amused by your Gov't bashing as well. Equating a crackdown on child porn with a coming assault on political speech is idiotic and without foundation - we aren't any closer to being packed into boxcars today as we were when Clinton was president, or Eisenhower, or Lincoln. Your real gripe is with the Supreme Court, which in spite of being exceedingly liberal in the past 40 years has allowed modest restriction on porn and somewhat tighter restrictions on child porn.

Guys like Dwight Whorley deserve to be in jail. I'm glad society isn't forced to tolerate his sickness.

Only Geeks Would Defend Child Pornographers

[Black-Man]

Anyone... repeat... anyone who would view pics or even cartoons of child porn have the inherent tendencies to go out and molest a child. It is so pervasive in our society today, from priests to boy scout leaders to teachers to coaches... its time we start executing these preverts. And anyone who defends their actions should be ashamed.

the hysteria is here, not in the govt

[circletimessquare]

i'm reading all of the comments in the thread, and i can't help but smack my forehead when i see all the panic and hysteria and fear at work here

and it is especially laughable and ironic, because one post points out the old joke: "won't someone think of the children!"

so some people here believe that what is motivating the fight on child pornography is a type of hysteria?

really?

child pornography is real

very real

meanwhile, goose stepping fascists controlling your life a la george orwell is not real

IT'S NOT REAL

to which many you would say to me: "not yet! watch out! here it comes!"

isn't this a type of hysteria? can't some of you see how YOU are the hysterical twits here rather than those fighting child pornography?

that is, is it POSSIBLE in your mind that the us govt can take measures to fight child pronography, and we are NOT becoming an orwellian state... at the same time

is that possible in your mind?

is that REALLY so far out there? that what is motivating the government is- gasp, horror, shock, drumroll: FIGHTING CHILD PORNPGRAPHY. not taking away your rights? or is the illuminati at work here, desperately trying to turn you into a slave? a secret agenda?

do you live in a comic book? a b-grade hollywood plot? GET REAL!

is it POSSIBLE that the people in the government can keep the idea of child pronography and your civil liberties SEPARATE? or is everyone in the us govt a bunch of agent smiths a la the matrix running around keeping you deluded about your rights being eroded

GET REAL YOU HYSTERICAL TWITS!

are some of you so overwhelmed with fear and hysteria, that you cannot keep the issue of fighting child pornography and the the fight for personal freedom as separate issues, that most every other level headed person can see as separate?

we can't fight child pornography without impying that we now live in a fascist state?!

REALLY???

YOU ARE THE HYSTERICAL TWITS WHO CANNOT SEE THAT FIGHTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IS JUST THAT, AND ONLY THAT

lead with your mind, not your irrational fears

your govt is not senator palpatine, your life is not v for vendetta

please, try thinking in the real world, stop thinking bad hollywood paranoid schizophrenic fantasies are a valid way to think about how your world works

because all i see at work in the comments here are loud, shrill, hystrical twits, completely deluded about the valid fight against child pornography, and that that valid purpose can be served without ANY implications on your much vaunted civil rights

your rights do not hang by a sliver on the edge of a precipice

because the people in your govt are just PEOPLE, just like you

they are not dark fantastic monsters form a bad cartoon/ movie

get real