Some Facts About Pornography

Published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer
(January 01, 2000)

ANGELA Stuart-Santiago, in her commentary in the INQUIRERon Jan. 9 and 10, said that we who oppose pornography are “simply hysterical (as in emotionally overwrought) so they’re not thinking straight, much less talking sense … that times have changed … not only dishonest but dangerous of Sonny Alvarez, Manoling Morato and their cohorts in the religious and show-biz communities … moralists worldwide are down to a noisy minority … we are also sexual creatures … It’s normal to be horny … moral terrorists … to Armida’s credit, she has survived the crisis with aplomb … that when pornography was legalized in Denmark, the incidence of rape fell.”

Liar!

Let me give you excerpts from a reportof the International Conference on the problem of pornography titled, “Protecting Our Children’s Future,” held on Jan. 17-20,1995.

According to a study done by Paul J. Murphy, the family and pornography are poles apart; one contradicts the other. Pornographers are deadliest saboteurs of family life and pornography is the degradation of human sexuality and the debauchery of the sex appetite.

Let’s get down to brass tacks, the harsh facts of pornographic devastation.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, “pornography caused the remorseless rise of rape, the mutilation and even murderous assaults on adults and children.”

A study from Johns Hopkins University says that pornography caused rampant promiscuity and pandemic venereal disease. “If pornography so widely corrodes the social environment it is because we let it happen. Pornography will not go away while we wring our hands in private and refuse to face and join the public confrontation; if pornography so widely corrodes the social envirorunent it is because we let it. happen.”

A study on “recreational killers” by the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States found “that most are above a average in intelligence, most appear normal when not consumed with sadistic lust, and most feed on pornography.”

Police officers stated in the report to the attorney general of California that they “never arrested a child molester who did not have pornography in his possession.”

“A Los Angeles Police Department investigation studied over 40 child molestation cases during a five month period and interviewed more than 100 victims and suspects. Pornography was found to be present in every case.”

“In 1985, the FBI found that most serial sex murderers cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy … that the vast majority (81 percent) admitted that they were users of pornography.”

James Weaver of the University of Kentucky found that “portrayals of sex, rather than violence, lead viewers to lose respect for women and trivialize rape … that men who watched sex scenes even from ordinary R-rated movies (hindi pa Xrated), especially where sex was initiated by the woman believed women to be more promiscuous than they imagined before the viewings.”

Professor Weaver added, “We need to teach kids not to believe myths and stereotypes that make pornography popular.”

A study in 1991 showed that pornography was used in two-thirds of the child molestation cases over a 10-year period. Charlotte, North Carolina saw rapes fall from 383 to 236 in one year after the closing of major porn outlets.

Now let us go to the big lie Stuart-Santiago peddled that there are no studies done connecting rape to pornography.

Many defenders of pornography point to Denmark as having experienced a drastic decrease in sex crimes ever since pornography was, legalized in 1967.

The following was compiled by Dr. Paul Tanner: “Denmark legalized pornography in 1967. In 1970 they made sex education compulsory. They promptly removed all age consent laws with reference to sexual relations. Abortion on demand was legalized in 1973. Sexual practices formally listed as crimes were removed from the statute books, including homosexuality, statutory rape, sodomy and indecent exposure. Contraceptives became free to anyone.”

People who don’t know, or who want to confuse (like Stuart-Santiago), point to Denmark and say, “Look, how sex crimes have decreased.” Well, of course! If sodomy, child seduction, rape and other sexual molestations are no longer criminal offenses, their sex crime rate may go down to zero. Where there is no law, there are no criminal offenses. What are the real facts? Assault rape in Denmark has increased 300 percent. With widespread sex’ education one would think venereal disease would disappear. For ages 20 and over it is up 200 percent. For ages 16 to 20 it is up 250 percent.

There you are, Stuart-Santiago. Be better informed next time before you speak “ex cathedra.” I almost believed your lies!

Stuart-Santiago said “times have changed” as if we are speaking of fashion. Morality never changes. What was wrong before like abortion, euthanasia and divorce is still wrong today and will be wrong in the future till the end of time. She went farther to say that “it’s normal to be horny.” I am not. Is she?

Carlitos Siguion-Reyna previously said that we who oppose pornography are a bunch of “moralist terrorists” when he and his mother have been terrorizing our people with their porno movies like “Kahapon, May Dalawang Bata,” using two kids as peeping Toms watching how a priest copulates with Ara Mina, and earning millions in the process.

May I ask what wrong have we done in trying to protect our society and our national pride and dignity from the niassive ill effects of immorality? Is it wrong and out of fashion to love one’s people and country?

What can we call those who defy common decency? Heroes?

We say: Put them all in jail for committing crimes against society — a most grievous offense committed by a small bunch of anarchists and prophets of perdition. There is no room for them in a sane society of human beings who are trying so hard to defend and protect ourhelpless and vulnerable people who yearn for a more decent life.-

MANUEL L.MORATO