From: kadie@eff.org (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Computers and Academic Freedom News 02.39 (part 2 of 2) (Digest)
Originator: kadie@eff.org
Organization: The Electronic Frontier Foundation
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 11:04:59 GMT

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From caf-talk Caf Aug  7 11:17:19 1992
Newsgroups: news.admin,alt.censorship,alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,sfu.general
From: kadie@eff.org (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Article 5--Re: "Computers graphic when it comes to porn"
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992 15:17:09 GMT

Here is a repost listing many studies that tested the Meese conclusions
scientifically. (Many of the studies were done in Canada.)

- Carl

>From alt.sex Fri Apr  5 16:19:04 1991
>From: gwangung@milton.u.washington.edu (Just another theatre geek.....)
>Newsgroups: alt.sex,talk.rape
>Subject: Re: pornography (long)
>Message-ID: <1991Apr5.193828.27539@milton.u.washington.edu>
>Date: 5 Apr 91 19:38:28 GMT


	Sounds like this is needed to be posted again.

	Clogging the net again...


Pornography, erotica, and attitudes toward women: 
	The effects of repeated exposure.
Padgett,-Vernon-R.; Brislin-Slutz,-Jo-A.; Neal,-James-A.
Rio Hondo Coll, Whittier, CA, US
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1989 Nov Vol 26(4) 479-491
PY: 1989
AB: Assessed the relationship between pornography and attitudes
 toward women in 2 correlational studies, and tested the effect
 of nonviolent erotica on attitudes toward women with 184
 psychology students and 20 patrons at an "adult" theater. Hours
 of viewing pornography was not a reliable predictor of attitudes
 toward women in either sample. Patrons of the adult theater, who
 viewed more pornography, had more favorable attitudes toward
 women than male or female Ss. 

Pornography and sexual offences.
Langevin,-Ron; Lang,-Reuben-A.; Wright,-Percy; Handy,-Lorraine; et-al
Clarke Inst of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada
Annals-of-Sex-Research; 1988 Vol 1(3) 335-362
LA: English
PY: 1988
AB: Examined whether erotica is harmful and incites sexual crimes
 by interviewing 227 male sex offenders and 50 control Ss from
 the community in Canada about purchase of erotic magazines and
 videos and attendance at erotic movies. Erotica use was not a
 pertinent factor in offenders' sex offenses nor to their legal
 situation. Results do not support the conclusion of the Meese
 Commission (1986) that there is a causal association of sexual
 violence and use of violent pornography. 

Physiological desensitization and judgments about female victims of violence.
Linz,-Daniel; Donnerstein,-Edward; Adams,-Steven-M.
U California, Santa Barbara, US
Human-Communication-Research; 1989 Sum Vol 15(4) 509-522
AB: 29 male undergraduates viewed a control film (nonviolent with
 explicit sexual content) and 34 male undergraduates viewed an
 experimental film (violent with explicit sexual content). All Ss
 were then exposed to 2 brief clips of violence perpetrated by a
 man against a woman while their heart rates were monitored.
 Results indicate that heart rates for Ss exposed to the violent
 videotape were lower during the final 90 sec of each violent
 dependent measure film clip than controls. Although the
 violence-viewing Ss experienced no change in moods, control Ss
 experienced significant increases in hostility, anxiety, and
 depression during the dependent measure clips. Ss in the
 violence-viewing condition attributed less injury to the victims
 but greater responsibility to the perpetrators in the dependent
 measure clips, compared to control Ss. 

Child sexual abuse and pornography: Is there a relationship?
Knudsen,-Dean-D.
Purdue U, West Lafayette, IN, US
Journal-of-Family-Violence; 1988 Dec Vol 3(4) 253-267
AB: A review of official reports and other research indicates
 that the circumstances surrounding sexual abuse are inadequately
 specified to allow specific causal interpretations. The role of
 pornography in contributing to such abuse is explored by
 reviewing laboratory studies and the circumstances of child
 sexual abuse. An assessment of the research literature suggests
 that pornography is a minor and indirect influence on child
 sexual maltreatment. 

Exposure to sexually explicit materials and attitudes toward rape: 
	A comparison of study results.
Linz,-Daniel
U California Communication Studies Program, Santa Barbara, US
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1989 Feb Vol 26(1) 50-84
AB: Reviews experimental studies conducted since the 1970
 pornography commission that have tested the effects of exposure
 to sexually explicit materials on attitudes and perceptions
 about rape. Studies of short-term exposure to nonaggressive
 sexually explicit communications have yielded mixed results.
 When effects do exist for this material, they are both fewer and
 weaker than antisocial effects from sexually violent material.
 Studies of the effects of long-term exposure to nonviolent
 pornography have also yielded mixed results: Some experiments
 find increases in negative attitudes about rape, and others show
 no effects. Studies that have included violent film conditions
 have consistently found less sensitivity toward rape victims
 after exposure to these materials. 

A preliminary examination of the pornography experience of sex offenders,
	paraphiliacs, sexual dysfunction patients and controls based on 
	Meese Commission recommendations.
Condron,-Mary-K.; Nutter,-David-E.
Sexual Behavior Ctr, Lancaster, PA, US
Journal-of-Sex-and-Marital-Therapy; 1988 Win Vol 14(4) 285-298
AB: The Meese Commission Report (1986) claims that exposure to
 pornography leads to sex offenses and states that it is
 important to examine the developmental patterns of offenders.
 The present study found that the frequency of use of pornography, age of
 exposure to pornography, age of 1st masturbation experience and use of 
 pornography during 1st masturbation experience for 62 male sex offenders, 
 paraphiliacs, sexual dysfunction patients, and controls were not significantly
 different.

Pornography and rape: A causal model.
Russell,-Diana-E.
Mills Coll, Oakland, CA, US
Political-Psychology; 1988 Mar Vol 9(1) 41-73
AB: Contends that in order for rape to occur, a man must not only
 be predisposed to rape, but his internal and social inhibitions
 against acting out rape desires must be undermined. It is
 theorized that pornography (1) predisposes some men to want to
 rape women or intensifies the predisposition in other men
 already so predisposed; (2) undermines some men's internal
 inhibitions against acting out their rape desires; and (3)
 undermines some men's social inhibitions against the acting out.
 Research substantiating this theory is presented and discussed,
 and suggestions are made for further research. 

Rape rates and the circulation rates of adult magazines.
Scott,-Joseph-E.; Schwalm,-Loretta-A.
Ohio State U, Columbus, US
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1988 Vol 24 241-250
AB: Examination of reported rape rates and the sale of 10 popular
 adult magazines by states for 1982 revealed a significant
 relationship. Although the assumption was that the more sexually
 explicit magazines and those containing the most violent sexual
 depictions would have higher correlations with rape rates,
 correlations for individual magazines indicate the opposite.

The censorship of pornography: Catharsis or learning?
McCormack,-Thelma
York U, Toronto, ON, Canada
American-Journal-of-Orthopsychiatry; 1988 Oct Vol 58(4) 493-504
AB: Asserts that contemporary research on pornography reveals an
 impasse between the models of catharsis and learning. It is
 suggested that preference for the latter by a recent government
 report (US Department of Justice, 1986) is based on ideological
 rather than scientific considerations. The breakdown in the
 liberal tradition, current pornography research based on
 behaviorism, and 2 major theoretical problems are discussed. An
 alternative approach is suggested that uses knowledge of
 sexuality, gender inequality, and institutional oppression, and
 the meaning of texts to better understand pornography. It is
 argued that censorship may obstruct research and fail to advance
 feminist goals. (

Beitrag zur Beziehung von Video-Filmkonsum und Kriminalitat in der Adoleszenz. / Relationship between viewing of video films and criminality in adolescents.
Klosinski,-G.
U Bern, Jugendpsychiatrischen Klinik und Poliklinik, Switzerland
Praxis-der-Kinderpsychologie-und-Kinderpsychiatrie; 1987 Feb-Mar Vol 36(2) 66-71
AB: Presents 3 forensic-psychiatric case reports in which
 criminal acts perpetrated by adolescent males were associated
 with previously viewed horror or pornographic videos. In each
 case, the videos served to precipitate and legitimize a neurotic
 solution to existing conflicts. It is suggested that in
 exceptionally unusual, ludicrous, or cruel offenses by
 adolescents, the possibility of video-induced criminality should
 be considered. 

Effects of long-term exposure to violent and sexually
 degrading depictions of women.
Linz,-Daniel-G.; Donnerstein,-Edward; Penrod,-Steven
U California, Communication Studies Program, Santa Barbara, US
Journal-of-Personality-and-Social-Psychology; 1988 Nov Vol 55(5) 758-768
AB: Investigated the effects of emotional desensitization to
 films of violence against women and the effects of sexually
 degrading explicit and nonexplicit films on beliefs about rape
 and the sexual objectification of women. Males viewed either 2
 or 5 R-rated violent "slasher," X-rated nonviolent
 "pornographic," or R-rated nonviolent teenage-oriented ("teen
 sex") films. Affective reactions and cognitive perceptions were
 measured after each exposure. Later, these men and no-exposure
 control Ss completed a voir dire questionnaire, viewed a
 reenacted acquaintance or nonacquaintance sexual assault trial,
 and judged the defendant and alleged rape victim. Ss in the
 violent condition became less anxious and depressed and showed
 declines in negative affective responses. They were also less
 sympathetic to the victim and less empathetic toward rape
 victims in general. However, longer film exposure was necessary
 to affect general empathy. There were no differences in response
 between the R-rated teen sex film and the X-rated, sexually
 explicit, nonviolent film, and the no-exposure control
 conditions on the objectification or the rape trial variables. A
 model of desensitization to media violence and the carryover to
 decision making about victims is proposed. (

Violent pornography and self-reported likelihood of sexual aggression.
Demare,-Dano; Briere,-John; Lips,-Hilary-M.
U Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Journal-of-Research-in-Personality; 1988 Jun Vol 22(2) 140-153
AB: 222 undergraduate males were administered an attitudes survey
 examining pornography use, attitudes, and self-reported
 likelihood of rape (LR) or using sexual force (LF). Nonviolent
 pornography was used by 81% of Ss within the previous year,
 whereas 41% and 35% had used violent and sexually violent
 pornography, respectively. 27% of Ss indicated some hypothetical
 LR or LF. Discriminant function analysis revealed that use of
 sexually violent pornography and acceptance of interpersonal
 violence against women were uniquely associated with LF and LR.
 It is hypothesized that the specific fusion of sex and violence
 in some pornographic stimuli and in certain belief systems may
 produce a propensity to engage in sexually aggressive behavior.

An empirical investigation of the role of pornography in the
 verbal and physical abuse of women.
Sommers,-Evelyn-K.; Check,-James-V.
York U, Toronto, ON, Canada
Violence-and-Victims; 1987 Fal Vol 2(3) 189-209
AB: Studied the presence of pornography and both sexual and
 nonsexual violence in the lives of 44 battered women drawn from
 shelters and counseling groups, and a comparison group of 32
 women from a mature university population. It was found that the
 partners of the battered Ss read or viewed significantly greater
 amounts of pornographic materials than did the partners of the
 comparison group. In addition, 39% of the battered Ss (in
 contrast to 3% of the comparison group) responded in the
 affirmative to the question, "Has your partner ever upset you by
 trying to get you to do what he'd seen in pornographic pictures,
 movies, or books?" It was also found that battered Ss
 experienced significantly more sexual aggression at the hands of
 their partners than did the Ss in the comparison group. 

Four theories of rape: A macrosociological analysis.
 International Congress on Rape (1986, Tel Aviv, Israel).
Baron,-Larry; Straus,-Murray-A.
U California Ctr for the Study of Women, Los Angeles, US
Social-Problems; 1987 Dec Vol 34(5) 467-489
AB: Presents a theoretical model that integrates 4
 macrosociological theories of gender inequality, proliferation
 of pornographic materials, cultural spillover of violence to
 other social contexts, and social disorganization as mechanisms
 promoting rape. The theoretical model was tested, using 1980
-1982 data on rapes known to the police in the 50 states in the
 US. The results show that gender inequality, social
 disorganization, percent residing in standard metropolitan
 statistical areas, the circulation of pornography, economic
 inequality, and percent unemployed had direct effects on the
 incidence of rape. 

The use of sexually explicit stimuli by rapists, child molesters
    and nonoffenders.
Marshall,-W.-L.
Queen's U, Kingston, ON, Canada
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1988 May Vol 25(2) 267-288
AB: 89 male sex offenders (voluntary outpatients) and 24 male
 nonoffenders were asked to retrospectively recall their use of
 sexually explicit materials during pubescence, and currently. 23
 rapists and 51 men who molested children other than their own
 (i.e., child molesters) reported significantly greater use of
 materials than was indicated by either incest offenders or
 nonoffender controls. Rapists and child molesters reported
 frequent use of these materials while preparing themselves to
 commit an offense. Current use was significantly related to the
 chronicity of their sexual offending (as revealed by number of
 victims) among the child molesters and to laboratory-assessed
 sexual preferences for children in the heterosexual child molesters.

The pornography/aggression linkage: Results from a field study.
Smith,-M.-Dwayne; Hand,-Carl
Tulane U, New Orleans, LA, US
Deviant-Behavior; 1987 Vol 8(4) 389-399
AB: Assessed the impact of presenting a pornographic movie on a
 college campus in a longitudinal, self-report study of 230 women
 students to determine effects of the film's showing on the Ss'
 experiences with aggression from males. Compared with the weeks
 prior to and following the movie's showing, no significant
 difference in reported aggression was found. Those Ss reporting
 association with males attending the movie reported no
 significantly different levels of experienced aggression from
 those Ss whose companions did not view the film. PO: Human

Use of pornography in the criminal and developmental histories 
     of sexual offenders.
Carter,-Daniel-L.; Prentky,-Robert-A.; Knight,-Raymond-A.; Vanderveer,-Penny-L.; et-al
Massachusetts Treatment Ctr, Research Dept, Bridgewater, US
Journal-of-Interpersonal-Violence; 1987 Jun Vol 2(2) 196-211
AB: Investigated exposure to and use of pornography in the
 familial, developmental, and criminal histories of 64
 incarcerated male volunteers (38 rapists and 26 child
 molesters). Data were gathered using a paper-and-pencil self
-report questionnaire. Results show that while both groups
 reported similar exposure to pornography in the home and during
 development, child molesters indicated significantly more
 exposure than rapists in adulthood and were significantly more
 likely both to use such materials prior to and during the
 offenses and to employ pornography to relieve an impulse to act
 out. Findings are discussed with regard to the catharsis
 hypothesis and to the role of pornography in the commission of
 sexual offenses for certain types of rapists and child
 molesters. 

"Stranger" child--murder: Issues relating to causes and controls.
Wilson,-Paul-R.
Australian Inst of Criminology, Canberra, ACT, Australia
International-Journal-of-Offender-Therapy-and-Comparative-Criminology; 1987 Vol 31(1) 49-59
AB: Discusses the causes and control of serial killings of
 children. Despite the tendency to view such killers as
 psychiatrically ill, studies suggesting that these offenders do
 not differ psychologically from nonoffenders are cited. It is
 suggested that subcultural and other sociological perspectives
 stressing social disadvantage have low levels of explanatory
 power. While evidence concerning the effects of media on sexual
 and violent crime is inconclusive, case studies indicate that
 pornography and even popular music may increase the propensity
 of some individuals to commit atrocities. It is concluded that
 countermeasures to control stranger killing of children lie in
 more sophisticated law enforcement, long periods of
 incarceration, and more sophisticated crime analysis. 

The findings and recommendations of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography: Do the psychological "facts" fit the political fury?
Linz,-Daniel; Donnerstein,-Edward; Penrod,-Steven
U California, Los Angeles
American-Psychologist; 1987 Oct Vol 42(10) 946-953
AB: The Attorney General's Commission on Pornography has
 concluded that there is a causal relationship between exposure
 to many forms of pornography and several antisocial effects,
 including increased levels of violence against women. As a
 result of these findings, the commission has called for more
 strict enforcement of existing obscenity laws and serious
 consideration of additional legal measures not traditionally
 handled under obscenity law. The authors question whether the
 social science data relied on by the commission justifies either
 the commission's conclusions about harm or the call for more
 stringent law enforcement. Although some of the commission's
 findings appear to be sound extrapolations from the empirical
 studies, the authors find several of the commission's findings
 and recommendations incongruent with available research data.
 Instead of advocating stricter legal controls the authors
 reiterate their call for educational programs to mitigate the
 effects of sexual violence in the media. 

Exposure to pornography and attitudes about women and rape: 
     A correlational study.
Garcia,-Luis-T.
Rutgers U, Camden Coll
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1986 Aug Vol 22(3) 378-385
AB: Investigated the relationship between exposure to sexually
 explicit material and attitudes toward rape in 115 male
 undergraduates. Data provide mixed support for the hypothesis
 that exposure to pornographic materials would be correlated with
 less liberal attitudes toward women: Only exposure to coercive
 or violent sexual themes was related to more traditional
 attitudes about women. Contrary to predictions, Ss having
 greater exposure to sexual materials were found to express more
 liberal attitudes toward women in the area of sexual behavior.

Pornography and sex-related crime: A sociological
 perspective. Hong Kong Psychological Society: Psychosocial
 aspects of pornography (1986, Hong Kong).
Sharp,-Imogen
U Hong Kong
Bulletin-of-the-Hong-Kong-Psychological-Society; 1986 Jan-Jul No 16-17 73-81
AB: Suggests that the incidence of reported rape is lower in
 areas in which there are more liberal attitudes toward
 pornography. Women may choose to not report a rape because of
 fear, threat of further victimization, or powerlessness and
 helplessness. In a society that has a liberal tolerance for
 pornography and in which rape is often presented as a normal
 part of male-female relations, a woman may assume that rape
 would not be viewed as a serious offense by authorities.

Pornography as cause or pornographic experience as constituted? 
Hong Kong Psychological Society: Psychosocial aspects of pornography 
(1986, Hong Kong).
Tsang,-Adolf
U Hong Kong
Bulletin-of-the-Hong-Kong-Psychological-Society; 1986 Jan-Jul No 16-17 29-32
AB: Suggests that pornography should not be viewed as the cause
 of certain behaviors but as the material constituent of a
 pornographic experience. Experiments that attempt to assess the
 effects of pornography on behavior ignore the element of choice
 in the real-life pornographic situation, since the experimental
 Ss are presented with pornography while it must be actively
 sought out in real life. It is also suggested that determining
 what constitutes pornography may depend on an individual's
 personal experience. 

Fifteen years of pornography research: Does exposure to pornography have
 any effects? Hong Kong Psychological Society: Psychosocial aspects of 
 pornography (1986, Hong Kong).
Hui,-C.-Harry
U Hong Kong
Bulletin-of-the-Hong-Kong-Psychological-Society; 1986 Jan-Jul No 16-17 41-62
AB: Reviews 35 studies published between 1972 and 1985 on whether
 exposure to pornography (EP) has any effects on behavior. One
 study examined the effects of EP on prosocial behavior (none was
 found); 20 studies assessed the effects of EP on antisocial
 behavior and found general support for a causal link between EP
 and aggression; 3 studies found some evidence of a link between
 EP and rape; and 11 studies examined the relationship between EP
 and moral values and attitudes and found some evidence relating
 EP to a greater acceptance by men of the victimization of women.
 Overall, the studies indicate that pornography does have
 psychosocial effects on users, contrary to the 1970 report by
 the US Congress's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography.

The question of pornography.
Donnerstein,-Edward-I.; Linz,-Daniel-G.
U California, Santa Barbara
Psychology-Today; 1986 Dec Vol 20(12) 56-59
AB: Questions the conclusions of the 1986 US Attorney General's
 Commission on Pornography and argues that the most important
 problem in the media is not pornography but violence. Research
 is summarized that suggests that the amount of violence depicted
 in pornography has not increased, that the aggression-evoking
 effects of exposure to sexually violent material may be
 temporary, that materials depicting women "enjoying" rape have
 especially damaging effects on male attitudes, and that violence
 against women need not occur in a sexual context to have a
 negative effect on viewer attitudes and behavior. 

Mass media sexual violence and male viewers: Current theory and research.
Donnerstein,-Edward-I.; Linz,-Daniel-G.
U Wisconsin, Ctr for Communication Research, Madison
American-Behavioral-Scientist; 1986 May-Jun Vol 29(5) 601-618
AB: Reviews research on aggressive pornography and research that
 examines nonpornographic media images of violence against women.
 The question of whether pornography influences behaviors and
 attitudes toward women is considered. There is no evidence for
 any "harm"-related effects from sexually explicit materials. But
 research may support potential harmful effects from aggressive
 materials. Although messages about violence and the sexualized
 nature of violence may be part of some forms of pornography,
 they are also pervasive in media messages in general, from
 prime-time TV to popular films. It is concluded that the media
 is just one of many influences in society that contribute to
 men's callous attitudes about rape and sexual aggression.

Repeated exposure to violent and nonviolent pornography: Likelihood of 
raping ratings and laboratory aggression against women.
Malamuth,-Neil-M.; Ceniti,-Joseph
U California, Los Angeles
Aggressive-Behavior; 1986 Vol 12(2) 129-137
AB: Examined the long-term effects of repeated exposure to
 violent and nonviolent pornography on males' laboratory
 aggression against women and their self-reported likelihood of
 raping. 42 university students were randomly assigned to the
 sexually violent, sexually nonviolent, or control exposure
 conditions. Those assigned to the sexually violent or sexually
 nonviolent conditions were exposed over a 4-wk period to 10
 stimuli including feature-length films and written and pictorial
 depictions, whereas controls were not exposed to any stimuli.
 Following the end of the exposure phase, Ss participated in what
 they believed to be a totally unrelated experiment in which
 aggression was assessed within a Buss paradigm. Exposure to the
 violent or nonviolent pornographic stimuli did not affect
 laboratory aggression, but likelihood of raping ratings
 predicted laboratory aggression. 

"Prudes" and "pornographiles": Effects of subject and audience attitudes 
on the viewing and rating of pornographic materials.
Yuen,-Kenneth; Ickes,-William
U Wisconsin
Journal-of-Social-and-Clinical-Psychology; 1984 Fal Vol 2(3) 215-229
AB: Examined stereotyped conceptions of the prude and the pornographile 
by testing the responses of 72 male undergraduates with anti- or 
propornography attitudes to pornographic stimuli presented in varying 
social contexts. Specifically, both types of Ss were allowed to view 
and rate a series of pornographic slides in 1 of 3 conditions: alone 
(control) or in the presence of a peer whose expressed attitude toward 
pornography was either favorable or unfavorable. For measures of viewing 
time and rated pornographic value, the antipornography Ss were more 
susceptible to the influence of the peer audience's expressed attitude 
than were the propornography Ss. In general, the stereotyped images of 
the prude and the pornographile were supported. However, it remains to 
be determined to what degree the observed differences were due to 
personality, social comparison, and arousal-attribution processes. 

Self-regulated exposure to erotica, recall errors, and 
The relief of sexual problems through pornography.
Court,-John-H.
Australian-Journal-of-Sex,-Marriage-and-Family; 1984 May Vol 5(2) 97-106
AB: Examines the scientific foundations for claimed efficacy of sexually
 explicit materials for use in sex therapy. The term   pornography   is
 examined to establish important distinctions between different 
 materials, and the case for pornography, as advanced by W. C. Wilson 
 (1978), is examined critically. While acknowledging that many therapists
 are finding sexually explicit materials educationally valuable in the
 treatment of sexual disorders, it is concluded that the evidence is 
 insufficient for the therapeutic use of what most people mean by 
 pornography. (28 ref) 

Pornography and sexual abuse of women.
Silbert,-Mimi-H.; Pines,-Ayala-M.
Delancey Street Foundation, San Francisco, CA
Sex-Roles; 1984 Jun Vol 10(11-12) 857-868
AB: Interviewed 200 juvenile and adult, current and former, female 
 street prostitutes, aged 10-46 yrs, to investigate the sexual abuse of
 street prostitutes. 70% of the Ss were less than 21 yrs old; 60% were
 less than 17 yrs old. 69% of the Ss were White and 18% were Black. 68%
 were single and never married. 42% described themselves as very poor.
 The Ss were administered a sexual assault experience questionnaire
 consisting of questions on background information, forms of assault
 experienced, history of juvenile sexual exploitation, and self-concept.
 Many of the descriptions of sexual assaults made reference to the role
 played by pornography; these references were unsolicited by the
 interviewers. A detailed content analysis of 193 cases of rape and of
 178 cases of juvenile sexual abuse revealed a clear relationship
 between violent pornography and sexual abuse in the experience of
 street prostitutes. Results can neither confirm nor reject the
 catharsis model of pornography; however, they lend considerable weight
 to the imitation model. 

The effects of erotica and pornography on attitudes and behavior: 
A review.
Masterson,-John
U Dublin, Trinity Coll, Ireland
Bulletin-of-the-British-Psychological-Society; 1984 Aug Vol 37 249-252
AB: Reviews the literature on the effects of erotica (ER) and
 pornography (PN) on attitudes and behavior, noting that researching
 these topics poses difficult experimental problems. The reliability of
 data on availability and use of PN is questionable. It is asserted that
 the context in which PN thrives needs to be reexamined. Of particular
 interest is the degree of acceptance of coercion in sexual relations
 by "normal" males and females. Findings on ER vs PN are discussed, and
 decisions concerning the effects of PN and ER by the US National
 Commission on Obscenity and Pornography and the Committee on Obscenity
 and Film Censorship (UK) are reviewed. Current concern centers around
 violent sexual material. Research has shown that exposure to sexually
 violent material can lead to antisocial attitudes and behavior. It has
 been argued that the enjoyment of PN by individuals will decline when
 such individuals begin to accord women their status as fully human. It
 is concluded that PN can be viewed as a useful indicator of the state
 of male-female relations in society

Debriefing effectiveness following exposure to pornographic rape 
depictions.
Malamuth,-Neil-M.; Check,-James-V.
U California, Los Angeles
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1984 Feb Vol 20(1) 1-13
AB: Examined the ethics of exposing undergraduate students to
 pornographic rape portrayals followed by a debriefing designed to
 dispel a number of rape myths. 150 Ss were randomly assigned to read
 pornographic stories. Some of these depicted a rape, whereas others
 depicted mutually consenting intercourse. Afterwards, those exposed to
 the rape version were given a debriefing that included statements
 concerning the true horror of rape and the existence of rape myths.
 About 10 days later, a survey ostensibly conducted by a local committee
 of citizens was given to Ss in their classes. As part of the survey, Ss
 indicated their reactions to a rape article and their opinions about the
 general causes of rape. Results indicate that those exposed to the rape
 depictions followed by a debriefing were less accepting of certain rape
 myths than Ss exposed to mutually consenting intercourse depictions.
 Implications are discussed both in terms of work focusing on the
 potential antisocial impact of violent pornography and of research
 specifically designed to identify the conditions most likely to change
 acceptance of rape myths. 

Can there be positive effects of participation in pornography experiments?
Check,-James-V.; Malamuth,-Neil-M.
York U, Downsview, Canada
Journal-of-Sex-Research; 1984 Feb Vol 20(1) 14-31
AB: Conducted a 2-phase experiment in response to recent ethical concerns
 about the possible antisocial effects of exposing research Ss to
 pornographic rape portrayals. In Phase 1, 64 male and 94 female
 undergraduates were randomly assigned to read either an "acquaintance"
 or a "stranger" rape depiction, or to read control materials. Ss who
 read the rape depictions were then given a rape debriefing that included
 a communication about the undesirable desensitizing effects of pairing
 sexual violence with other highly explicit and pleasing sexual stimuli.
 Half of the Ss who read the control materials were also given the rape
 debriefing. In Phase 2, Ss were presented with a number of newspaper
 articles in which a newspaper report of a rape was embedded and asked
 to give their opinions. Results indicate that the rape debriefing
 generally increased Ss' perceptions of pornography as a cause of rape.
 Ss in the rape debriefing conditions also gave the rapist in the
 newspaper report a higher sentence and saw the rape victim as less
 responsible than did Ss in the control conditions. This latter effect,
 however, occurred only under conditions where Ss had earlier been
 exposed to an example of a rape depiction that was relevant to both
 the rape myths discussed in the rape debriefing and the newspaper report
 of the rape. (24 ref) (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1985 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserve

Pornography and social science research:  . . .higher moralities.
Zillmann,-Dolf; Bryant,-Jennings, Indiana U
Journal-of-Communication; 1983 Fal Vol 33(4) 111-114
AB: Responds to comments by L. Gross (see PA, Vol 71:23017)
 concerning the present authors' (see PA, Vol 70:1038) study on
 pornography, which found that massive exposure to pornography
 results in a loss of compassion for female rape victims and
 women in general. The present authors provide sources for
 information on their debriefing procedures and address the
 issues of possible damage to research Ss and the contamination
 of results because Ss may have talked about their experience in
 the study with others. 

Pornography and social science research: Serious questions. . . .
Gross,-Larry, U Pennsylvania
Journal-of-Communication; 1983 Fal Vol 33(4) 107-111
AB: Contends that D. Zillmann and J. Bryant's (see PA, Vol 
70:1038) study on pornography, which found that massive exposure to 
 pornography resulted in a loss of compassion toward women as rape
 victims and toward women in general, cannot be taken at face value
 because information on how the research was conducted is lacking. In
 addition, according to the present author, the research raises serious
 questions of ethics concerning experimental procedures and conditions
 and "damage" to the Ss that the researchers did not address.

Exposure to pornography, permissive and nonpermissive cues, and male aggression
    toward females.
Leonard,-Kenneth-E.; Taylor,-Stuart-P.
U Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Inst & Clinic
Motivation-and-Emotion; 1983 Sep Vol 7(3) 291-299
AB: 40 male undergraduates viewed either neutral slides with a silent
 female or erotic slides with a female who made permissive,
 nonpermissive, or no comments about the slides. Ss rated the slides and
 subsequently rated the female confederate. Ss were then given an
 opportunity to administer their choice of several intensities of
 shock to the female in a competitive RT task. Ss in the permissive cues
 condition rated the erotic slides as more arousing, saw the female as
 more reasonable and accepting, and selected more intense shocks for the
 female than did Ss in the other conditions. One explanation of these
 results is that permissive cues in the presence of erotica led the S
 to believe that other normally inappropriate behaviors would be
 tolerated. 

Pornography, sexual callousness, and the trivialization of rape.
Zillmann,-Dolf; Bryant,-Jennings
Indiana U, Inst for Communication Research, Bloomington
Journal-of-Communication; 1982 Fal Vol 32(4) 10-21
AB: Studied the effect of pornography on perceptions of sexuality and
 behavioral dispositions toward sex and gender. 160 male and female
 undergraduates were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in which exposure to
 pornography was massive, intermediate, or nil. Ss were tested for
 habituation effects, perceptions of sexuality, and dispositions
 concerning sex and gender. A control group was tested with no prior
 exposure to pornographic materials. Results show that numerous
 persisting perceptual and dispositional changes concerning sexuality,
 especially female sexuality, were recorded during the 3rd wk after the
 exposure treatment. Findings show that massive exposure to standard
 pornography resulted in a loss of compassion toward women as rape
 victims and toward women in general. 

Effects of erotica on retaliatory behavior as a function of level of prior provocation.
Ramirez,-John; Bryant,-Jennings; Zillmann,-Dolf
Indiana U, Inst for Communication Research, Bloomington
Journal-of-Personality-and-Social-Psychology; 1982 Nov Vol 43(5) 971-978
AB: 72 male undergraduates were mildly or severely provoked by the
 experiments; exposed to nonerotic, suggestive, or explicitly erotic
 stimuli; and then provided with an opportunity to treat their provoker
 in a hostile manner. The effect of exposure to suggestive erotica
 interacted with degree of provocation. Exposure to such erotica
 significantly reduced hostile behavior under conditions of mild
 provocation, but it had no appreciable effect under conditions of
 severe provocation. In contrast, exposure to explicit erotica
 significantly increased hostile behavior, and this effect did not
 reliably interact with degree of provocation. There was some indication,
 however, that the hostility-enhancing effect of exposure to explicit
 erotica was strongest under conditions of severe provocation. (

Exposure to pornography and aggression toward women: The case of the
 angry male.
Gray,-Susan-H.
Fordham U, Lincoln Ctr Campus
Social-Problems; 1982 Apr Vol 29(4) 387-398
AB: Reviews research since 1970 on the effects of pornography on men's
 treatment of and underlying attitudes toward women. There is little
 evidence that exposure to hard-core pornography produces aggressive
 behavior in men. However, levels of aggression in already angered men
 are increased by exposure to hard-core materials. Research on the
 long-term effects of exposure to pornography and the difference between
 laboratory-induced anger and deeper anger that is a product of
 psychosexual development are discussed. It is concluded that anger is a
 greater social problem than pornography, particularly in men who are
 unable to resolve it or distinguish it from sexual arousal and control
 over women. 

-- 
-----
Roger Tang, gwangung@milton.u.washington.edu
Middle-class weenie and art nerd


-- 
Carl Kadie -- I do not represent EFF; this is just me.
 =kadie@eff.org, kadie@cs.uiuc.edu =


------------------------------

From caf-talk Caf Aug  8 02:10:32 1992
Newsgroups: news.admin,alt.censorship,alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,sfu.general
From: barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry)
Subject: Article 6--Re: "Computers graphic when it comes to porn"
Date: Sat, 08 Aug 92 05:49:38 GMT

In article <1992Aug6.185205.250@cs.sfu.ca> jamie@cs.sfu.ca (Jamie Andrews) writes:
>     In general, people seem to be taking the attitude that
>Absolute Freedom of Speech is a principle which is somehow
>outside the normal give and take of the legal system.  I think
>this may be because we usually associate suppression of freedom
>of speech with Fascist or Stalinist restriction of rational
>debate of ideas.  I find it odd that people can't see a
>distinction between this, and the kind of censorship of socially
>undesirable non-rhetorical material which has been practised for
>centuries all over the world -- including the US under the
>Constitution and the First Amendment.

	I won't repeat Carl Kadie's excellent summary of the history of
suppression of "obscenity", except for the conclusion: suppression of
"porn" is a Victorian phenomenon and was little-practised before the
19th century.

	The genuinely long-standing tradition behind the suppression of
porn is the tradition that Authority has the right to control speech.
That is the tradition the founding fathers of the American system took a
stand against when they added the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.
If you look at the language of that amendment, or at the philosophical
works that inspired it, you will find no evidence that the guarantee was
meant to be less than absolute. The only "intuitive" exception would be
cases where there was a conflict with other people's fundamental legal
rights.

>In article <wywm4bc.barry@netcom.com> barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry) writes:
>>In article <1992Jul31.235725.25121@cs.sfu.ca> jamie@cs.sfu.ca (Jamie Andrews) writes:
>>> The decision to not ban, or unban, certain
>>>material is just as much an experiment-based decision as the
>>>decision to ban.
>>
>>	No, it's not, it's a philosophical decision.
>
>     What I meant was that it's both.  If you were confronted
>by empirical evidence that challenged your philosophy, surely
>that would shake your philosophy.

	No. Apparently you fail to understand my position. I am not
concerned with harm. I have no doubt at all that, to cite one example,
Leni Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL has had a mainly pernicious
influence on the world. But I know that the way to counter lies is with
truth, not suppression. Censorship only increases the harm, and dilutes
freedom with the very tyranny we claim to oppose.

>> The essence of the
>>freedom of speech and press guaranteed in the US Constitution can be
>>expressed in the phrase, "innocent until proven guilty".
>
>     Then how was it that _Playboy_ (which didn't even show
>pubic hair) was banned for so long, in so many places, under
>the US Constitution + First Amendment?

	There are quite a variety of reasons, and most are identical to
the reasons nonsexual but controversial works got censored: they
offended someone who had the power to impose censorship. But the
distinctive feature of porn, in American law, is that the Supreme Court
carved out a special exception to 1st Amendment protection on the basis
of "obscenity", a word with a highly mutable definition, apparently,
judging by what has and has not been judged "obscene" at various times
and places in American history.

	If, as you mentioned earlier, you want to be philosophical, you
should defend the philosophical basis of that exception. "Harm"
arguments are beside the point, in that if some vague, spread-out
social harm becomes the grounds for censorship, nothing is safe.

>I think everyone has always
>recognized that "freedom of speech" is subject to balance with
>other freedoms and rights that people enjoy; what gets banned
>depends on the mores of the time.

	I don't see the relationship of what you wrote before and after
the semicolon. I agree that rights may conflict, and that such conflicts
could justify specific limitations on freedom of speech, but when you
admit that what in fact gets banned is a matter of the vagaries of
popular sentiment, you negate the very argument you raise. You need to
show how legalized "obscenity" actually infringes on anyone's recognized
legal rights, not just point out that some will be offended by it.

>But again, our position on censorship is a combination of
>empirical evidence and philosophy, and we can surely use the
>empirical evidence to whatever extent we find reasonable.

	There is no empirical evidence, period. No one has even agreed
on what we need evidence _of_. This is a philosophical and ethical
question, Jamie. The right way to form an opinion is to apply one's
general philosophical and ethical principles to the specific question of
porn, not to pore over tail-chasing sociological studies. Neither of us
can prove the other wrong, it isn't that kind of question. But it is
possible that, when the dross and irrelevancy is cleared away, a person
might find that their specific position on porn is INconsistent with
their more general principles.

>tell me again why
>old censorship laws were upheld within the framework of the US
>Constitution.

	Leaving aside that the authority of the Bill of Rights wasn't
extended over local government until the 14th Amendment was passed, the
reason is the exception carved out for obscenity. The theory behind the
exception goes like this: porn expresses no ideas; rather, it is akin to
a sideshow entertainment, whose only justification is titillation. The
intent of the 1st Amendment is read as protecting the free expression of
_ideas_, and since porn expresses no ideas, it is not under the
protection of the 1st Amendment.

	That's the legal theory. In case it's not already obvious I
don't buy it, but there's a couple of points about it worth noting. One
is that it's a very different justification for censorship than that
which is most discussed today. The "harm" arguments directly contradict
it. They accuse porn of supporting and defending pernicious ideas:
sexism, the dehumanization of women, etc. Ironically enough, were that
actually true, it would vacate the logic of the traditional "obscenity"
exception, and give porn the same protection that any other work of
politics or philosophy enjoys.

	Another irony: by focusing on the elements that are the _real_
target of the censors (mainly sex, plus some other bodily functions like
excretion), "obscenity" is a well-targeted exception, even if philosophically
wrong-headed. By making "obscenity" the deciding factor, it keeps the
logic of the censorship restricted to porn, and is useless for censoring
something like _Mein Kampf_ which, however offensive and harmful, is not
sexual and cannot be found obscene in that sense.

	The logic of the "harm" arguments is dangerously broad because,
rather than specifically defining an exceptional form of speech and
declaring it special, it suggests a limit applicable to speech of _all_
types: will the effect of the speech on society at large be good or bad?
Once we accept the notion that something should be censored because its
effects are more negative than positive, there is no theoretical limit
on what may be censored. Indirect effects are always arguable, and any
attempt to weigh cases on such a scale will merely be weighing the
prejudices of the jury or tribunal who are making the decision.

>     Since this is assuming that there is no experimental
>evidence, I can't really respond to it.  I would be nervous if
>my lawmakers were censoring solely due to "bad feeling"; as far
>as I can tell, they aren't.

	What evidence do you imagine exists? What evidence _could_
exist? What pro-censorship argument based on "harm" could there possibly
be which would not consign _Das Kapital_ to the scrapheap alongside
_Babes In Bondage_? If skin flicks should be censored because they're
demeaning to women, doesn't it follow that a well-written and persuasive
philosophical essay that argued the natural superiority of males must be
censored on the same grounds?

	Think it through, Jamie. Leave aside the fictional nature of
the so-called "evidence", and imagine that the ability of porn to
encourage sexism and sexual violence is established. Now what? The
Declaration of Independence provoked a lot more violence and death, in
a far more immediate fashion. But, as conservatives are so fond of
pointing out, with freedom comes responsibility. The same logic that
makes an individual free to choose what he will read or see, makes him
_individually_ responsible for any behavior that results. The terrorist
(and his bosses) are responsible for blowing up the building, not Karl
Marx or Mao ZeDong or the authors of PLO manifestos; the rapist is
guilty of the rape, whether porn had a negative effect on his character
or not. That's the essence of freedom. The theory is that people have
free will. Junk that theory and you junk the philosophical basis for
_all_ human rights.

>All I was saying is that I thought the Manitoba and SFU
>ACS people did something perfectly reasonable, to avoid criminal
>charges in Canada.  After all, they aren't forced by the
>Canadian constitution (much less the US constitution) to import
>everything on the net.

	We're not arguing whether what they did was legal, we're arguing
about whether it was _right_. And you'd just finished saying that
censoring the kind of stuff _you_ had in mind wouldn't limit the
distribution of anything actually worthwhile. Yet out of the other side
of your mouth you compliment the constructive or harmless nature of the
majority of what is posted on alt.sex.bondage, the group that was
censored. You need to make up your mind. Maybe the censorship of what
was worthwhile in the group strikes you as a necessary and reasonable
price to pay to suppress the obscene stuff; if so, say so, don't claim
such a price won't have to be paid.

>If the newsgroups were set up
>differently, or if the alt.sex.bondage readership weren't so
>intransigent, there would be no reason to have to block the
>import of the legitimate debate that goes on there.

	Sorry, the world doesn't work that way. No one presently has the
power to control what gets posted to the group. If you give someone that
power you've got censorship, and all that entails. You certainly _don't_
have Usenet any more.

>>... Yes, Jamie, the
>>censors have their own agenda; it is not yours. Give them the power to
>>dictate to you what you may read, say, and think, and you can't expect
>>them to do it your way.
>
>     Again the association of censorship with total mind
>control.  Believe me, if anyone who wants to suppress free
>debate of ideas gets into power, they'll have a hell of a fight
>on their hands.

	I don't believe you - you've already indicated otherwise. You've
argued right along that porn is censorable because it demeans women and
encourages sexual violence against them. Well, I've decided to change my
name to John Norman and write a philosophical work arguing that the
natural role of women in society is as slaves to the men, and that a
firm hand (beat 'em up occasionally) is best.

	Whatcha gonna do with my book, Jamie? Are you gonna censor it,
and _still_ claim you favor the free debate of ideas? And if you don't
censor it, what arguments will you then come up with for censoring porn?
Not your current ones, because you reject those if you fail to censor my
book.

>>        At least my preference is simple in principle: no content-based
>>restrictions on speech or press.
>
>     So if, say, someone were to produce a magazine called
>_RAPE_, with erotic stories involving women getting raped and
>loving it, pictorials of rapes (produced by consenting adults,
>of course), and features like "How to Convince People You're Not
>a Rapist Anymore", and if they were to distribute this magazine
>in prisons for convicted rapists, you would think that's OK?

	One technical quibble: convicted felons don't have full legal
rights; temporarily depriving them of these rights is part of the
justice process. Not that it matters. When convicts have no trouble
getting drugs inside (and they don't), it's hardly going to be possible
to keep porn away from 'em.

>Sorry, but that's not the kind of society I want to live in.

	You already do. Censorship has _never_ succeeded in suppressing
anything people want. If there's a problem with your hypothetical
magazine, you'd better figure out _why_ people want it, and what will
make 'em stop wanting it. Anything less is just covering the problem up,
not solving it.

>>.... Every proposed censorship standard I've ever seen
>>leaves the door wide open to censoring things the law's supporters
>>approve of.
>
>     Well, IMHO, that's life, that's law.  Sometimes, late at
>night, when there aren't any other cars around, I want to go
>through a red light.  I can't.  Tough.

	We're not talking theory, here, but practise. Past US censorship
has fallen on _Ulysses_, on _Jurgen_, on _Tropic of Cancer_, on _Lady
Chatterley's Lover_; current Canadian censorship is falling on the
entirety of alt.sex.bondage, and perhaps alt.sex. And both of our
countries have strong traditions of individual liberty - we're the
_kindest_ examples of censorship. But no matter the law, "blue movies",
"French postcards" and the like have always been easily obtained, for
the same reason no one has trouble finding a hooker if they want one,
despite its being illegal.

>> The law can't draw sharp distinctions when no such
>>distinctions exist. Instead, censorship law is perforce vague, and the
>>net result is censorship by consensus and popularity.
>
>     But while the edges aren't clearly defined (as with any
>law, including the "principle" you state above), at least we can
>be sure that the current censorship laws are not going to
>suppress party political debate, for instance.

	Current American law, yes; the "harm" arguments leave the
Supreme Court unmoved, so far, for exactly the "so what" reasons I've
outlined. Not so in Canada, where censorship of political speech
(Nazis) is already in place. Canadian law allows the censorship of
things for being both harmful and untrue. Well, "untrue" is a
noise-word, political and religious ideas aren't provable or
disprovable. And "harm" is likewise noise, since the harm is
speculative: "what if people believed this and acted on it?" Thus the
test of censorability in Canada is the usual one: will censoring the
items in question be viable politically?

	Sorry, I don't submit my reading tastes to a vote, nor
blame my misbehavior on books I've read or movies I've seen.

-  Nothing fails like success  -             Kenn Barry
----------------------------------------------------------------
ELECTRIC AVENUE:                             barry@netcom.com



------------------------------

From caf-talk Caf Aug  3 15:43:40 1992
Newsgroups: alt.sex,alt.censorship
Subject: Article 7--Usenet censorship in Canadian universities
Date: 1 Aug 92 06:13:05 GMT

As a result of some negative publicity, there is a trend amongst Canadian
Universities toward censorship of Usenet feeds.  The University of Waterloo
recently cut off access to several newsgroups, but restored it after a 
major outcry from users.  The University of British Columbia, after a
negative newspaper article and a letter from a student to the president,
has cut off (in its major feed) access to alt.sex, rec.arts.erotica
and several other groups.  UBC, in conjunction with other universities
across Canada, will also examine other groups shortly.

While I don't regularly read the newsgroups that have been deleted so
far, I am against the censorship and am concerned with where it may lead.

Attached is the text of a letter from the UBC president to the campus 
community.
            David Dalton <Dalton@Geop.UBC.CA>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 30, 1992

Dear Colleague:

                    Pornography on Internet

Several colleagues have written to me regarding the availability of
pornographic material on UBCnet.  At the outset, I wish to assure you that
neither I nor the university condone such vulgar and reprehensible "news" items
on computer network bulletin boards.

My office has instructed the University Computing Services (UCS) to delete such
material from the UCS computer files.  Some of the material forwarded to my
office, however, was not found on the UCS computer files.  Through this letter
I am requesting all UBC units to be very vigilant that the university property
is not being used to access, create or store such pornographic material on
university computing equipment.

Associate Vice President B. Sheehan is in the process of establishing a small
task force, as soon as possible, to examine appropriate uses of information
technology at UBC and make recommendations.  You may wish to speak to Dr.
Sheehan about terms of reference for the task force.  He has been working on
this issue with the UCS staff for several weeks and has been collecting
background information from other institutions worldwide.  It may also be of
interest to the university community that CA*Net has offered to work with
A.U.C.C. to develop both short-term and long-term strategy to address this
poisonous invasion of our institutions.

              						Sincerely,
							David W. Strangway
							President
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


------------------------------

From caf-talk Caf Aug  3 10:33:51 1992
From: adamsr@netcom.com (Rick Adams)
Subject: Article 8--Re: Offensive Newsgroup
Date: Sun, 02 Aug 92 23:52:53 GMT

In article <ZAFAR.92Aug2180821@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> zafar@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Syed Zafar Kazmi) writes:
>
>Recently, three new newsgroups were created in "alt" group hierarchy.
>Among those three, one is "alt.moslem.wanted.gay". 
>
>Needless to say, muslim community on net is very much offended
>by the creation of this group. Obviously one's sexual preference is
>not something related to or classifiable with any community or religion.
>Since this group is created in "alt" domain, no voting was required. and
>this is my personal belief that the person who created this group, did
>that intentionally to offend muslims.
>
>My question is that, is there anything that can be done to dissolve
>this group? If voting on net is required for that, muslims will
>overwhelmingly reject the idea of this (afterall this is supposed
>to be a newsgroup for muslims!).
>
	While I can understand the position of the poster, I cannot agree
with his desire to eliminate the newsgroup. 

	It _is_ of course entirely possible that the newsgroup _was_ created
out of a desire to irritate the muslims on the network - but it is equally
possible that it wasn't (particularly since the other two newsgroups were
_also_ alt.moslem. groups, neither of which would have been objectionable to
Islamic readers).

	Regardless of the purpose of the newsgroup's creation, however, to
remove it for religious reasons (or any other reason not specifically
related to a violation of Usenet guidelines) would set a dangerous
precident. There are _many_ newsgroups which are offensive to various
religious bodies - ranging from soc.bi to alt.atheism to alt.drugs 

	In _each_ of these cases, one or more religions could make as valid
a case for removing the group as could be made for the removal of
alt.moslem.wanted.gay  Yet, _none_ of those cases would justify their
removal.

	If Usenet is to have any value as a tool of communications, it
_must_ be totally free of any form of censorship. This includes censorship
based on political, moral, OR religious grounds.

	My vote, should one ever be called on this issue, is in favor of
retaining the newsgroup.


-- 
    Rick Adams | KE8HH    /|\        You are right from your side,         
      adamsr@ais.org    /  |  \        And I am right from mine.           
     adamsr@netcom.com  \ /|\ /  We're both just one too many mornings,    
    rick.adams on GEnie   \|/  And a thousand miles behind. (c Bob Dylan)


------------------------------

From caf-talk Caf Aug  3 17:48:41 1992
From: betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk
Subject: Article 9--Re: putting lyrics to "Cop Killer" in .plan file
Date: 3 Aug 92 20:58:29 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.074946.15202@ms.uky.edu> sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) writes:

>In article <BETSYS.92Jul29175625@ra.cs.umb.edu> betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz) writes:
>:I still don't see why. What's unconstitutional about our policy of 
>:setting an obsenity standard, for example? Our policy is that all
>:finger info and public X-terminal screens should be of roughly PG-13
>:offensiveness or less.

>My first thought when I read this was: "I wonder how many of their
>users are under 13?"

At least half a dozen. 

Also it seemed a reasonable measure of obscenity...it *is* harassment
if people in the workplace are exposed to unsolicited obscene
material.

We alow folks to have ANYTHING THEY WANT in their private files and to
make ANYTHING THEY WANT publicly readable. They may create any mailing
list they want, and post to usenet within the standard guidelines
distributed in Comp.news.newusers etc.

ALL we are limiting is what may be displayed in certain public,
unsolicited areas... mainly finger (which is considered a systems
tool) and publicly visible X-terminal screens. 
  If someone wanted to post the lyrics to cop killer, we would NOT ban
it from the system, we would just ask them to replace the message with
a pointer to a publicly readable file.
  This isn't censorship, and it's not an "unreasonable hardship" to
those who which to read this material. It simply makes accessing
this material a matter of conscious choice. I think it's analagous to
making users check out a library book, or take the book from an open
stack, as opposed to posting the contents of the book on the walls.
  If we limited access in any way, or made users go through any
paperwork to get acess, I think that would be censorship.
--
System Administrator                  Internet: betsys@cs.umb.edu
MACS Dept, UMass/Boston               BITNET:ESCHWARTZ%UMBSKY.DNET@NS.UMB.EDU
100 Morrissy Blvd                     Staccato signals
Boston, MA 02125-3393                      of constant information....




------------------------------

End of Computers and Academic Freedom News (Digest)
************************************
-- 
Carl Kadie -- I do not represent EFF; this is just me.
 =kadie@eff.org, kadie@cs.uiuc.edu =
Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.news