United Liberty

Part of the Republican Party platform to be voted on at the national convention this week is language that calls for a crackdown on the porn industry.

Before we jump the gun on anything, it’s worth noting that the party platform isn’t binding. The GOP platform has called for lots of things Republicans don’t actually endorse, so we probably shouldn’t panic too much…yet.

So, if it’s not binding, what’s the problem with having issues like this in the platform? Here are a few reasons:

1. It distracts from the real issues.

Today the news isn’t talking about a massive budget overhaul. They’re talking about how Republicans want to prevent adults from accessing pornography. We have a $1.5 trillion annual deficit. We are fighting wars we can’t afford. We are heading toward complete fiscal ruin, and Republicans want to talk about banning porn? It’s nothing more than a distraction to take our eyes off of what’s important.

2. It gives politicians an excuse to expand government.

When a Republican decides it’s time to make legislation to control the behavior of others, he’ll have an easier time getting support for it when it’s part of the platform. Legislators can use the “well, it was in the platform, so I supported it like a good little Republican” excuse and support the expansion of government without fear of blowback from the party.

3. Protecting me from myself is not a legitimate function of government.

There is no scenario in which keeping an adult from viewing pornographic material created by consenting adults is a legitimate function of government. Whether we’re talking about state or federal government, that type of law is inappropriate.

Viewing that material is an individual’s right. I understand a lot of people have a concern for protecting children, but the proposed verbiage doesn’t reference children. Besides that, it’s the parents’ responsibility – not government’s – to protect children online.

(Seriously, folks, if your kid isn’t behind some type of protection software – and not just for porn – you should remedy that today.)

We need to look past this attempt to distract people from the real issues at hand. Our country has some huge issues that require immediate attention. If the GOP wants to give voters confidence that they understand the true issues of the day, calling for an assault on pornography is the wrong approach to take.