Father of Censorship
Anthony Comstock
Anthony Comstock strongly believe in upholding Christian values he was against obscene literature, abortion, masturbation, prostitution, gambling and sex education. After serving in the civil war, he moved to New York and started working with the YMCA to create a committee for suppression of vice. He fear that young men would fall in traps of immorality. In 22 months the committee had arranged thousands of books, photographs and printing to be seized in anti-vice rapid. Financial supporters of the committee came along from city’s most powerful family and before long his support spread to nation capitol. He was concerned that obscene books will lead young men will lead them to the brothels.
In 1873, he was appointed as a special agent with the U.S. postal service where he used his powers to punish individuals who was suspected of public distribution of pornography or commercial fraud. He used to walk around and beat up and arrest hookers. Comstock would patrol the streets if he saw anybody selling porno he would arrest them and they would be sentenced to go to jail. People developed scratch off phonographic material so they don’t get arrest.
The porn industry generates between $15 billion — 97 billion a year. Every second $3.075.64 is being spent on porno. Individual usually spends 7 dollars on a copy of playboy or penhouse. I think porno is not a gateway to prostitution as Comstock say it was. Do you think Comstock would have influence on the society today because everybody watches porn?
Stephen Dalton, Ranch Hand, Wilson Burrell, Mark Armstrong, Athena Milios
