Schwyzer on Porn

Speaking of Hugo Schwyzer, he has just picked what he considers his five best posts of 2004. After reading them over, I'd especially like to pick out this one:

"Porn kills many things: innocence, hope, trust, health, bodies, spirits. I know it is hip today to proclaim it harmless, but the unfashionable fact is that this is an industry built on distorted fantasy, loneliness, and despair. And we on the left need to stop hiding behind the First Amendment issues and articulate this untrendy but vital truth."

As I've noted before, these issues are close to the core of my own spirituality. While some people, mainly men, derive pleasure from this stuff, the price in what Schwyzer so eloquently calls "distorted fantasy, loneliness, and despair" is too great. Because I don't think such exploitative activities violate the First Amendment, I don't believe in legal remedies, but let the social crusading continue.