Santorum: 'If Elected, I Will Ban Pornography In The U.S.'
Comments (15)
Rick Santorum, speaking in Phoenix, February 2012. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
The report continues:
"Pornography is toxic to marriages and relationships. It contributes to misogyny and violence against women. It is a contributing factor to prostitution and sex trafficking."
The former Pennsylvania senator states that, "as a parent, I am concerned about the widespread distribution of illegal obscene pornography and its profound effects on our culture."
Santorum criticized the Obama administration for turning "a blind eye ... to the scourge of pornography" and for refusing to enforce obscenity laws.
"If elected President, I will appoint an Attorney General who will do so," Santorum writes. "While the Obama Department of Justice seems to favor pornographers over children and families, that will change under a Santorum Administration."
Santorum is not the first presidential candidate to take up the obscenity issue. In July, Michele Bachmann signed a pledge vowing her support of a constitutional amendment that, among other things, called for a ban on all pornography. (It also effectively called for a ban on same-sex marriage.)
Though it may strike some as less than advantageous for Santorum to align his campaign goals with those of a failed candidate, outlets like The Daily Caller are suggesting the plan could actually come to fruition.
From The Daily Caller:
Although the idea of Santorum vanquishing Internet pornography may seem far-fetched, a serious effort to combat online smut might actually be successful, UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh told The Daily Caller.
“If the government wanted to aggressively move against Internet pornography, it could do so,” explained Volokh. “Here’s the deal: In most parts of the country, a lot of pornography on the Internet would plausibly be seen as obscene.”
There are a few approaches that Santorum could pursue in an attempt to eradicate Internet pornography. “It wouldn’t be that difficult to close down a lot of the relatively visible websites that are used for the distribution of pornography, if they’re in the United States,” said Volokh.
Santorum’s administration could take American-based porn distributors to court for violating obscenity laws, said Volokh, and have them shuttered. But that would leave foreign-based sites untouched.
To black out foreign sites, Santorum would likely need legislative action requiring Internet service providers to use “a mandatory filter set up by the government or by the service providers,” said Volokh.
But the government could also prosecute individual citizens who view porn, and already has the legal authority to do it.
“Although the Supreme Court says private possession is constitutionally protected, it has said that private receipt of [pornography] is not protected,” noted Volokh. “You can’t prosecute them all … but you can find certain types of pornography that are sufficiently unpopular” for easy convictions, he explained.
No word yet on how conservative voters will respond to Santorum's proposal.
Comments
Ban porn? BS!! Anyone of us watched porn in middle school but do we rape people around us now?? Porn is legal, free speech, and helps people release. If this senator truly wanna ban porn first please prove u never jerk off in front of ur dirty screen.
Thank you Rick Santorum...this issue is on my mind everyday and i strongly agree that all pornography should be permanently banned. These people in this industry should not be making millions for sex acts...look at the doctors or your average retail worker constantly using their hands to make a wage...its unfair. It does ruin marriages...it has caused nothing but negativity, stds, and abuse. It should be banned and i believe with people like Rick it will happen...im a strong supporter!
This man pretends to be against big government, yet wants to spend trillions on policing internet porn? Does he realize 40% of us also have smart phones, digital camera and video etc?
Pandora’s box has been opened and has been spilled out across the floor and all the “king’s horses and all the king’s men” are simply not getting in back together again.
The joke is that this is his top goal. Congress has a 13% approval rate and this is his top goal?
Constitutional amendment?
The GOP has become one big joke.
This is utterly horrifying. Those who say sex addiction goes hand in hand with alcoholism, are you saying we should illegalize alcohol as well? And who's to say that everyone who watches porn is addicted to it. Also, who cares what someone does in the privacy of their own home or designated areas. Another point: isn't it better for those with sex addictions to cope with it by themselves instead of resorting to other ways like rape?
REAL MEN! This is not about Freedom and this is not about Religion! It's about a bunch of wanna be Men being defensive, because they can't get off anytime they want. This is about our Children, this is about those Parents that are not responsible enough to make sure that watch the Children 24/7. This is about those kids sneaking on sites and learning what is not right. Sex with anyone out of wedlock. Going out on the street corner, seeing a pretty girl and think he can do whatever he wants. And Sadly this is what happens to some innocent child. But no! Let's make about Selfishness and what we deserve as PRETEND men! Grow up guys!
Today is the old days! And Thank God we finally have a MAN, a Family Man willing to stand up and calling it like it is. This industry causes so much harm. Try some honest guys, trying being an example for our Children.
And committing to YOUR Spouse. Be a Real Man! instead of making excuses about Freedom and Religion just to support your Addiction and it is an Addiction.
ROTFLMAO!!! Real Men, huh? Whatever. You go right ahead and give away every freedom you have jerk-off. Those of us that value freedom will fight delusional right-wing scum like you every step of the way.
Anyone who doubted there was a connection between Right Wing Republicans and the Mullahs of Iran, should now be convinced. Gays, contraception, porn, what's next? Virginity tests, crimininalizing masturbation, and a Cabinet position for the Office of Vice and Virtue?
And it's folks like you that led the developers of the constitution to add the clause separating church and state. Your mind is too small to grasp this concept but religious fanatics in power always turn a nation into hell and it's citizens into subjects.
And it's folks like you that led the developers of the constitution to add the clause separating church and state. Your mind is too small to grasp this concept but religious fanatics in power always turn a nation into hell and it's citizens into subjects.
This is an important issue. Sex addiction goes hand in hand with alcoholism and drug addiction. They all equally need to be fought against. Thank you Rick Santorum