Republican Party Platform Targets Illegal Porn

A change in the Republican Party Platform to target illegal adult pornography is an exceedingly positive development that will protect children, as well as families from the scourge of hardcore pornography.

So says Patrick A. Trueman, president of Morality In Media (MIM).

“Distribution of obscene or hardcore pornography on the Internet is a violation of current federal law,” explains Trueman. “Yet, most children in America have free access to obscene pornography as soon as they learn how to use a computer. The average age of first exposure to obscene Internet pornography is now 11.”

The new language replaces previous platform wording, which only opposed child pornography. It will now read, “Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced.”  

Trueman notes that current federal 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.

“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,” says Trueman. “Without enforcement of federal obscenity laws, pornographers have had a green light to target our children and families.”

America is suffering an untreated pandemic of harm from pornography, which touches nearly every family in America. MIM points to research that shows:

• Children and adults are developing life-long addictions to pornography.
• There is a very substantial increase in demand for child pornography because many adult-porn users are finding that they are no longer excited by adult images
• On average four out of five 16-year-olds now regularly access pornography onlin.
• 56 percent of divorces cite Internet pornography as a major factor in the break-up of the marriage.
• Girls consuming pornography are several times more likely to engage in group sex than those who do not.
• Significant and growing numbers of men in their 20s are developing “porn-induced sexual dysfunction.”

In 2010, MIM initiated The War On Illegal Pornography coalition, a program to get federal laws on adult pornography vigorously enforced. This came after repeated attempts to influence the U. S. Department of Justice to enforce existing obscenity laws, which were passed by Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

MIM’s broad, bipartisan coalition of 127 national, state and local groups has gained the support of nearly half of the U.S. Senate and many members of the House.  

“Family Research Council is one of the most active participants in the coalition,” Trueman says. “Tony Perkins’ leadership has contributed to much of our success over the past two years.”

To learn more about The War on Illegal Pornography and existing federal obscenity “hardcore pornography” laws, visit WarOnIllegalPornography.com.