Pornography, youth in Ja
Published:Thursday | February 27, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Ramesh Sujanani, Contributor
Very recently, the prime minister of England, David Cameron, facing a pornography problem, in a speech to the nation had to say, in much the same words:
"A subject that politicians find difficult; the impact the Internet is having on our young, especially how online pornography is corroding our children and sails from the darkest corners of that chasm with danger. No doubt the Internet has transformed our lives for the better, it liberates oppression, and it brings education to those who need, adding billions to our economies, being one of the most profound inventions in human history.
"People have also concluded that it is somewhat unruly, and we are concerned that one could legislate what is on the Internet easier than you could legislate the tides of the oceans. Parents have been told 'the Internet is too big to change, and any fallout is just collateral damage'.
"But to me, the questions around the Internet and its impact are too big to ignore ... ."
And the fight against this vice continues. In Jamaica on Google, one can access pornographic websites that are advertised, about 10 in number, that relate to Jamaica, and Jamaican men and women. Most of the hard-core pornography is being offered free, which indicates it is directly aimed at children, who do not use a credit card. In doing this, the perpetrators are laying down the challenge to the authority of parents and guardians.
Earlier in 2013, in Jamaica between July 10 and July 22, the Government passed legislation against pornography and sexual crimes: prostitution, forced sex and human trafficking. The record on trafficking shows some success compared to last year, but this is an act that needs to be eliminated as well.
Numerous complaints have been lodged by the Church and private citizens; concerns especially about child prostitution and forced sex. Our athletes have been affected by claims regarding their involvement in sexual practices, and remain a problem to our athletic image here and overseas. But the problem of increased sexual promiscuity is common to most developing and developed countries; which seem to be exaggerated by movies, TV shows, and a plethora of video productions underscoring LBGT-Q, sexual perversion and unnatural sexual acts. It is my impression that many of these are not true, but simply invented when produced on film.
status of the Internet
There is also the status of the Internet made available to schools; regrettably, the Internet brings both good and bad. The worst examples of pornography are often flashed on to a site, for response.
What are we further to do, having laid down harsher penalties and stricter surveillance? So let us give David Cameron the last word:
"There are certain types of pornography that can only be described as 'extreme'. I am talking particularly about pornography that is violent, and that depicts simulated rape. These images normalise sexual violence against women - and they are quite simply poisonous to the young people who see them.
"The legal situation is that it's been a crime to publish pornographic portrayals of rape for decades. We are closing that gate.
"We are removing the loophole — making it a criminal offence to possess Internet pornography that depicts rape, violence and degradation of the human value and spirit. There are some examples of extreme pornography that are so bad that you can't even buy this material in a licensed sex shop. And today I can announce we will be legislating so that videos streamed online in the UK are subject to the same rules as those sold in shops.
"Put simply - what you can't get in a shop, you will no longer be able to get online. Everything I've spoken about today comes back to one thing: the kind of society we want to be. I want Britain to be the best place to raise a family."
Such is what we want Jamaica to be (as well).