Last week, the Florida legislature criminalized sex dolls that look like children.
The same week, the Arizona legislature declared pornography a public health crisis.
These laws are both based on the same thing—beliefs rather than facts. Both refer to unnamed “studies,” but the science about sex dolls and porn actually reveal that these products are not dangerous for the overwhelming majority of Americans.
Of course, we Americans are allowed to fear anything we want to. Pity that so many U.S. policy-makers fear sexuality.
If a state wanted to criminalize any other consumer product, it would have to call hearings, which would of course include manufacturers, consumers, and scientists. Similarly, if a state wanted to declare something a public health crisis, it would assemble scientists and members of the public.
In both the sex doll and porn cases, no consumers, manufacturers, or scientists were consulted. There were no hearings, so the public had no input—except behind the scenes, where the Sexual Disaster Industry lobbyists wrote the words that politicians could then use to show that they’re against the sexual exploitation of women and children. What cynical pieces of theater.
ARIZONA
Arizona has passed fact-free, anti-sex legislation before. As I exposed in my 2006 book America’s War On Sex, Phoenix shut down a thriving, problem-free swingers-club scene with nary a word of public hearing. All they had to do was declare a public health crisis, and they could pass any law they wanted to; no facts or hearings were necessary.
People in Phoenix still swing, of course (in fact, more couples now than ever), they just do it underground, in a far less healthy or community self-regulated environment.
Arizona is the 16th state to declare porn a public health crisis. Like the other 15 states, Arizona used the boilerplate resolution written by the woman-hating, sex-fearing group Morality in Media, which has now rebranded itself as the patriotic-sounding National Center on Sexual Exploitation (who could be against that?). The resolution demonizes the sexual expression of over four million Arizonans.
FLORIDA
At the other end of the consumer population spectrum, Florida is so terrified of the few dozen users of child-like sex dolls that it’s willing to compromise its entire criminal justice system. Again, no data supported this move, just belief. Said sponsor State Senator Lauren Book, “The impetus for this legislation comes from research that has found that use of child pornography increases the risk of recidivism.”
First, dolls are not porn, certainly not child porn–no one is hurt by their creation.
Second, the recidivism of sex offenders is well-known to be extremely low. Nevertheless, “It’s like tempting an addict with their drug of choice,” Book said. “Kids deserve being protected.” Apparently, she thinks that someone who wouldn’t have sex with a kid without experiencing a doll, would have sex with a kid after experiencing a doll.
It’s such a phony argument: the world is filled with sexual predators. All kids are at risk from every pervert of any kind. It’s a slippery slope from kinky to pervert to predator. We should do everything we can to protect kids—whether it actually makes kids safer or is just a symbolic statement that happens to undermine democracy.
Think of it: is there anything you can do or see that would increase your chances of having sex with a kid?
BELIEF VS FACT
The battle of belief vs fact is common when the subject is sexuality. For example:
Belief: The availability of abortion contributes to “promiscuity.”
Fact: Abortion is typically used by people who are already parents, not a bunch of sex-crazed young people.
Belief: Watching porn makes men rape women.
Fact: No, it simply doesn’t. In fact, the rate of sexual violence has decreased since internet porn flooded America’s homes 19 years ago.
Belief: The availability of contraception or sex education encourages young people to have sex.
Fact: Sex education + contraception makes young people less likely to have sex.
Belief: Sex offenders are lifelong dangers to society, and should be kept apart from everyone else.
Fact: Sex offenders have lower recidivism rates than any other violent criminal; integrating them into society with jobs and neighbors reduces their recidivism even more.
Belief: Most women appearing in pornography are trafficked or drugged into participating.
Fact: There are no documented cases of either one. And porn actresses are no more mentally damaged than a comparable group (education, family background, etc.) of non-actress women.
It is scandalous that in the 21st century, when everyday Americans enjoy the scientific achievements of jet travel, smartphones, hip replacements, and TV, they still can’t look at sexuality with just a bit of scientific literacy.
On the other hand, predictions that progress in society’s sexual realm will destroy America are old news. Over 100 years ago, America’s first female physician, Elizabeth Blackwell, actively condemned the then-new invention of rubber condoms as encouraging prostitution and immorality. As usual with most fact-free beliefs about sex, that was incorrect.
Then as today, people had to suffer, be jailed, and even be killed to combat such anti-sex superstitions—which today look quaint. That’s surely how anti-porn and anti-sex doll legislation will look one day.
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If you liked this piece, I’m sure you’ll enjoy my article at www.MartyKlein.com/porn-addiction-movement-disrespects-women/