The Affects of Pornography on our Rights as Women.

Women in America fought a long time to achieve the right to Vote and the right to own property. Having been simply objects of possession, tools and entertainments to men it was quite the turnaround. It took so long to get where we are today. We have the right to go to school, to pursue college and graduate degrees - as far as we have the inclination, and funding. We can own our own businesses, our own houses.

We continue to fight the long fight for equality in the workforce and in normal day to day interactions. Most women in the workforce and at home feel like they are treated with respect. There are some professions where this is integrally not the case - the military where respect is absent period- women are scarce and the realities of war harden the average man. But on a large scale, women are recognized and treated with a high level of equality socially, in the workforce, and in the home.

However, there is an new trend. This trend results from the proliferation of pornography acted out by those who use it and our ever increasing sex obsessed society. Without professional expertise, I rely on what I have witnessed in the behavior of those around me or seen in the media. My eyes are open and I have intelligence enough to notice that the more a person consumes pornography, the less likely they are to hold women in any sort of esteem. People who use pornography devalue any contribution in thought or action by woman, except of course if it is sensual. The more deeply involved in pornography, the less they value women as people - at home, at work, anywhere, and the more they view women as objects, without intelligence, without respectability. This is a return to the status women held less than forty years ago as passive, worthless, entertainment.

In the media pornography is portrayed as something "that men do." It is no big deal, no one is getting hurt by it. And now, as time has passed, normal day to day people are beginning to believe the lie. Nothing could be so opposite of how it is shown to be. It is amazing how blatant the lies are. On the sitcom, "Friends" the men were known to view pornography, and it was laughed at in disgust, but laughed at nonetheless. This casual use of pornography had no visible side affects on TV. There is no mention made of the destruction of the user's ability to love in a healthy and normal way.

What are the women like on TV? Are they treated with respect? Are they strong and are they making a positive impact in the world? No, the only way to get good ratings is to have hardly anything on, and sleep with anyone who smiles at or hits them.

For those women who act the parts of pornography, or who promote it, or allow it to continue in ignorance of the reality; "Do you really want to derail our progress in this world as women? We have come so far. Look beyond yourselves and open your eyes to what you threaten our daughters with." As pornography spreads throughout our society and the world on the Internet, filling the pockets of villainous vultures, think what that will do to our Civilization, to our hard-won rights as women.

The disrespect towards women I have witnessed has only been on the personal level. Imagine the consequences on a national scale. I have no doubt this is exactly what our daughters will face in just a few years: scorn and objectification once again, only worse, because our sons will remember our current level of equality and opportunity and grind their faces with the memory.