Child Pornography... a Thought Crime?

I was reading an a story about the professor who was seen viewing images of 5-10 year-old children nude or performing sex acts.  After reading the article I did what I always do, read through the comments posted by readers.  That is usually where the most interesting stuff is anyway.  Unfortunately, it is also where you can often see the worst our society has to offer.

This is a verbatim comment by a poster: 

Child pornography possesion is a thought crime. I realize i'll be called a pedophile for that comment but i'm sorry. It makes no logical legal or constitutional sense to imprison someone for possesing pictures.

Obviously, the comments that followed were not kind at all.  However, I must admit to having pondered a moment on his comment and the logic he was using.  He did continue by saying that if he was abusing children, then OK, he should be dealt with.  But if his only "crime" was possessing some pictures, then we probably have better things to do with our efforts.  His argument, as well as a couple of other comments, is interesting.

One person commented by saying, "How do we take the physical liberty away from someone who has not taken the physical liberty away from another?"  As I understood him, how do we put this guy in jail just for looking at some pictures.  He didn't produce the pictures or abuse the children.  I am sure this poster was strictly commenting on the pure legal technicalities.  Would that be comparable to arresting a kid who has a bottle of liquor in his hands but the seal is still intact and there is no alcohol on his breath?

It was an interesting way to look at actions which most decent people would automatically condemn.  I do not, in any way, think that the posters were condoning such pictures, they were just looking at the fine lines, I believe, that may exist there. 

Personally, I am of the mind that if the pictures exist, they had to have been created somehow, so therefore a child was abused to do so.  Much like mainstream pornography.  Every one of those men and women in the porn world are some one's brother, sister, even mom or dad.  I know, many of them choose that life and love it...but those children didn't.  So by having those pictures, you create a demand.  By purchasing porn, you create a demand.

I understand the poster's comment and I appreciate the view and the thoughtful moments it caused me.  But I do, wholeheartedly, Mr. realtalker1, disagree with you.

Loose Lips...

I read a story today about how Hezbollah had captured or killed many CIA operatives and had badly crippled the CIA's abilities in Lebanon.

As bad as that is, that isn't the worst part of it.  The worst part is that we are our worst enemies.  The CIA acknowledged the damage...something you never do.  NEVER let your enemy know they were successful.  Of course, they were "anonymous sources not authorized to speak on such issues".  Isn't that always how it is?

Then, the story went on to explain just how it had been done!!!  We have no covert operations anymore.  Everything is there for the world to know about.  As a matter of fact, just the other night, during one of the Republican Debates, those running were discussing what covert operations they would do if elected!  Really?!?!?  You can't have "covert" operations if you are talking about them!  What happened to the CIA being a "secretive" organization?  Remember when we didn't really know about Seal Teams and Delta Force?  No wonder we had such horrible intelligence about Iraq.

It never ceases to amaze me at how easy we make it for our enemies to collect information on us.  All the specifications for a new weapon are on the Internet.  The strengths of our units, the problems and the vulnerabilities of our military.  Even what we are doing in different parts of the world.

There is a time and a place for the public to know what their government is doing.  I would argue, though...that with the way the world is today...the time and place for sacrificing security for a right to know...has not come.

Keep in your prayers, all the men and women in our Intelligence agencies who are put at risk every day by those in our government too stupid to keep their mouths shut.