Radical Opinion on Sex and Child Porn

        One of the main topics in this class has been the legal aspect of pornography in relation to the internet and more importantly child pornography.  Chapter ten is just another example and reminder of how child pornography is against the law and extremely vile, degrading, and disgusting.  Over the past month or so it has become apparent that most of the things said about child porn are the same.  Anyone who distributes, obtains, or produces child pornography will be persecuted and possibly fined and jailed.  The reading in the book on this topic discusses somewhat on how the age of consent has changed and elevated over through the history of this country, while the onset of puberty has decreased.  I believe that there should not be an age of consent or an age of legality such as 18 in most of the states.  Yes, there should be an age for voting and different issues that involve someone of a mature age, but sex and drinking should not have a standard.

            My argument may be weak, but it is just my personal opinion.  In European countries there is no age that restricts teenagers to drinking.  They can drink at what ever age they please.  While in high school I came across many foreign exchange students that all said the same thing.  They all stated that they do not drink alcohol that much because they were so used to it at an early age and got the rowdy drunkenness out of their system.  I believe college would have less alcoholic connotations if 21 was not the age that one could legally drink.  Although parties and alcohol and synonyms for college I feel it would decrease somewhat.  As for sex I believe one can have sex when they feel that are ready to have it.  If that means that a 16 year old wants to have sex with a 20 year old then so be it.  What is the difference if that 20 year old is 20 or 17?  The 16 year old is still going to have sex no matter what.  I feel there is too much obsession over numbers.  By all means if that 16 year old wants to have sex with a middle aged person then go ahead!  Where I feel the line should be drawn is the consent of sex.  If a person does not want to have sex and is pressured or persuaded, then that should be banned or illegal.  Although young teenagers are very gullible and persuasive and older more mature adults are more knowledgeable and probably could influence a teenager more than a peer I still see no threat. 

            A student that went to my high school had an affair with one of their teachers throughout middle school and high school.  During their senior year the secret leaked out and both the student and teacher’s lives were destroyed.  I know this brings in the issue of a teacher having sex with a student, but if you take that away there would probably still be the same social stigma and affect for the mere fact of their age difference.  There was consent of sexual behavior and activity between the two with nothing forced upon the student.  It was said that the teacher brainwashed the student for the student was very young, innocent, and ignorant to a normal relationship, but every person lives a different life.  I know I am one of the few if not the only that believes this way, but I guess I don’t think like everyone else does or at least how society and our government wants us to think.

            This has been somewhat related to the reading in the book and to child pornography, but getting back to the topic and how it is illegal I feel that the person producing the child porn should be the one to blame.  Child pornography is illegal and should not be produced for a child should not have to go through that physical and psychological abuse, but those who own the child porn were not the ones who actually told the children what to wear or how to pose.  It is said that those who watch porn are more likely to commit rape and those who watch child porn are more likely to molest children or become a pedophile, but I feel they are less of a risk to society than the actual producers of these crimes.  Anyone who is involved with child pornography basically receives the same punishment.  I feel that those who produce it and are involved with the production of child porn should be punished more harshly than those who own child pornography.  I am not saying that those who own it should not be punished or severely punished, I just feel that there should be different levels of punishment depending on one’s involvement.

            I know that this blog is very controversial and nobody may agree with me, but most of the time if you are thinking something someone else is too.  I in no way feel that child porn is moral or should be legal.  I should feel that in the past couple decades the involvement of the government has blown the issue out of proportion.  As for the legal age of drinking and having sex that is just my personal opinion and I stand by it.  So many people in our country hide their true feelings and opinions because they are afraid of what others will say.  Who cares what others think as long as you believe it that is all that matters