There is a huge controversy raging right now over what percentage of the internet is porn. One commonly quoted stat is 37% whereas others make claims closer to 4%. What is undeniable is the drastically increased ease of accessing porn now that the internet has made it as simple as searching.
Gone are the days when access meant going to a specialty store or a special section of a store. There were ID checks to ensure those purchasing porn were of proper age and in some places a full on ban meant no access at all. Now internet viewers simply promise they are of age and no purchase is required. Regardless of the real percentage, the internet has made porn exponentially easier to access. Those who claim it isn’t easier for anyone, including children to view porn are living under a rock, on a different planet or just flat out lying.
Porn is not short on controversies. Some “experts” claim it is beneficial. Some “experts” claim it is detrimental. Who are we to believe? In this age of internet “experts” and the OPINIONS they spout I believe you should always take the emotion out of your beliefs and think logically. Once you have arrived at a logical conclusion, promote it with passion.
My conclusion? Porn causes all sorts of harm and most of it’s victims are women and children. The abusers on the other hand tend to be men.
Porn is a billion dollar industry and as with just about all billion dollar industries there are sycophants ready to sell their soul in support of the hand that feeds them. Google “porn and misogyny” and prepare to be stunned by the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum yelling at each other. Studies, correlations and those damn opinions differ dramatically. The “experts” can argue about ideas, but they cannot deny history.
The stories of lives ripped apart by porn are in no shortage. Porn is not victimless.
Ruben Andre Garcia will spend the next two decades of his life in prison for forcing women to appear in porn he sold on his website. His company made $17 million over a six year period, destroying lives along the way. He is a perfect example of the obvious link between porn and sex trafficking. No woman who crossed paths with him would say pornography is beneficial. Porn is not victimless.
One of his victim’s, introduced as Jan Doe has courageously told her story here. She had replied to a Craigslist ad searching for a Fitness Model. She did her best to vet the opportunity, even making time for a phone call with a “former model” who spoke highly of Garcia and his company. Just prior to flying to San Diego for her “photoshoot” she received another offer from Garcia. This one to appear in an adult film which she emphatically turned down. He smoothed over her discomfort by stating they received all kinds of offers, but would never want her to do anything she was uncomfortable with. That facade would soon be torn away. She was met at the airport by a group of men who took her to a hotel, confiscated her phone and imprisoned her in the room. She was forced to sign a contract she was not allowed to read and told to remove her clothing. When she tried to escape the men forced back into the room and raped her for 6 hours. Upon arriving back home she wanted nothing more than to forget this horrific event and move on with her life. That’s when people she knew started messaging her about her porn videos. Every day is a struggle and fight against the desire to commit suicide a regular reality. The horror has followed her to this day. The viewers who helped her abusers make $17 million bankrolled her rape. Porn is not victimless.
Linda Boreman, better known as Linda Lovelace was a famous porn actress that many believed lived a glamorous life of indulgence. Many equated her life to that of Hollywood starlets and envied her. Later in life she was able to break free of her abusive husband and the industry. She stated, “My initiation…was a gang rape by five men… It was the turning point in my life. I have never been so frightened and disgraced and humiliated in my life. I felt like garbage. I engaged in sex acts for pornography against my will to avoid being killed. The lives of my family were threatened.” Porn is not victimless.
Noah Winchester, a self described “Porn Addict” and Californian Police Officer acted out his sexual fantasies by coercing women in compromising circumstances to have sex with him. Instead of receiving the help they needed they fell prey to a predator who had pledged to “protect and serve.” He was sentenced to 81 years to life. If justice prevails he will die in prison for the horror that he inflicted. Patrick Carnes, PhD is an expert in the field of sexual addiction. His research has shown that what starts as pornography and masturbation can lead to more aggressive behaviors without intervention. Voyeurism, stalking and sexual harassment then become the stepping stone to rape, child molestation and incest. Men like Noah Winchester start with simply watching porn, but when that thrill doesn’t fill their sexual need, fantasy is left behind and abuse is the new high. Porn is not victimless.
Alia Dewees first experienced sexual abuse as a four year old at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. As a result she equated sex with affection. At 14 she met a 30 year old man who groomed her for prostitution and porn. He sold her time and again, until she found the courage to refuse and walked away from “the industry.” She is no longer a victim. She is strong, passionate and full of joy. You can hear her story here. Those of us who stand against porn stand with her and all porn’s victims. As men we can make a difference. Our choices matter. Start with one simple step…stop watching porn. Join us in making the No Porn Pledge!
