Rou

They want to stop porn. They think pornography leads to rape and sexual assault, so they want to stop it. That's the theory behind some folks in Jackson County, Indiana at least.

They’re a pretty conservative group. They have been unsuccessful stopping the businesses from getting licenses and permits. Not luck preventing the sale of porn in court. So they have decided to fall back on an old classic.

Shame.

They take pictures of people going into and out of nudie bars and porn shops. Then they post the pictures online so that the community can see who frequents the place. In theory, he’s so ashamed, he stops going to said establishment, stops buying porn and because of that will never rape a woman.

Couple points.

First off: people go to porn stores still? Heh. Silly non-internet using fools.

Secondly, shame is a good tool. It works really well. But only if your victim... I mean… target is actually ashamed. Me, I’d give them the middle finger, put a big smile on may face, and hold up my porn for the picture. I’m not ashamed of porn, or my porn collection. Thus, their efforts would be wasted on me.

Finally, even ignoring all of the above, the entire concept is based upon a misconception of the cause of rape. Rape is not a crime of lust. People that are horny all the time are not driven to rape. People that masturbate all the time aren’t serial rapists waiting to happen. Rape is a crime of violence and control. Not of sexual attraction. It’s enforcing your will over others. Control and domination. Not sexual gratification. Removing porn from your community will not somehow make women safer from rape or sexual assault.

But hey, maybe the people buying porn out there are more ashamed of their porn than I am. I know I’m not as risk for raping someone, despite… ahem.. years of experience. I also know that I don’t care if someone takes a picture of me. Maybe I’d be slightly annoyed if they attached my name, but that’s just because I don’t like my name on the internet in any form. But I’d have no special annoyance because they attached my name to a picture of me buying porn.

Maybe I’m just not ashamed.