LETTER: Don’t encourage immorality

To the editor:

If one can learn anything from politics it is that there is a “study” for everything. Those cited in “Questioning Pornography Stereotypes,” a column in The Statesman Oct. 5 are no exception.

I am well aware that we live in a world where the chasm between what is right and what is acceptable is drastically widening, daily. I am also well aware that many people who would otherwise profess to be “opposed” to pornography are deep within its clutches. I am well aware that many people likely do not care one way or the other, but for those who do care, or for those willing to open their eyes for just a few moments, I will speak openly, honestly and boldly.

I am vehemently opposed to articles encouraging immorality in any way, and would completely contradict any “sources” or “facts” that would support pornography as being good for our society to the slightest degree. Thousands of FBI studies, police records, independent studies, the research of countless prominent psychologists, and the witness of thousands of inmates in federal prisons would argue the contrary.

Take for instance Ted Bundy, a convicted sexual deviant and murderer of more than 30 women including young girls. He had one final interview with Dr. James Dobson the night before he was executed for his heinous crimes. If you really want some incredible insight to this topic, just Google “Ted Bundy last interview.” What was the single greatest driving force behind his actions? By his own admission, pornography. Further, let’s examine an incredibly telling excerpt from that interview:

“I’m no social scientist, but I’ve lived in prison for a long time now, and I’ve met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence. Without exception, every one of them was deeply involved in pornography — deeply consumed by the addiction. The FBI’s own study on serial homicide shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornographers. It’s true.”

Now, am I suggesting that those involved or addicted to pornography are all going to end up like Ted Bundy? Of course not, and if you watch the interview he is not suggesting that either. The point is that it is a fuel, and you don’t use gasoline to put out a fire. You also shouldn’t encourage and support immorality, baseness and degradation. The destructive effects of pornography are well documented for anyone willing to look, and, in my view it is time for those who care to stand up for what is right and do everything that they can to stop the pestilential plague that is pornography, not encourage it.

Richard Winters