Dear FRONTLINE,

I would support action to crack down on pornography.

I would support legal action against the female director since she admitted that she was going to order and allow the rape and beating of another human being. I applaud the video crew for leaving.

Janet Reno failed the american people and Frontline has educated us about her bizarre judgment. Great work.

Havelock, NC

Dear FRONTLINE,

At the end of the day pornography is about choices. If these people choose to do this for a living and are making a good amount of money doing it then there must be a market for it in society. It is pretty much a supply and demand issue.

The only crime in pornography is that because it has become so big it is almost too easy for 18 year old girls to get into it and do a few movies for $1000 a day or whatever.

Unfortunately those girls may choose later that they do not want that in their past but now it is out there on tape so its to late. If a girl makes a decision to do it she should truly understand the consequences and have to read contracts and sign releases etc.. not just walk onto a set and get it on with a few guys and/or girls. When someone is getting hurt on screen or it can be PROVEN that they were forced to do something that they did not want to do then step in and prosecute... but not until the evidence it there.

I like porn.. not all porn but I have certain things I like and that I and my fiance will buy or rent together. It adds a lot to our sex life... but what I do not like I do not buy.

I fully agree with Rob Black and Lizzy Borden.. spend the money you waste chasing and prosecuting these people on the education system. They are not hurting anyone.

Censorship and obscenity laws do nothing but put this stuff into back alley places again and then it does get out of control and dangerous. At least now they have the money to be safe with what they do and pretty much ensure that everyone is there because they want to be and will not get hurt in the process.

NY, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am impressed by two facts presented in the show: 1 There are at least two-hundred-thousand web sites pushing pornograpy; 2 The content of pornographic productions has become increasingly violent and degrading.

I had long held the belief that pornography combined with violence was strictly "out of bounds" and illegal. Not so, evidently. The "mock rape" depicted in tonight's show certainly demonstrates that.

Bad enough the people producing such films inflict such trauma on another human being. But consider the person who derives sexual satisfaction from watching it. How sick do you have to be to become aroused at the sight of a woman being assaulted?

Too, there's the "feedback loop" aspect of all this. Such videos not only stimulate the viewer to assimlate such violence into his or her sexuality, they also reinforce it. And there is evidence such disturbed sexuality leads to serial murder.

Many contributers to this forum profess a kind of moral relativism. Their tolerance for this obvious degeneracy is alarming. Even Larry Flynt asks, "why defend the indefensible?"

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dear FRONTLINE,

Pornographic material has always been a taboo to society and the more you try to restructure it the more it will florish .

I have a girl friend who is a VIP of a big company and she can't do without it

Mnpls, MN

Dear FRONTLINE,

I acknowledge, sometimes the pornographers do things that I don't appreciate, and consider perverted, but hey, these would be perverted directors making movies for people who are perverted by my standards.

Since these are my standards, and as long as it was consensual, no one was hurt, violated, or degraded, I don't care, I just don't go for that movie! It is that simple. No need for me to ask the government to stop others from making it or watching it.

We're all responsible adults. Let's not get the government into every aspect of our lives!

Rgds.

New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

My husband is addicted to pornography, and it has destroyed him and almost me. If people could only know how devestating this addiction is on a person, then they would think twice before thinking it's harmless. My husband self-medicates himself with porn every day and has since he was a teen. He will be the first person to tell you that it is the worst battle anyone could ever face. He hates himself for having had this "Seemingly Harmless" act, escalate into a lifestyle that controls him and not one that he can control.

The wives of men who continually view porn are broken-hearted,deep-down to the core. Nothing in this world hurts worse than for your husband to prefer deviant sexual images over his own wife. And just for the record, my husband will verify that there was nothing wrong with our sex lives, but the addiction has escalated to the point that he doesn't desire normal sex anymore.

I would DEFINATELY support the fight against pornography.

Albertville, Alabama

Dear FRONTLINE,

Frontline presented us with a frank discussion of the issues. Porn is and has been alive and active. So are its haters and its supporters. Good analogy with alcohol and prohibition. Give us the facts and let us make up our own minds.

Government and bigots should not be allowed to make decisions to regulate porn. But I AM troubled by the question of "how far is too far." I don't want to see people hurt or exploited. I felt relief when Frontline videographers left the rape scene. They took the patient's pulse correctly on this.

Thanks for bringing us this material. We need to be allowed to think for ourselves more than network programming allows. Keep on producing. Thanks.

Oakland, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

AMERICAN PORN and the responses on the web-site were fascinating to me.

It seems that pornography has become a right wing - left wing nexus where biblical and political moralists have found common ground. The millions who vote with their pocketbooks to consume these images are what? Perverts? Morally bankrupt? Politically incorrect? Perhaps just American citizens?

Where is the line? Who is to decide what images adults can imagine, produce and consume? John Ashcroft, who feels compelled to cover nude statues at the Justice Department? Not for me, thank you.

Human sexuality and desire is not always pretty but it is always human. We may not like to think we should desire these images but evidently we do. To the prudes of both the left and the right who think they can suppress these impulses, I say good luck.

Los Angeles, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Millions of americans choose to spend their money on X-rated material and millions do not. Its this freedom to choose that is sacred. I do not want Larry Flynt forcing me to view Barely Legal and I do not want John Ashcroft telling me I cannot view Barely Legal.

The Bush administration wants to end the recession, yet it is planning on going after the sucessful private adult industry with millions of our tax dollars. Let market forces be the judge.

The collapse of Enron ,when "upstanding, moral, businessmen" cashed in millions of dollars while their employees lost millions of dollars is more obscene to me than any "Seymore Butts" movie.

Finally , inoffensive speech and expression does not need first ammendment protection- the first ammendment is there to protect speech that is controversial that others find offensive- it helps prevent the tyrrany of the majority from violating the rights of the minority. This is the balance that is the constitution and that has helped America prosper for the last 225 years. Let freedom ring

Portland, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

I found tonights Frontline to be informative and entertaining. However, I believe that although not all americans care for pornography, there are a great many that find value in it both for entertainment and to enhance sexual health.

The government has no business in the bedrooms, nor in the minds of americans. In a way prosecuting producers of pornography is like controlling the sex lives of americans. Let americans decide for themselves what is obscene or offensive. The government has no business deciding for us. Isn't it true that the tremendous amount of scientific data gathered by the Meese Commission and others who were trying to prove the harm of pornography actually found that pornography has mild beneficial effects.

There is clearly a distinction between sexual crimes, sexual crimes against minors etc and sexual depiction and acts between consenting adults. Tolerance must be observed when sexual differences among americans exists.

Sex does not have to be dirty anymore. We should all feel liberated and free and open minded to enjoy many types of sexual pleasure and if we choose to enhance our sex lives with pornography, then that decision should be solely ours as individuals.

Stop wasting my tax money.

Salt Lake City, UT

Dear FRONTLINE,

Several other letters here have indicated that porn "causes" all kinds of ills such as violence or rape, which is a LIE and has never and will never be proven to be true.

Yes you can get addicted to porn, sex, or almost anything in life you may enjoy. Most Americans are addicted to television in general, maybe we should prosecute PBS for causing an obvious social "ill."

Alva, OK

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think there is a place for certain types of porn. However, I am increasingly worried about the influence that porn may have on forth-coming generations. I can see young, impressionable youth coming to accept the blatant sexual roles depicted through porn as “the norm.” With easily-accessible examples to follow, it can be expected that youth will attempt to emulate such sexual practices and we will soon find ourselves living in an increasingly sexually “outed” society.

Minneapolis, MN

Dear FRONTLINE,

The reality of pornography usage is that all too often its users don't realize the addictive nature of adult entertainment. To them it's just harmless "fun" but there is considerable evidence that porn's effect has serious psychological ramifications.

Pornographers make money with no concern for the progressive harm done to people.

Boston, Ma

Dear FRONTLINE,

sex? yes. anal sex? whatever.i think its stupid but do i care if my neighbors do it or watch it? no.

same goes for fisting,bondage,prolonged close ups, etc..etc.. who cares.

depicting rape and homocidal acts in conjunction with the sex act on the other hand i do find very offensive. as i do all violence.

equating sexual arousal with physical violence though nothing new and broadcasting it raw to the world may have no more effect on an individual or the culture in general than an episode of 'jackass' or 'wwf' has on kids in their backyards; some are gonna do crazy stuff anyway, just maybe a different 'brand'.

if rape becomes 'cool' due to our increasing exposure to it, do i think my neighbors are more likely to commit the act themselves? i dont know. i hope not. its kind of like the whole 'gangsta rap' debate: is it a 'reflection of' or an 'influence on' the community? in that case, probably both.

but do i think its the governments responsiblilty to tell people what they can and cant do or watch within the privacy of their own homes? no. its the governments job to take control of those who take it too far.

los angeles, ca

Dear FRONTLINE,

The right wing bias of this "report" on pornography was absolutely sickening. If hardcore pornography is truly illegal, as prosecutors claimed and Frontline didn't dispute, why not simply have a law stating plainly that it is illegal?

I offer this challenge to Frontline... pick any First Amendment lawyer in the country. Pretend that you are going into the pornography business, but inform the lawyer that you want to be certain that you aren't breaking any laws. Ask how this can be done. You will be told that there is no way to know whether or not you broke a law unless you are prosecuted and a jury gives you that decision. What kind of law is that? Name one other law where American citizens can be jailed for a "crime" in which there was no way they could possibly have known that they committed one? Can you name one?

Imagine if speed limit signs simply read "You know what it should be!" Thousands of Americans own and operate hardcore adult porn Web sites. The vast majority of them are not criminals. Some may be, but then again some politicians, doctors, lawyers and bankers are criminals too. Many of these Web site owners have families with spouses and children who love them very much. This "crackdown" on pornography threatens to take freedom away from Americans who couldn't possibly know they committed a crime. And for what? So that the Bush Administration can secure more funding and votes from the religious right when their time would be better spent battling child pornography. Are we really the type of society that would destroy the lives of good people so that we can all feel "morally superior"? I

Pornographers have nothing to be ashamed of for enjoying sex and making a business around something they enjoy. It is PBS who should be ashamed for airing this sham of a "report"

Monterey, CA