Political commentator Matt Walsh stirred up controversy over pornography last week after he said that it should be banned.
Walsh tweeted out his feelings regarding the negative impacts of pornography and how easily accessible it is for children as young as 10 years old. Despite being a Conservative, who often advocate for less government, Walsh feels that the government should intervene and ban pornography.
Many Conservatives and Libertarians, who are also known to advocate for small government, oppose Walsh by saying he only wants less government if it benefits him. It has been nearly a week since this debate started, and it has not died down yet.
Walsh, like many other Conservatives believe the government should not be involved in taking their money through taxes or their firearms through gun confiscation. They even believe in free speech for all, not just what one agrees with. However, they believe a different form of speech and expression should not only be banned, but those involved in porn should be criminalized.
Walsh’s opposition argues that pornography is a form of speech, so it is protected under the First Amendment. Adults should be able to make their own decisions without government interference and they are not responsible for children accessing inappropriate material. It has even been said that parents are responsible for their children’s access to obscene material, not the government.
Walsh’s idea to lock up those involved in pornography, which is consensual sexual intercourse between adults, would not hold water. Pornography ‘actors’ are not forced to have sexual relations on camera, it is a choice. Therefore, there is no reason why anyone should be arrested for their involvement in pornography.
The Supreme Court case of Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union in regards to The
Communications Decency Act (CDA) even states that prohibiting obscene material is a violation of the First Amendment as parents have the right to access such material and to decide what material their children should be allowed to access.
While Walsh may not like it, pornography is here to stay as a ban is highly unlikely. It could still be accessed by many even with government restrictions. Adults can watch as they please and must restrict their children’s usage of certain websites if they hope to protect the young and innocent.