PORNOGRAPHY

Pornography hurts all of us.

Pornography is a central facet of women’s oppression. Maintaining sexual access to women is the core motivation in patriarchy. Sex is the basic motivation for the suppression of women, unlike racism, whose basic motivation is economic.

There is no doubt that pornography is often used in child molestations. It is also 100% accurate to say that pornography is a major source of information on sexuality for children. Anyone who has grown up in this society knows that viewing pornography begins at an early age. This fact is disturbing not only because children are very impressionable but because pornography is full of misinformation about sex and about women.

Finally, pornography has been destructive to female-male relations. In a climate of cheap, unemotional sex, sexual relationships have deteriorated to the level of barter. Commitment and trust have become outdated. Love barely exists. And anger, manipulation and deceit flourish.

How many times must we hear the producers of pornography state their case through a willing intermediary before we are allowed to hear the pain and distress of those abused and harmed by the industry?

RICHARD PROCIDA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

PEOPLE AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY

Los Angeles