# GOP Platform Officially Endorses Banning All Porn **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 8, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313 "2013-09-08T05:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lobotomization\_friend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lobotomization\_friend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomization_friend)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/41 "2013-09-09T02:33:57Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > So what kind of porn were you looking for that lead you to this thread? This thread is less than a day old. It won’t show up for any query that isn’t extremely specific. I actually came here to post [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=701759). ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/42 "2013-09-09T02:35:29Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > [yourbrainonporn.com](http://yourbrainonporn.com) has some studies, testimonials, and the like that you could look at if you wished. The site name alone makes it sound totally untrustworthy. And again, there are certainly studies claiming the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/43 "2013-09-09T02:36:34Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > It’s not hard to believe that too much of a pleasurable thing could have adverse effects. This statement is very likely true. Transferring that addictive issue from the psychology of the person to the object of that particular individual’s fixation, however, is an error. Persons who get caught up in gaming, porn, various genres of fiction, clubs, hobbies, and any number of other things can cause harm to their lives by cutting themselves off from human interaction or getting them to fail to meet their obligations at work or any number of other necessary actions of humans. However, setting up porn, (or gaming, or other activities), as the culprit is simply demonstrating tunnel vision–focusing on the chosen object of the person’s fixation rather than addressing the issue with the person’s psychological issues. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomization\_friend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lobotomization\_friend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomization_friend)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/44 "2013-09-09T02:45:11Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > This statement is very likely true. Transferring that addictive issue from the psychology of the person to the object of that particular individual’s fixation, however, is an error. Persons who get caught up in gaming, porn, various genres of fiction, clubs, hobbies, and any number of other things can cause harm to their lives by cutting themselves off from human interaction or getting them to fail to meet their obligations at work or any number of other necessary actions of humans. > > However, setting up porn, (or gaming, or other activities), as the culprit is simply demonstrating tunnel vision–focusing on the chosen object of the person’s fixation rather than addressing the issue with the person’s psychological issues. I’m sorry. I know this is a debate forum, and arguments are expected to be highly structured and backed up by facts. I doubt I can find any full-fledged studies that you won’t immediately deny or refute. I can only say that porn has adversely affected my life. This has been my experience, and I do know that many others have gone through the same thing. If I haven’t convinced you of anything, that’s fine. Just food for thought. Addendum: pornography has never cut me off from human interaction or prevented me from fulfilling duties of any kind. I’ve wasted a ton of time, sure, but I was never consumed by it to such an extent. All I’m saying is that the decision to stop viewing pornography has led to all kinds of improvements in my life. Why don’t you try it for a few weeks, just to see what kind of difference it makes in your life, if any? If you are involved in such activities, that is. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/45 "2013-09-09T02:47:41Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > Don’t tell me that porn isn’t dangerous. What exactly is the danger? Masturbation is not only utterly harmless, it is the **safest** sexual outlet there is. I still can’t believe [Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joycelyn_Elders) was dismissed for encouraging it; a Surgeon General **should** encourage it. > [@dzylon](#): > > It releases some very powerful and very addictive reward-related hormones that are nigh impossible to ignore. [shrug] So does sex, but you can’t always get it. > [@dzylon](#): > > Porn and masturbation also affect people’s personalities in negative ways, in my experience. Please be more specific. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/46 "2013-09-09T02:52:30Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > I agree that masturbation is healthy. The symptoms I experienced after masturbating around once a day for several years included a dulled personality, dulled outlook on life, dulled experiences, and the like. After I stopped, my life improved in all of these regards; but perhaps I was masturbating too much, and perhaps the porn had a lot to do with it. Or perhaps that was just you, in that period of your life, masturbating or not. Many people go through such periods. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/47 "2013-09-09T05:29:27Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > . . . All I’m saying is that the decision to stop viewing pornography has led to all kinds of improvements in my life. Why don’t you try it for a few weeks, just to see what kind of difference it makes in your life, if any? If you are involved in such activities, that is. I am…and I have. I’ve taken vacations, for instance, where I was cut off from the Internet pretty much entirely. I missed email and SDMB debates much more than I missed the porn! (Because of the lack of privacy on vacation, I also had to give up jerking off for the same time. Didn’t seem to make any difference either way in my life. It didn’t even result in a particularly good orgasm upon my return and renewal of privacy.) Who can tell which of our experiences is the most conventional? As noted, when the U.S. Surgeon General says, “Go ahead,” I can feel pretty sure there aren’t any known medical reasons not to. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/48 "2013-09-09T05:32:41Z")
I hereby renounce, denounce, and condemn the OP for a misleading title and for refusing to throw himself upon our mercy. He should slog dejectedly to the nearest river, and there perform the Albanian Ritual of Self-Abasement, accompanied by a chorus of bitter virgins, intoning dirges of woe and humiliation. Oh, and vitriol. Lots of vitriol. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/49 "2013-09-09T06:01:14Z")
> [@dzylon](#): > > All I’m saying is that the decision to stop viewing pornography has led to all kinds of improvements in my life. Why don’t you try it for a few weeks, just to see what kind of difference it makes in your life, if any? For much the same reason I’m not interested in whacking my hand with a hammer just to see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/50 "2013-09-09T06:08:17Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > It’s factually incorrect because the change doesn’t advocate a ban on all pornography. Vigorous enforcement of all laws regulating pornography wouldn’t result in a ban of all pornography any more than vigorous enforcement of emissions tests would result in a ban of all motor vehicles. They specifically are not calling for new laws: If the existing laws were vigorously prosecuted in the way the moral conservatives would favor, it would be VERY MUCH like a ban, in terms of its effect on adult content. Seems to me to be one of the differences that makes no difference. Though I will admit there’s a technical difference. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/51 "2013-09-09T06:22:15Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > If the existing laws were vigorously prosecuted in the way the moral conservatives would favor, it would be VERY MUCH like a ban, in terms of its effect on adult content. Seems to me to be one of the differences that makes no difference. Though I will admit there’s a technical difference. How about admitting the title of this thread is blatantly misleading, and utterly wrong? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/52 "2013-09-09T07:24:18Z")
C’mon, guys! Our credibility is on the line here, if more of us don’t start in renouncing, denouncing, and deploring the OP, everybody’s gonna think we are just another of those liberal message boards that only pick on conservatives! And that’s a paddling! Or something. Something bad. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/53 "2013-09-09T08:11:23Z")
Or, we can stop renouncing and denouncing. It’s not actually normal behavior, but generally regarded as jerkitude on most discussion boards. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/54 "2013-09-09T12:13:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I hereby renounce, denounce, and condemn the OP for a misleading title and for refusing to throw himself upon our mercy. He should slog dejectedly to the nearest river, and there perform the Albanian Ritual of Self-Abasement, accompanied by a chorus of bitter virgins, intoning dirges of woe and humiliation. Oh, and vitriol. Lots of vitriol. I suppose we could take him down to the quarry and…naah, too much work. But the thread seems to have evolved into something more constructive than the flawed OP would have normally instigated, so at least something positive came of it. > [@adaher](#): > > Or, we can stop renouncing and denouncing. It’s not actually normal behavior, but generally regarded as jerkitude on most discussion boards. Those other discussion boards sound like nice places where you would perhaps enjoy posting more than you do here. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/55 "2013-09-09T12:31:54Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I hereby renounce, denounce, and condemn the OP for a misleading title and for refusing to throw himself upon our mercy. He should slog dejectedly to the nearest river, and there perform the Albanian Ritual of Self-Abasement, accompanied by a chorus of bitter virgins, intoning dirges of woe and humiliation. Oh, and vitriol. Lots of vitriol. Clearly insincere. Not one appearance of “Balderdash, sir” or “Tommyrot,” in the whole paragraph. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/56 "2013-09-09T12:48:28Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Clearly insincere. Not one appearance of “Balderdash, sir” or “Tommyrot,” in the whole paragraph. Nevertheless, it has been recorded in the Grand Omnibus Accounting Tome of Partisan Opprobrium and Outrage Posted at the SDMB. Such things, as you know, are crucial. One cannot simply wander into the SDMB, leisurely peruse threads, and post at will. No, each post must be counted and the implications tallied for all to mark and remember, so that when the SDMB passes, in the fullness of time, into the mists of oblivion, we can say with certainty and without doubt, equivocation, or contradiction, that liberals were mean to Bricker. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/57 "2013-09-09T13:09:08Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Nevertheless, it has been recorded in the Grand Omnibus Accounting Tome of Partisan Opprobrium and Outrage Posted at the SDMB. No, it hasn’t – because sarcastic comments like this simply reinforce my thesis: it’s OK to post errors if your errors are liberal-friendly; it gains no social condemnation. _OK, maybe the GOP doesn’t actually say they want to ban all porn, like the thread claimed, but you all just know that’s what they want, and anyway who cares? It’s the Republicans! Fuck 'em even if these claims were all wrong._ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/58 "2013-09-09T13:19:42Z")
Based on the quotes [in this article](http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/27/gop-platform-calls-for-crackdown-on-all-forms-of-pornography/), it seems the OP may not be that far off. > [@](#): > > In a Monday morning press release, advocacy group Morality in Media revealed that “new language replaces previous platform wording, which only opposed child pornography.” > > According to MIM, the new wording will read, “Current laws on **all forms of pornography** and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced.” > [@](#): > > **Existing obscenity laws “not only prohibit distribution of hardcore pornography on the Internet but also on hotel/motel TV, on cable/satellite TV, and in retail shops,” said MIM President Patrick Trueman.** > > **“Distribution of obscene or hardcore pornography on the Internet is a violation of current federal law** ,” said Trueman, a former anti-porn prosecutor in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. > [@](#): > > “We are most grateful to Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council who led the effort to get the tough new language into the platform,” said Trueman. “Without enforcement of federal obscenity laws, **pornographers have had a green light to target our children and families.** ” Notice the quotes separate pornography from obscenity yet the desire to eliminate both is stated. Or equate pornography with obscenity. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/59 "2013-09-09T13:26:36Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No, it hasn’t – because sarcastic comments like this simply reinforce my thesis: it’s OK to post errors if your errors are liberal-friendly; it gains no social condemnation. > > _OK, maybe the GOP doesn’t actually say they want to ban all porn, like the thread claimed, but you all just know that’s what they want, and anyway who cares? It’s the Republicans! Fuck 'em even if these claims were all wrong._ You’re saying two separate things. The claims have been refuted. The conclusion of this thread is that the OP was incorrect. I think that’s a fine conclusion. You appear to think that either the claimant must knuckle under, or that the tribe must demonstratively vote him off the island (with a recording of the voice vote) in order for there to be a satisfactory resolution. That’s just weird, and it’s not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/60 "2013-09-09T13:28:56Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Clearly insincere. Not one appearance of “Balderdash, sir” or “Tommyrot,” in the whole paragraph. “I didn’t get a ‘Harrumph!’ from that guy!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313.md?page=4)