Pornography and US Law Essay

In Catherine Mackinnons concord Only Words she describes U. S law as a very strong indictment of a law system in conflict with it egotism. The book is divided and is a collection of three essays. The prototypic one is a heavy and emotional condemnation of vulgarism. The other two essays evaluate and comp ar smut and sexual harassment with racial discrimination and cry. She defines pornography as explicit sexual material that subordinates women (page 13).She argues that pornography is sex, as fascinateed by the American law, that unaccompanied views it as a possible cause of injury, instead of an act of sexual discrimination that promotes sexual inequality. She holds that want other kinds of racial and despise liveryes, it should be totally banned because it contributes heavily in the degradation, subordination and abuse of women in general. Mackinnon says even if pornography is a form of diction, this does not mean that it cannot be controlled and regulated by the governm ent.She lashes out at the people who believe pornography and other acts of harassment and hate propaganda should be saved by law. Mackinnon argues that that pornography, harassment messages and racial speeches eventually do the same thing, which is enact the abuse. Porn, she says, lowers the dignity and self esteem of women and fuels the acts by sexual harassers, wife beaters, child molesters, rapists and clients of prostitutes (page 17). The first amendment promotes the problems the fourteenth amendment was supposed to fix.Mackinnon shows a decree that is extremely hypocritical. Her lecture in the book have encompassed real abuse, directed at her as a woman she has in reality tried to prove her point. Mackinnon believes that we need to change the first amendment in order to counterpoise it out with the fourteenth amendment on issues concerning unfreeze speech and protection of equality. She is campaigning for the new model in which free speech does not most readily protect th e activities of Nazis, Klansmen and pornographers, while doing nothing for their victims (page 32).She commended two Canadian court decisions which promoted the rights of people negatively affected by pornography and hate speeches and propaganda. Word that involve issues such as bribes, fixing of prices and segregation of facilities are treated as acts of law, but words or pictures fag issues involving race and sex are not treated as acts of law, and that is why the courts end up permitting pornography in our societies. She shows how lawyers and judges have used the first amendment to justify the heinous acts of pornographers and racist individuals into political speech.She says that if words have ever been recognized as actions it is in situations concerning sexual harassment. She laments that the courts have reduced their effectiveness by overturning universities restraints of discriminatory and sexual speeches on campus by throwing out a complaint brought forward by a female sh ipyard worker who was harassed by having been shown pornography, which is a form of speech that is protected in the first amendment. In fact these words and pictures are protected by law explained as the free and surface exchange of ideas, even reproduced for viewing.Mackinnon says that what the law is concerned with is not what the word does but what the consequences of the word is, the harassment, racism and hate speeches is showing the differences between the different social groups, the power one group has over another. Mackinnon through studies in workplaces, pornographers, on college campuses and others she shows these very discriminatory acts are protected by law as free speech equality will only be hold backn and treated as a word.Mackinnon add ups to the open many of the contradictions she has been give tongue to in the previous essays, she says that the law of equality and the law of freedom of speech are on a collision course in this country (page 47). Mackinnon does a good job in showing the ignorance and modify thinking of many defenders of pornography. The book is a passionate and eloquent plea to Americans to be sufficient to see beyond the doctrines made normal by society, in particular concerning pornography and racial and hate speeches. She says that Americans accept from obsession of expressive freedom to the trauma of the McCarthy era.Her arguments show that in both(prenominal) levels, pornography may be restricted, but it has not yet shown reason to be restricted. She later confuses by emphasizing that some of them are made from actual child abuse and actual rape and tortures (page 56). Certain weaknesses are evident in the book. First of all, she should have devoted more space for the definition of pornography so that it would have been applicable in law. Another weakness is the vague separation of debating and expressing intolerable ideas. These prevent from having clearly defined boundaries.What she fails to bring out in her boo k is the other side of free speech, the importance of free speech in an independent society like political accountability, self determination among others. Catherine Mackinnons views do have pros and cons. Her view that pornography should be controlled by the government I believe is a good thing. Pornography has really led to degradation of the society and this will reduce if it is controlled. To some extent it does lead to subordination of women pencil lead to more cases of aggression towards women, it eventually enacts the abuse.Her suggestion that amendments should be made to the constitution to be able to defend those affected by pornography I believe is also a good thing. political campaign for the new model that free speech does not protect the activities of those using the right of free speech to justify their actions is also a good idea. Some of the abuses of sexual inequality are regarded as free speech hence not seen as acts of sexual abuse. Lawyers and judges have used this to justify some of the issues affecting the society such as hate speeches, pornography and racial discrimination.Some of the cons is that she uses very a couple of(prenominal) words to explain the definition of pornography, she should have taken more time define her view of pornography. I believe that pornography should be regulated and have to agree with Catherine Mackinnon. Pornography has caused serious consequences to the society in general and therefore should be controlled. The pornographers have the freedom to do a lot and they are protected by the constitution. To some extent it does lead to subordination of women, hence pornography should be controlled.