April 25, 2008

Targeting porn on military bases

Some very strange conservative activists, apparently with far too much time on their hands, launched an initiative last November to limit U.S. troops’ access to adult materials. It never occurred to me that policy makers would take this seriously, but apparently, they are.

To quickly recap for those just joining us, Congress banned sales of sexually explicit materials on military bases 11 years ago, but the Pentagon continues to allow base stores to sell magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse, which officials don’t consider explicit enough to prohibit.

The American Family Association and the Alliance Defense Fund, two religious right groups, demanded the Congress and Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes steps to scrutinize materials, including magazines and films, sold to the troops and their families.

Defense officials “don’t want to take porn away from soldiers,” ADF attorney Patrick Trueman said. “They say, ‘well, 40% of this magazine is sexually explicit pictures, but 60% is writing or advertising, so the totality is not sexually explicit.’ That’s ridiculous.”

Oddly enough, the activists actually found a far-right member of Congress to take their demands seriously.

U.S. Congressman Paul C. Broun, M.D. announced today the introduction of legislation designed to stem the sale of pornography on military installations. Broun’s legislation, the “Military Honor and Decency Act,” closes a loophole in current law that is allowing the sale of sexually explicit material on American military installations located both within the United States and around the world.

Upon unveiling his bill, Broun, a retired Marine, said, “Allowing the sale of pornography on military bases has harmed military men and women by: escalating the number of violent, sexual crimes; feeding a base addiction; eroding the family as the primary building block of society; and denigrating the moral standing of our troops both here and abroad.”

The right is apparently lining up behind Broun’s bill.

National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez took up the cause yesterday.

The last thing I’d ever want is a feminizing of our military. But military bases are family affairs and therefore this is worth a discussion.

I love men. I love men being men. I love military men. And I thank God they are military men. But I find it hard to believe that all military men are “drinking and whoring Saturday night,” and if they are in any kind of majority, yeah, that bears scrutiny.

Like I said yesterday, I don’t know that Broun’s legislation is a good idea. But I know what he’s thinking: Porn is bad. Why is the military peddling it? It’s a good question. Not the biggest question of our day; it’s not the hill to die on, as many readers have put it to me. But porn in our culture does need to be addressed and discussed. And if that indicates a feminization of anything, maybe that’s what women are here for — to, every once in awhile, stand athwart history and yell, “Stop. What are we doing to our men?”

Let me get this straight. U.S. troops are fighting two wars, neither of which are going well, and Republicans believe we should spend time and energy considering what kind of magazines U.S. troops can purchase on base? Here’s a radical idea: maybe those who wear the uniform and put their lives on the line for their country should be able to read whatever they want.

 
Discussion

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70 Comments
1.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:44 am, Insane Fake Professor said:

All porn only demeans women and is not part of any healthy person’s sexuality. Men who use porn are by definition hostile to women. It may be news to the male powers that be, but women do not want their taxpayer dollars going toward stocking PXes with this kind of derogation. And by the way, Senator Macho has lost a lot of the female primary vote by not addressing this issue himself.

2.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am, zoe kentucky said:

For pete’s sake, they’re upset about Playboy? This is the most ridiculous thing for anyone to waste their time on. They should be completely and totally ashamed of themselves. They have no sense of priorities.

3.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:50 am, Danp said:

I’ll bet the good Doctor Broun (R-GA) is one of those who gets elected by reminding people that educated people think they know more.

4.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:51 am, Stephen1947 said:

It has to be galling for Christian absolutists that they were never able to put the genie back in the bottle after censorship of much of what they disapproved of became impossible in the 1960s. Even with the Meese Commission and all the wailing/fund-raising by extremist groups like Focus on the Family, Americans demonstrated a “healthy” appetite for all sorts of erotic media when VCRs and then the Internet made them available for home consumption.

Now as they feel their power inexorably slipping away, with one last whimper they try to force their wills in one of the only arenas left where they might succeed. But no court will support them, even with all the right-wing Christian extremists appointed by the Cheney admin in the past several years. If I didn’t detest them so much, I would almost feel sorry for them.

5.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:53 am, TR said:

If the troops have their Playboys taken away from them, they’ll have more time to focus on what’s really important:

http://www.northstarcompass.org/nsc0305/praybush.htm

6.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:04 am, Brian said:

Simply astonishing. If there was an actually, verifiable link between problems in the military, like sexual assault, and reading quasi-pornographic materials, I’d be with them. But they have yet to prove such a link. At this point, with how badly this administration has treated the soldiers I’d be willing to support prostitutes and Jenna Jameson taking part in the USO tour.

7.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:04 am, ml johnston said:

The best way to divert from the failiure of Iraq and Agghanistan is to change the subject. The right wing has no conception of what the military sees day in and day out in battle. They right wing wants the military to stay where the miltiary shouldn’t be. Obviously the right wing does not undertstand the psychology of war.

Make sure General Petraeus does not have any “girlie” magazines to read. He was payed off with a promotion for the lies and betrayal posture he gave before Congress.

8.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:15 am, Shalimar said:

Aren’t we supposed to call it poorn now? Right-wing extremists are so confusing.

9.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:15 am, emd said:

…maybe that’s what women are here for — to, every once in awhile, stand athwart history and yell, “Stop. What are we doing to our men?”

I’ve always wondered just what the heck they’re for. Glad that’s cleared up. Still, I thought it had something to do with kitchens and housework…

10.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:16 am, Grumpy said:

Y’know the people who say “we can’t have gays in the military because our armed forces are not laboratories for social engineering”? I hope none of those people are supporting the porn ban. ‘Cause it would be the same thing, only moreso.

11.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:17 am, edmund dantes said:

The proper term is pRon.

Oh this is stupid of course.

12.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:18 am, Grumpy said:

“…military bases are family affairs and therefore this is worth a discussion.”

Yes, military bases are strange places where families mingle with porn. They’re almost like towns in miniature. Town-sized towns, to be sure.

13.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:24 am, True said:

So glad they’re focusing on really important things, and not wasting time passing little things like the Ledbetter bill.

14.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:26 am, Trixie said:

Hasn’t there been some discussion (likely by elitists) about the link between readily available porn and the drop in rape and sexual assualt numbers? Perhaps putting more porn on base might address another of the milatary’s (certainly less important) issues: the increase in violent sexual assualts occuring within the military.

15.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:31 am, angry young man said:

i’m all for this ban because it will turn soldiers against the republicans who supposedly have their best interests in mind just as the afghan people turned against the taliban when they blew up cell phone towers and stole their reception.

of course, this ban would be pure american: it’s ok to spend a day killing iraqi insurgent and citizens alike and blowing their cities to shit, but god help you if you should want to jerk off that night. violence good, sex bad, sayeth the lord.

16.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:32 am, Lance said:

Expect a drop in recruitment and retention and a rise in suicide

and as Trixie points out, sexual assaults.

Poor frustrated boys (and girls).

Pornography is the one industry where girls and women make ten times as much money as men. So naturally conservatives hate it.

17.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:33 am, mellowjohn said:

as charlton heston said as he brandished his rolled-up copy of playboy, “from my sweaty, hairy palms!”

18.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:36 am, TR said:

I was trying to come up with a Heston joke. Well done, mellowjohn.

19.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am, Insane Fake Professor said:

I was trying to come up with a Heston joke. Well done, mellowjohn.

Yes, outstanding!

20.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am, Insane Fake Professor said:

Oops.

21.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:45 am, kanopsis said:

I’ll bet the good Doctor Broun (R-GA) is one of those who gets elected by reminding people that educated people think they know more.

elitist.

22.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:53 am, jhm said:

Does “sale” of these material proscribe a soldier from receiving a subscription? He could always get someone stateside relay them via post, correct?

23.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:53 am, NB said:

Don’t you understand?

It’s essential that we allow people with violent criminal records into the military due to low enlistment numbers. It’s also essential that these people are not able to acquire material like pornography that is clearly the inspiration for violent and sexually sadistic behavior. It’s pornography that’s responsible for the violent rape of female cadets and subsequent cover-ups (putting dirty nasty pictures of nude women in men’s heads), and the only way to fix the problem is to remove the material that incited such attacks.

Honestly, people, if the troops can fight without body armor, they can fight without porn.

24.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am, chrenson said:

This sounds so like the Taliban. When porn is outlawed, only outlaws will have porn.

25.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:02 am, Gregory said:

Playboy != pr0n. The idiot right is targeting pinups on military bases. In a war zone.

As for assertions that pr0n is dehumanizing coming from cheerleaders for this and other wars, my irony meter just whimpered and died.

26.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:03 am, 2Manchu said:

As someone who was in the Army, and who perused the occasional Playboy magazine back in the day (not mine, of course), I just have to say:

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yeeeah, good luck with that.

As Col. Kurtz so aptly put it:

“We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won’t allow them to write ‘Fuck’ on the airplanes, because it’s obscene.”

27.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am, lib4 said:

Let me get this straight….

Republicans are concerned about the porn that leads to the rape but are not concerned about the rape itself (KBR coverup)…wonderful people those Republicans

28.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:11 am, Gorobei said:

So this is a problem that merits concern? Not the epidemic level of rape of female soldiers by their fellow soldiers? Not the complete lack of criminal law to govern the behavior of KBR employees raping their fellow employees but this?

If the good congressman is so terribly concerned about our troops, perhaps he would be so kind as to focus on their safety and the legal rights of Americans, regardless of their employer, rather than pursuing this nonsense.

29.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am, jimBOB said:

I hope the GOP in Congress all get behind this effort, and make it one of their signature initiatives. Certainly it’ll demonstrate to the troops just what it means to have Republicans supporting them when they are deployed.

I used to be worried that the armed forces would become an all-Republican bastion. With stupid crap like this I’m guessing that’s less and less of a problem.

30.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am, JRD said:

I’m with JimBOB. Let’s see McCain sponsor this bill in the Senate.

31.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:50 am, just guessing said:

The “Military Honor and Decency Act,”, are they kidding? Military honor and decency now revolves around having porn or not on militray bases! Can’t wait to see the medal you get for not getting caught with porn during your active (or less than active) service – the military crucifix comes to mind?

32.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am, mr. irony said:

“Just one more thing we can agree on.” – The Taliban

33.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am, mr. irony said:

“Just one more thing we can agree on.” – The Taliban

34.
On April 25th, 2008 at 10:54 am, _Arthur said:

Cut them some slack ! US soldiers need a little release after a hard day shooting mujs and torturing Al-Q suspects.

And, no beer on the bases, in Iraq…

35.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am, petorado said:

I prefer to think that having young men and women seeing bleeding dead bodies, buddies with limbs blown off, decapitated children and other images of war zones to be the true pornography, not images of an unclothed woman.

I can’t believe that Christians, you know, the guys with the commandment of “thou shalt not kill,” are telling soldiers they can get off on violence but not get off on sex. The christianists just hate the hippie expression “make love not war.” Thoughts of making love are way too distracting when a soldier is out making war.

36.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am, Mr DeBakey said:

“demanded the Congress and Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes steps to scrutinize materials”

If Gates needs help with his scrutinizing
I could probably help him out in my spare time.

37.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:14 am, Chris Matthews said:

When you have people in volatile situations with their hand on the trigger, where they see death every day and the slightest spark could set off an international incident, the last thing you want them to do is masturbate, am I right?

38.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:18 am, independent thinker said:

It never ceases to amaze me how the supposed party of smaller government constantly tries to increase government in such inane ways. These jokers don’t really want smaller government, they just want their own brand of bigger government. No, we can’t let grown adults make their own choices…especially when it comes to sex.

39.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:19 am, SickofBushClintonBush said:

OMG….what the hell is wrong with this countries weak attempts to legislate morality?

It’s ok to taze each other in the naughty bits on youtube and take pix of man-piles in Abu Gharaib but a few pics for “stress relief” is a no-no?

Only so far a Victoria’s Secret catalog can take some people….

America to Repressed Sexually frustrated RepubliCan(ts)- Get over it!

It is UnChristian to treat people so inhumanely. Oh they High-pocricy!

If we have a draft- Congress and Senate should be the first to go.

40.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:38 am, DrGail said:

I see this as just another diversionary effort on the part of the GOP: Pornography is what’s eroding the family, leading to sexual assaults, etc. Perish the thought that extended tours in Iraq or waivers for recruits with felony convictions might play any sort of a role.

In fact, I wrote a post about how this is nothing more than a diversion over at Comments From Left Field.

41.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:38 am, Keori said:

*headdesk*

A gamer magazine recently did a survey of parents to see what images in video games they thought would damage their children’s fragile psyches more. The choices were a severed, bloody head, two men kissing, a naked woman, and two people having sex. The majority of American parents said that two people having sex would do the most damage, followed by two men kissing, followed by the naked woman, and the last thing that would damage their children was the sight of a severed head.

These are the kinds of mouthbreathing knuckledraggers the Republican party recruits.

I’m outraged, both as a veteran, a family member, and an American. My brother’s brigade just got to that godforsaken hole this month. My parents and sisters and I worry about whether he’ll have sufficient armor to save his life in combat! We don’t give an airborne coitus whether he can buy a girlie mag at his home Px!

And no, soldiers cannot get a subscription to Playboy in Iraq or Afghanistan. Customs won’t allow any material through that is illegal in the country, whether it’s alcohol or pin-up mags. There are very creative ways to hide such things in care packages, though…

42.
On April 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am, toowearyforoutrage said:

Broun, a retired Marine, said, “Allowing the sale of pornography on military bases has harmed military men and women by: escalating the number of violent, sexual crimes; feeding a base addiction; eroding the family as the primary building block of society; and denigrating the moral standing of our troops both here and abroad.”

Is he confusing our boys in uniform with Blackwater contractors?
They still get porn and aren’t subject to US laws. They are required to strictly adhere to Iraqi international Geneva convention military code of conduct their personal ethics.

43.
On April 25th, 2008 at 12:20 pm, Curmudgeon said:

Just goes to show that these people never, ever, get laid and so they don’t want anyone else to, either. Even by proxy.

Sheesh.

44.
On April 25th, 2008 at 1:32 pm, Tom Cleaver said:

Dr. Broun proves two things:

1. One should always get a second opinion when dealing with an M.D.

2. You can always tell a Marine, you just can’t tell him very much.

45.
On April 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm, ScottW said:

If we let them look at porn they will masturbate and then they will not be the aggressive killing machines we need to rid the world of the oppressive religious groups that threaten our freedoms. Huh ?

In others words, the men fighting and dieing for our rights are not afforded those very rights because it could lead to aggressive behavior. And we can’t have aggressive soldiers, who apparently are unmoved by the killing, it’s the porn making them aggressive. Ya, OK.

Speaking from experience, you can subscribe, and many do to mens magazine. I can tell this, these folks would shit their pants if they saw the porn you can buy in Europe and Asia, and being young men, we made sure we had plenty for those long times out at sea. Plus who buys porn anymore when you can find anything you want on the net.

My point is this will effect hardly anyone in practice, but god damn it, can they just it alone and quit making the rest of suffer for their own self hatred. Shit.

46.
On April 25th, 2008 at 2:01 pm, SaintZak said:

Well we know the Marines have their own flesh and blood gay porn star: Matt Sanchez.

47.
On April 25th, 2008 at 4:55 pm, Chopin said:

Me thinks “Doctor” Broun doth protest too much. He either needs to get layed OR he knows of what he speaks (gateway activity to his own closeted behavior).

48.
On April 25th, 2008 at 8:07 pm, PeteCO said:

Let me get this straight; They want to ban porn on military bases? Does that include bases here in the states, or in Germany or Japan? If this is the case, do they prohibit internet access to service members who live on bases in the US, or Europe, or Asia?

49.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:18 pm, Greg said:

“Here’s a radical idea: maybe those who wear the uniform and put their lives on the line for their country should be able to read whatever they want.”

Amen Brother!!! A “effing” men!!!. Have any of these people ever worn the uniform? Chances are NO! They’re christian conservative so chances are They’re sleeping with more than their spouse. Put them on a base or in the field for 12/15 months and see what they do to fill their time.

50.
On April 25th, 2008 at 9:45 pm, Robert said:

OK, let me get this straight: we give M-16’s to 19 year old kids, and expect them to use their experience and judgment to decide if the Iraqi men, women and children they come across on patrol are allowed to live through the day, but we don’t trust them to decide for themselves what reading material they can view?

I get the image in my mind of Pastor/Reverent Ted Haggard railing about sin and porn, while snorting meth from a male prostitute’s butt crack. So goeth the Religious Right…

51.
On April 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am, ES said:

My god these people are such f$#%ing idiots. They always manage to find the most trivial thing that somehow offends them and want to ruin it for everyone else. How about this….if you don’t like porn don’t look at it. Isn’t that a novel idea. The fact that they don’t understand the irony of taking away the freedoms of men tasked to protect theirs is the most mind blowing part of all. Let them fight to their death in a god forsaken war zone, but keep them shielded from that god-awful porn. It might warp their minds.

52.
On April 26th, 2008 at 1:53 am, Billy said:

Apalling. We’re treating our brave soldiers like children. It’s bad enough our troops in Iraq can’t have a drink when they want to.

This title “Military Honor and Decency Act” is deceiving on many levels. Please explain, what does religious censorship have to do with military honor? Isn’t FREEDOM the reason we’re fighting? The people who believe this type of action will save military marriages or reduce violent crimes are deluding themselves.

53.
On April 26th, 2008 at 2:03 am, bp said:

Good Lord let these young people decide for themselves what they will and will not read. Think of it this way…. If I can walk down the street and buy… say Playboy for instance, shouldn’t those fighting and dying for us do the same? This kind of crap used to be a whole lot simpler. What the hell happened to us?!

54.
On April 26th, 2008 at 4:47 am, Nash said:

Veterans affairs released the number of suicide attempt and/or completions by military personnel since 2003 and the numbers are astronomical. An average of 1000 military personnel a month have either tried or succeeded in killing themselves, that is 12,000 a year since 2003. And they have the audacity to take something away from these men and woman that allows them to fantasize about being somewhere else and not caught in this quagmire of deception. I hope this decision is yet another nail in the coffin of this bloody cabal.

55.
On April 26th, 2008 at 9:35 am, A Real Sailor said:

FAIL….
The law will apply to none, because the PX are not Government, it is a private entity who has a contract to do business with the government in order to provide goods for the PX.

Only GOD-WARRIORs would say that killing is good and violence is supreme, how inane ARE they goning to be? but show a little love and it is EVIL

56.
On April 26th, 2008 at 2:46 pm, AJD said:

The important thing here is that our soldiers stay clear of these harmful pictures of women whilst we carpet bomb both civilians and enemies alike.

57.
On April 26th, 2008 at 3:29 pm, Anon said:

I think Insane Fake Professor needs a good raping.

58.
On April 26th, 2008 at 7:59 pm, Chris C. said:

Like it or not, (most) pornography is a first amendment right (see Supreme Court rulings in the matter). So my question is, why should we take away the rights we have at home from those fighting and dying to protect those rights?

59.
On April 26th, 2008 at 8:24 pm, pig's blood infidel said:

Porn may just be the solution – look at the cultures that ban such things as porn and alcohol – and these are the very same nutjobs that are trying to kill everyone.

60.
On April 26th, 2008 at 9:15 pm, Anon2 said:

I think #57 Anon needs a good raping. Then Anon might realize that rape isn’t funny. And I agree with IFP that at least most American porn is demeaning towards women and destructive to their self-respect as a group. French porn, now that’s a different story.
I think mixing porn with guns is probably not a good idea, from a common sense point of view. Ask a female in the military how she feels about it!

61.
On April 26th, 2008 at 10:43 pm, Xeno said:

Riiiiiiight. They’re not trying to stop porn being on the bases; they’re trying to stop YOUR TAX DOLLARS going to pay for it. The PXes are tax-free stores; the tax revenues that WOULD be made off the sales of the cigarettes, liquor, and playboy magazines you can buy there is instead made up for by everybody not in the military paying extra.

Yeah, that’s the wrong answer. Honestly, I think this is an issue they shouldn’t be legislating about, but frankly, I suspect that if it passes, you’ll simply see more of what happened to my unit in Kosovo; one or two guys with subscriptions will get their magazines, and then pass them around to everyone.

62.
On April 27th, 2008 at 3:22 am, Sgt_F said:

As a US Marine, this bothers me very little. Thanks to the wonderful invention of both the Internet and the External Hard Drive, I know no one who buys porn anymore. But it still irks me that some politician thinks he knows what’s right for me. Like I need someone to decide what is wholesome and right for me, when it’s totally cool for them to send me to war on a whim. But I guess they know what’s best for me since I decided to serve my country rather than go to college right after school.

63.
On April 27th, 2008 at 9:54 am, Tom said:

Okay, I’m a soldier in a bloody desert war I don’t want to fight for a bunch of religious nuts hopped on Herr Bushes lies. I see a couple of my buddies blown up from an IED — we’re talking blood and limbs — my friend’s blood and limbs — and then its back to the base. Dinner, a movie, a couple of beers, maybe a joint take the edge off — nah, we’re too “honorable” for that.

So what am I to do — pray all day? Hey, I already am. So what’s to do now? I know. Okay, so it’s a sin and I’ll go blind. But, so what. That’ll take some off the tension — Hey, where’s all the magazines? Whadda mean “gone”. I can see blood and guts day after day but I’m too “honorable” for a little porn?

Eventually an answer forms in the back of my mind — I hate Christians.

What a country.

64.
On April 27th, 2008 at 10:12 am, dave said:

This type of BS is why I will no longer vote republican. They waste time and money on stuff like this while we don’t support our troups by giving them the free hand and equipment and support they need to fight a war. This is more of the kind of crap they are becoming noted for Spend millions on junk and don’t do anything to balance the budget. Just make sure you get reelected and to hell with the country.

retiredsfc

65.
On April 27th, 2008 at 11:04 am, Joseph said:

“Here’s a radical idea: maybe those who wear the uniform and put their lives on the line for their country should be able to read whatever they want.”

Agreed.

And to those who frown upon all pornography, I implore you to google “Abby Winters”. Abby Winters produces porn by women, for women, and enjoyed by all. Before you paint a large subject with that wide of a brush, consider her businesses practices which have been widely admired and respected all across the internet.

66.
On April 27th, 2008 at 12:38 pm, Steve said:

Insane Fake Professor wrote:

“All porn only demeans women and is not part of any healthy person’s sexuality. Men who use porn are by definition hostile to women.”

What nonsense. Read “Defending Pornography by Nadine Strossen. It was a book written by a woman who is a feminist and a liberal. Are we to think the men in porn are likewise demeaned? Or does the sword not cut both ways?

As to porn leading to crimes of sexual violence, witness Japan and Scandinavia with their liberal porn laws and ready access to it. These are not countries with high crime rates.

Our own crime rates have drastically declined since the early nineties…and porn usage and dissemination have increased. Where, pray tell, is the correlation? Can we then assume that porn reduces crime?

67.
On April 27th, 2008 at 4:26 pm, Deek said:

Lets see if I understand this “proposal”. Our soldiers, who are fighting for “freedom”, and are being stop-lossed from returning to their civilian lives, those people, should not be allowed to chose their own reading material with which to de-stress during the little down time that they have there. I vigorously disapprove of mysogeny, but this is ridiculous.

A recent study says that men that masturbate 5 times a week have significantly reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. So, logically, one must wonder if “Dr. Broun” in the business of providing treatment for prostate cancer?

Spending time on such an “issue” is a waste of taxpayer resources, and an abuse of his oath of office.

68.
On April 27th, 2008 at 7:18 pm, Sylvester Testosterone said:

Excuse me folks. Seems a few have it all backwards.
Exploitation is taking value from someone and giving little or nothing in return.
Seen right, porn exploits men. All we have here are paper images sold for their cash.

A soldier earns his or her paycheck, like no fussbudget safe within our borders. Our soldiers are also citizens, and the right honor would be to treat these brave folk as worthy of every freedom and liberty they must fight for, bleed for and too often die for.

If a soldier is spending $5 or $10 of their money on material that is available in any town in our nation to any church deacon or police officer alike, well, isn’t the honorable thing to do, either be to just shut up, or just say a heartfelt thanks for living in that hail of lead, IED and mortor attacks, so we don’t have to?

Why aren’t these packs of patriotic anti-porn prudes enlisting their own puffy bodies, and demanding they replace the felons our military is currently having to take? Let them lead by example, after they’ve enlisted! Maybe our book-burning bunch won’t do so well in a pressure cooker like Iraq. We’ll let them carry all the Bibles they can, in their packs. Forget packing the darn rations and water as well, they can live off their Good Book. Skip carrying an M-4 or AR-15 as well. That Sword of God ought to be able to smite any heathen enemy they face.

Here’s the sad thing with porn.
It’s never really good enough, and every month there’s another set.
The women (and men) ‘working’ make money selling their images.
The publishers make money selling their magazines, videos, etc.
So, whose taken? The men are the real victims here.
Their money is the target.

Now I do have an idea for a draft that will stop this exploitation. It will require a fair number of these church ladies to be willing to pull on some body armor, and walk a mile or so, everday, in some soldier’s boots, until that soldier comes home. Until home, no judgments need be spoken. And, what happens in Baghdad, stays in Baghdad.

If you compound the problem with enforced scarcity, it will simply increase the size of the grey and black markets that accompany any large troop deployment. And if you want to find yet another reason to clip a soldier’s wings and take him off the front line, go ahead, make his day.

69.
On April 28th, 2008 at 5:05 pm, Pahdraic said:

It might be prudent to wait a moment before using this issue to damn conservatism. How long before the radical gender feminists join the cause?

70.
On April 30th, 2008 at 5:12 am, Elizabeth Belch said:

We ask them to be away from wives and girlfriends for over a year at a time. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes adultery a punishible CRIME. Local commanders issue orders making fornication almost impossible anyway. And now we don’t want them to have PLAYBOY. For the sake of good sense, It’s a picture of a naked woman!! You think guys need a picture to have a sex drive? This is the ONLY sexual outlet they have! Even when they’re not deployed they are away from family for long periods, and a lot of single guys aren’t “out whoring” around.
If this is passed, I for one will find a way to send MY soldier whatever porn he wants. He is an adult after all.