I know that most of what I do is anti human trafficking but the idea of pornography and how it affects and feeds into human trafficking is very real, and it has been on my mind a lot. I used to be one that was very naive about it. Didn't know how many people it affected and if it did, it was such a foreign concept. Now after my own life experience and making the effort to understand both sides, I now more than ever have a deeper understanding and a compassion (not pity or patranizing ) for all involved. If you know my story, you know that I have a good idea what porn is all about.In my own life, I saw others around me with an addiction to this now $57 billion worldwide industry. Its often said "its a need" or "its two consenting adults, so its ok". There becomes a sense of entitlement because someone is paying for it. Society feeds into this distorted view. I have met the people behind the camera, and now have a son myself. If I thought my passion to combat things like pornography and sex trafficking were intense then, with a child, it is indescribable. I now know the love that a mom has for her child. I feel it, I live it. Even as an infant, the need to protect him is nothing I have ever felt for another human before.
Now, don't think that just because I don't watch porn, that I know nothing about it. I have been and seen the sex industry. I've been to the porn conventions where I am with both porn stars, producers and consumers. I've seen the culture. I know that when asked, some porn stars say they love it and some say that they hate it. I get that I may be the minority when I say that porn is a very unhealthy way to find pleasure in your own sexual world.
If we can start viewing pornography not as part of sexuality, or a norm of society, but instead view it as commercial sexual exploitation, we can begin to see where the discrepancies lie.
Definition of Pornography:
noun
obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, especially those having little or no artistic merit.
Origin:
Comes from the greek
1840-1850
pornography
1857, "description of prostitutes," from Fr. pornographie, from Gk. pornographos "(one) writing ofprostitutes," from porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased" (with an original notion, probably of"female slave sold for prostitution;" related to pernanai "to sell," from PIE root per- "to traffic in, to sell," cf. L. pretium "price")
The history of the word says a lot.....
When porn is consumed or bought it creates a false sense of sexual reality. It creates a drive, desire and eventual addiction to wanting more than just viewing. It gives a sense of entitlement in the real world of someones sex life, and an expectation to have it on demand. It messes with the natural process of sexuality. Needing more and more "intense" porn is the process of becoming addicted. I have seen it to people in my life before. When the act of sex is no longer "enough" it becomes violent or illegal (child pornography) addiction. When someone thinks they need it and will force someone (married or not) to give it to them.
In a book called The Johns, Victor Malarek writes, "The message is clear: if prostitution is the main act, the porn is the dress rehearsal."
The connection.....women and children are being sold into prostitution and sex slavery. There are times that a victim will be recorded in the act of prostitution and it will be sold without their consent.
Porn is just an entry way into the mind that makes people eventually think that buy sex on the street or forcing someone to a sexual act is ok.
I don't want to make this just a religious or moral issue. This is a social and brain function issue.
My goal is to look into how this affects someones brain scientifically. It's easy to just say, "I don't believe its healthy or right so you shouldn't either." Although it makes sense to me, I know that convincing others of that is not so easy.
So get a little bit uncomfortable and start having the conversation with people in your own life so that this doesn't become more of an epidemic than it already is.....
