With Utah declaring pornography a public health crisis and the Republicans condemning pornography in the 2016 platform, porn has been a hot topic on the political stage. However, as New York Times op-ed author Judith Shulevitz points out, this is an issue for both sides of the aisle. Bipartisan issues quickly become non-issues, and so a unified stance would do much to influence the general public away from using porn.
In her latest New York Times op-ed titled “It’s O.K., Liberal Parents, You Can Freak Out About Porn,” Shulevitz reminds us all that we do not have to agree on guns, government programs, or even the environment to agree that internet porn should not be so easily available to our kids. She writes, “It was easier to withhold pornography from children when people had to go to a bookstore, peep-show or movie for their voyeuristic experiences, and clerks and ticket takers could turn children away. On the internet — to paraphrase the famous cartoon — no one knows you’re a kid…I challenge any parent to affirm that it’s O.K. for her kids to become digital porn consumers at 11, the average age of a child’s first encounter.”
To read the full op-ed, click here!
Unfortunately, pornography has become more violent, more extreme, and more fantastical even as it has become pervasive. Thanks to the internet, our children have access to the best and the worst of humanity. The implications of this is mind-boggling. In a recent sermon at LifePoint church, Pastor Nathan pointed out that, when a child or teen views pornography, this first impression of sexuality sinks into their minds. Further exposure deepens the rut, solidifying their ideas about sexuality, men, women, and relationships. Once formed, these ideas and misconceptions linger, even after attempts to change them. What parent wants the darkest subsection of sexuality to educate their kids on this important aspect of life?
Political affiliation is unimportant here. We can all agree that our kids deserve better sex education and a better environment to build values. Pornography has no place in childhood and adolescence, and it has no place in our homes.