This is a huge success story!!! Utah just became the first state to recognize porn as a public health crisis. Similar to tobacco, they didn't ban it but are making the public aware of its harms. Please comment any thoughts or opinions on this news. This is huge!
I think it's awesome as well, but I don't think most people will take it that seriously especially here in the Northeast. Mostly because of the more extreme views that come along with mormonism and how much religion is tied into the culture there. That being said, I personally think porn is much more like cigarettes then it is social drinking per se. And I think it's great froward movement. Porn is literally poison on so many levels. And some of my good friends definitely recognize that. However, I don't see most of my peers taking a statement from Utah too seriously. It would take action from a Northeastern or Mid-Atlantic state or colorado, Oregon or California for most people in this area to take it seriously.
This is why I'm glad we live in a secular country. Religious states can take part just as the more liberal states can. We need a plurality of voices, and I'm glad Utah has taken this step which is very much against the status quo.
I posted the above on February 3, 2016. It appears that SCR9 passed unanimously in the Utah Senate. It recently passed the Utah House of Representatives. It is on its way to Governor Herbert (R) for his signature. Not quite "the first state" yet, but getting awfully close.
Check the last link in my post to read the resolution itself. It is so brilliantly written. Please don't veto Governor.
True, but baby steps This is a win, and a step in the right direction. It all has to start somewhere.
The thing that bothers me is the possibility for a War on Porn to develop with situations like this. Look at the War on Drugs or the War on Terror. More people have been harmed than have been helped by those, and they're both frequently used as excuses to erode or eliminate civil rights and liberties. I have my doubts when it comes to conservative Mormon lawmakers treating pornography in a socially or politically responsible way, even if pornography really is a health hazard.
I think it's wonderful. As long as they are not banning it and making it illegal tho. Making people aware is one thing, taking away their some of rights to freedom and creating internet censorship is another. If that happens then I will have a problem with that. Really, this can be either step in right or step in wrong direction, time will show.
I know there's quite a bit of skeptism so let me attempt to put it to rest. Utah is RECOGNIZING pornography as a health crisis. They have no plans of banning porn. They simply want to bring its harms to the attention of the public (not dissimilar to what the government is doing with cigarettes and alcohol). What Utah is doing is a very good thing. How many of us at NoFap didn't know the harms of porn until we suffered through them ourselves? Wouldn't it be nice if in high school sex ed classes we were taught the potential harms of it? That is what Utah is pushing for.
While I like what you're saying in this instance, what's the fastest way to get a high school student to try something? Tell them it's dangerous/bad for them. At least that's how it was back in my day I'm pretty much always against the government meddling with anything or telling me what's good for me and what isn't, it always leads to some type of infringement on freedom or tax dollars being directed to something that they shouldn't be. Maybe I'm the only person who thinks at best this will stay what it is, recognition of porn as a problem. At worst, it will actually progress to attempts to ban porn or more nanny state bureaucracy which will lead to massive waste of government dollars. Those of us who looked at porn in our teen years, what did that banner before entering the site always say? Must be 18 or older? And did it do ANYTHING to stop us? No. Maybe that's just me wearing the tinfoil hat.
I agree with you on the idea that moderate actions against something deemed bad can escalate into something unnecessary burdoning to the government and tax payers. However, i think that is a risk many prohibitive policie take when enacted. In the case of a state government raising awareness to what could be the "secret" drug, in my opinion, is worth the risk.
I'm just happy it's getting out there. With virtual reality on the rise, we are going to need a strong support system from all places to show the world he effects of porn. IMO, virtual reality could be the end of the human race as we know it. People get addicted to Internet porn, it escalates to VR porn, and then men women around the world just stop reproducing. Just a theory of course, with a lot of basic evidence. Like I said, I'm just happy someone recognized it.
Let me tell you Jehu, liberal or conservative, this is absolutely something worthy of the governments time and money. Would you rather save a couple pennies today? Or see our society sexually crippled years down the road? Bro, almost 70% of guys watch porn once a week or more. I would guess a majority of them don't know the harms of it. Yeah yeah they remember their 60 year old teacher from Sunday school or perhaps their parents telling them it was bad, but we need educated respected leaders enforcing that. Some people are afraid of global warming. Others are scared of running out of resources. I AM TERRIFIED of a sexual crisis. I think in ten years divorce rates are going to be through the roof, a lot of men are going to suffer from ed and pe---and porn will be culpable. So anything that raises awareness and potentially reduces the number of men who watch porn, I am all for.[/QUOTE]
Right?? I've heard people making jokes about how they won't need a relationship once they have VR porn. And to be perfectly honest, it crossed my mind once about how that would give you the benefits of sex but you'd still have the freedom of being single. I'm sure that's crossed many other people's minds as well. It's super scary stuff....
Yup, the VR thing is downright terrifying in its implications, but so many are looking forward to it like it will be some innocuous "fun" thing like video games or 3D movies.
From what I have read SCR 9 passed unanimously in the Utah House of Representatives as well. The legislative session ended on Thursday March 17, 2016. Governor Herbert (R) has 20 days from the close of the legislature to review the bills and chose whether to sign or veto them. The Governor has listed SCR 9 as one of the highlights of the last legislative session. Please keep it mind that SCR 9 is only a resolution (it really will have no legal effect). However, a resolution can certainly impact public policy decisions. Unfortunately, any true banning of porn would likely violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Again, here is the link if you are interesting in reading it: http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/SCR009.html It looks like it could have been authored by anybody here on this forum.