Re: Congress and the Internet

["Stephen E. Collins" <lm_net@SEC.MICRO.UMN.EDU>]

Lachowsky, Richard writes:
> It would appear from all of the responses to the Congressional action
> on pornography on the Internet that I am the only one who feels that
> it is about time someone did something about this problem.
>
> I feel strongly that something must be done to protect minors
> from access to undesirable materials.

In my opinion, then the best thing you could do would be to encourage
these kids to use the Internet.  The alternative choices are generally
television, video games, and movies.  And compared to the influence
of those media, the Internet is a virtual educational haven for children.

> The following is a partial
> quote from the ALA statement on this  proposed legislation:"... will
> subject educators and librarians to criminal penalties for using the
> Internet and other electronic resources to perform core library and
> educational functions."  I would like to know how having access to
> pornography and pornographic materials can be considered a core
> library or educational function.

The basic question is who decides what is pornographic.  Children can
watch endless violence on prime-time television every day.  I
consider that the height of pornography and it is far worse than
anything one could find on the Internet.

But obviously the censors for television have a different opinion.
I sure don't want them making the choices about what is available
on the Internet.  We've done far, far, better on our own.

> A large majority of children in the United States go home to empty
> houses without adult supervision, and therefore are placed in a
> situation where they must make their own choices.

And that choice is television 99% of the time.  They'd all be
much better off if we steer them to the Internet.

> We have children in our school who have been sold into child
> pornography.  There are also children across the U.S. who are sold
> into pornography for monetary gain to buy illicit drugs, or to pay
> off drug debts.

Of 800,000 missing children in the United States last year, "fewer than
ten cases involved the Internet"*  Even according to the recent
pornography "study" of the Internet, fewer than 0.08% of web pages
contained anything pornograhic.*

For these problems, I'd suggest a great solution would be to get
children off the streets and onto the Internet instead.

> Children today grow up too fast as it is.  Keeping them safe as long
> as possible is the duty of every educator.

Which is the safest place for a child to roam?
  A.  The School Playground
  B.  The Streets.
  C.  The Internet.
  D.  The Mall
  E.  The Home

Statistically, the answer is "C" by a landslide.

> I have received support for this message from all the teachers in our
> school.  Please join us in standing up for decency in the United
> States.  Do it for our children.  Do it for our future!

The biggest danger to children on the Internet is that parents and
teachers will believe all the sensationalistic hype about the "bad
stuff" that is spread by fearmongers who will destroy the fantastic
educational potential the Internet.

---
*Reference:  The "Time Magazine" Issue about "CyberPorn".



Stephen E. Collins   <URL:http://Web66.coled.umn.edu/WebMaster.html>
University of Minnesota   Fax:(612)625-6817  sec@web66.coled.umn.edu

Mustang: A Web Cruising Vehicle for Teachers <http://mustang.coled.umn.edu/>