It's no secret that Rick Santorum has declared war on pornography. He illustrates his argument on his campaign website here. Some of his points are just screaming to be scrutinized, so I will happily oblige, after the jump.
"America is suffering a pandemic of harm from pornography."
I would think we have bigger issues than stopping the roving gangs of porn-pushers that stalk America's back alleys.
"The average age of first exposure to hard-core, Internet pornography is now 11. 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 Santorum campaign makes many statements as facts, with no sources provided to back them up. If the average age is 11, that means there must be 8 or 9-year olds out there getting their hands on pornography. In the words of almost every conservative politician on similar issues involving government "paternalism", "Where are the parents?" Why should we use government when it's the parents' responsibility to take care of their child? This statement undercuts the usual conservative position on personal responsibility.
As far as contributing to prostitution and sex trafficking, where are the links? Is there any credible information to back up the implied assertion that watching porn leads to misogyny, becoming a john, and fueling the modern slave trade? I admit to watching porn, I have never hit a woman, and have never desired to visit a prostitute. I don't think I am the exception, either.
"For many decades, the American public has actively petitioned the United States Congress for laws prohibiting distribution of hard-core adult pornography."
While production, distribution, and consumption have all risen. Apparently Congress knows better than to go against the real wishes of the American public; in regards to porn and sexuality, what people say in public and what they really feel are nearly always different.
"Current federal “obscenity” laws prohibit distribution of hardcore (obscene) pornography on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV, on hotel/motel TV, in retail shops and through the mail or by common carrier. Rick Santorum believes that federal obscenity laws should be vigorously enforced. “If elected President, I will appoint an Attorney General who will do so.”"
And will this Attorney General have the power to declare what is and is not obscene? Tell me where the line is between art and smut. Would a nude painting by Picasso be obscene, even though it's abstract and the boobs are somewhere north of the head? Oh, and good luck getting past the hotel lobbyists, I bet they will fight back pretty hard.
"The Obama Administration has turned a blind eye to those who wish to preserve our culture from the scourge of pornography and has refused to enforce obscenity laws. While the Obama Department of Justice seems to favor pornographers over children and families, that will change under a Santorum Administration"
Among those who also turned a blind eye to the scourge of pornography were the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, and Johnson Administrations, to name some of the most recent offenders. It's a political non-starter, because
people don't want to give up porn. This is a very steep uphill climb for Santorum, that may work in the GOP Primary, but would fall flat in November.
"I proudly support the efforts of the War on Illegal Pornography Coalition that has tirelessly fought to get federal obscenity laws enforced. That coalition is composed of 120 national, state, and local groups..."
Scour their servers, and the home computers of their employees. I bet you'll find some buried treasure in there.
In the end, this is about free speech. Santorum uses the same tired conservative argument about protecting children - to hide the fact that this is big, intrusive government coming from the right. As much as they talk about small government and freedom, the reality is that the GOP actively seeks to use government to silence those that fall outside of their narrow-minded paradigm.