I was intrigued that the type of spam-porn coming into my mailbox seems to be changing. Where it used to be the traditional young teen-like girls, now it's a lot of *computer generated* images. So there aren't even real people involved any more - just computer images or anime.

A lot of the argument against porn (and *especially* child porn) is the huge negative impact it has on the people being photographed. But what if soon there are no longer any real people being harmed in the photo process? What if these are all fake images? Will this have any impact?

Books about sex and such used to be hugely taboo and now romance books account for 50% of all books sold <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So what might happen with images?

You know, the supreme court just ruled that computer generated child pornography was not in the same category as child pornography, and therefore the makers of that particular porn site were found not guilty of a TON of charges. The way the courts feel is that as long as no child is harmed by it, then it is okay.... being a mom... well, I still think any kind of child porn is WRONG. I've tried looking at it from those peoples point of view, that since it's not a real child it's okay... but I still feel that it's wrong, immoral, and in the end dangerous. Now, being an artist... well I do NOT want the courts being able to tell me what I may paint... so i seem a bit of a hipocrite in a lot of my viewpoints <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> But dealing with kids makes you just a tad bit more protective , and more willing to be labeled as a hypocrite <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

There was a really interesting movie on TV a few nights ago that I only caught halfway through. But it seemed to be a "real story" of an art director at a museum that had run a show of porn-like images (i.e. sexy nudes) and the locals were trying to shut him down. In the end the art director gave a long speech about how HE wanted to decide for his children what was good and what was not good, but that if *government* started making those decisions, that the next thing you knew, famous statues would be banned, famous paintings would be banned, books would be burned, all in the name of "protecting all people of all types".

There are lots of things in the world that children perhaps should not see. I don't know that we should make them illegal for adults. You're only a child for a portion of your life. To restrict adults for their entire adult lives because there might be a kid around seems dangerous ...

The other problem with having certain types of child pornography made legal is that people who wouldn't otherwise have seen such images might see them and then you might get another paedophile who might not have been a paedophile otherwise.

mmm, I'm gonna have to research this, but a while back a group decided to censor art. They ran around and chopped the genitil's off of statues, then placed a fig leaf on them (that's why you see so many old statue's with weird leaves stuck to them) for some reason I was thinking it was the Romans.... but I am really sure that's wrong! I mean look at that culture! No way they'd run around and do that lol. Anyway, I'll pull out the books and get the exact info, mmm, maybe I'll do a piece on ancient censorship <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I don't know that looking at pictures about something makes you more likely to do it, if you already have that mental state. If you're say a female adult that has a tendency towards enjoying romance, and you read a lot of romantic novels and look at romantic pictures, that might "fulfill" your romantic needs. You may be less demanding for it in your own life. If you love Alaska, then you could read books about Alaska and watch movies about it and this might give you enjoyment of it without having to move there.

The basic need is there, like hunger or thirst, and you choose how you quench it.

Being a pedophile isn't something you just sort of take up casually, it's a real disorder, a craving. A bad one, sure. But kids are all around, and books exist. The 'reminders' I guess. The craving won't just go away. So I guess the question is, if someone is going to have those cravings, maybe it's better that that someone 'lessens' them (soothes them?) by looking at computer generated images, where no harm is caused. If instead those cravings go unmet, they might get soothed in another more harmful manner ...

There have been cultures through history that haven't considered these cravings 'bad', but that might be too touchy a discussion to get into.

That is a really sensitive subject. I actually ahve a relative who we found out was into that... but we only found out because the police busted him! He did not actually do anything WITH children (thank god) but he was caught downloading some nasty stuff. Afterwards he was up front with us, and we've made sure that he is never alone with the kids. He is in therapy now... but it has been hard. He broke the bond of trust with us. so I am a touchy parent, that kind of thing drives me into an irrational rage, even just pictures... but that's because I am a parent and will always be that protective of children, all children not just my own.

I can certainly understand that, and protecting our children is one of those primary driving forces <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> And I suppose I agree with the argument that an adult that has an interest in harming children shouldn't be allowed near children. So whether this person enjoys thinking about whacking children with a ruler, or teasing them until they cry, or about doing sexual things, those are all "harmful acts" and the fact that the adult derives pleasure from the thought of them means they probably shouldn't be involved with kids.

So there should be some sort of an evaluation for any teacher or girl scout leader or camp person that screens for all of those things and excludes those who match.

But I don't know that we can just make a blanket statement about all adults, everywhere in the world, and say that no adult can have these thoughts. The idea of Thought Police is a very, very scary one. Thought Police always start out thinking they know what is best and soon they are making more and more judgements. So I guess I feel if some adult somewhere wants to have those sorts of thoughts and doesn't deal with kids, that's their business. Yes, we'd punish them if they harmed a child, but if a child isn't being harmed, we can't punish them just for thinking ...

Gee Lisa, didn't you see the movie "Minority Report"? People get put away for crimes that they haven't commited yet ! Some people would be happy with thought police <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> (no, I'm not one of them... but I can think of a few)

I didn't see that yet, although I really want to. So it was good? I'm a huge sci-fi fan ...