Kaminer Addresses Pornography, 1st Amendment

Wendy Kaminer, president of the National Coalition Against Censorship and a Radcliffe fellow, asked her audience to reconsider their conceptions of pornography and first amendment rights at a Pizza and Politics forum in Emerson Hall last night.

Hosted by the Institute of Politics (IOP), Kaminer tackled the subject of "Pondering Pornography: Free Expression or Exploitation."

"Why does it have to be free expression or exploitation," Kaminer asked. "Why can't it be free expression and exploitation?"

Throughout the evening, Kaminer returned to the idea that every individual has a different definition of pornography, and therefore to set definite laws against pornography would limit free speech.

"Most cases do not involve hard-core, sexually explicit commercial material," Kaminer informed the audience of about 40 students.

A contributing writer to The New York Times, Kaminer cited the fact that in the 1995-96 school year, Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was the "most challenged book in the United States"--purportedly due to pornographic content.

"What you have to understand," Kaminer explained, "is that the `we' is always changing."

Conceptions of the boundaries of pornography range from Hustler magazine to AIDS education information.

"If we give the state the right to ban this material they're not just gonna ban Hustler magazine--they're gonna ban what the strongest interest group wants," she said.

After these few opening remarks, Kaminer stopped for questions and a spirited discussion ensued. Several questions focused on the limits of the "hardcore, sexually erotic" pornography, in specific questioning the legality of child pornography.

"No one I know defends child pornography. We all agree it should be prosecuted," Kaminer responded.

The speaker also addressed the role of the Internet as a forum for finding pornographic material.

"The Internet--what's so frightening about the Internet is that you can have more information without paying anything extra," she said.

Dimple Chaudhary '01, who coordinated the event with Richard A. Cooper '01, commented that Kaminer provided an appropriate perspective for "Take Back The Night" week.

"We wanted someone from the Harvard-Radcliffe community," Chaundhary said. "She definitely represents one side of the issue--liberal and first amendmentoriented. But the discussion was great."

Daniel A. Steinhaus '01, who attended theforum, said he found Kaminer interesting but notedthat "there wasn't really anything new broughtup."

"The real topic discussed was how to see it's aFirst Amendment issue," he said.

Kaminer did not end the discussion withoutfocusing on a few pieces of art that she saidoffended her. She cited Quentin Traction's PulpFiction as a movie she felt was full ofgratuitous violence.

The evening ended with Kaminer's perspective onhow to protect children and raise consciousnessabout pornographic material without censorship.

"I don't think it's possible to protectchildren from what's out there," she said. "Thebest way to protect a child is to educate thechild.

Daniel A. Steinhaus '01, who attended theforum, said he found Kaminer interesting but notedthat "there wasn't really anything new broughtup."

"The real topic discussed was how to see it's aFirst Amendment issue," he said.

Kaminer did not end the discussion withoutfocusing on a few pieces of art that she saidoffended her. She cited Quentin Traction's PulpFiction as a movie she felt was full ofgratuitous violence.

The evening ended with Kaminer's perspective onhow to protect children and raise consciousnessabout pornographic material without censorship.

"I don't think it's possible to protectchildren from what's out there," she said. "Thebest way to protect a child is to educate thechild.