UMTV Home

Snares of
the Internet
Windows Media
High | Low
QuickTime
8 MB
MPEG
8 MB
Internet pornography is an ugly version of human sexuality, says a family counselor. Since legislation to ban virtual porn has been defeated, it's up to parents, churches and educators to minimize the risks of Internet usage.
UMTV > Snares of the Internet
 

IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ... AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL THE VIRTUAL FROM THE REAL.

PROF. JAMES HALSTEAD, DEPAUL UNIVERSITY: “You wind up accepting that, of course, bestiality is part of the average fare of life and living. Of course other kinds of violent sexual activity are part of life. Society is more accustomed to it. Society conditions us.”

FOR SOME 200,000 PEOPLE, PORNOGRAPHY IS AN ADDICTION. SOME CLINICIANS SAY IT’S A POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD … ONE THAT MAY BE FUELED BY THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION TO ALLOW VIRTUAL PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF CHILDREN, SAYING IT’S A FORM OF FREE SPEECH.

DAVID WASSERMAN, 1ST AMENDMENT ATTORNEY: “I don’t believe that you can be harmed by this kind of speech. Then again, I'm not afraid of sex.”

MIAMI-BASED FIRST AMENDMENT LAWYER DAVID WASSERMAN DEFENDS ADULT WEB SITE OPERATORS.

DAVID WASSERMAN: “Sometimes there is speech we don't like and we have to hold our nose and tolerate it and go on because, if we don't, what we're doing is we're taking away not only First Amendment rights from people today but (also from) future generations of America.”

UNITED METHODIST CHILD ADVOCATE PEGGY HALSEY AGREES WITH THE FREE SPEECH PART OF THE ARGUMENT.

PEGGY HALSEY, UNITED METHODIST CHILD ADVOCATE: “Our church believes that government censorship is not a wise tool.”

HALSEY SAYS VIRTUAL PORN SHOULD BE BANNED, BUT NOT BY THE LAWMAKERS. SHE WANTS EVERYDAY USERS TO MONITOR THE WEB.

“Churches can provide sessions for parents to minimizing the risk on Internet usage.”

SHE SAYS IT’S BETTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SPEND ENERGY EMPOWERING PARENTS, CHURCHES AND EDUCATORS RATHER THAN MAKING LAWS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE.