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<p>Cultural deterioration is a wonderful painkiller. And pursuant denial that there’s anything wrong can be even better. These are not nearly so different as you’d try and persuade. They are both sad, despicable, addicting, destructive nearly always pursued and couched in lies, secretive behaviors, shame and guilt, and they’re fraught with victims. </p>
<p>And we’re not talking about cameramen here willing to video 10 year old boys vs. 18 year old men or women, or even who’s having sex with whom. And I am not suggesting that child pornography is not a despicable thing. It is and its victims, as this specific case reveals are NOT merely the actors.</p>
<p>We’re talking about those men who engage in pornography, child or otherwise. Specifically one Midshipman and more generally many men, including those young men living in Bancroft. And we’re talking about its nature being anything but honorable and true, which as you perhaps rightly noted in one of your earlier posts is possibly the magnifier if not the more devious and severe essence of this Mid’s case. He lied. So are pornographers. They are equally deceitful. And we’re talking about its practice, even at our beloved USNA. For anyone to defend pornography as anything more than this, either directly or implicitly is substantial denial or a silly attempt to justify and rationalize its practice for some reason. </p>
<p>So is the pursuit of child porn different than other pornographical indulgences? The law and culture say yes. And its young victims certainly need and merit the justice of a society that has already failed to provide that safe and secure life. And the severity of punishment suggests that society, for the moment, agrees. It’s a terrible crime.</p>
<p>But these are not disparate, somehow disconnected issues, with one being despicable and now growing in society because technology fosters it, and the other being either ok, non-existent, just watching consenting adults, or simply boys being boys, imo. While only one may merit a jail sentence (for now), they both have plenty of victims, deceit, and dishonor to go around. I’m equally confident that the Supe is not fretting about his charges pulling up adult porn on their computers or the need to educate about its dangers for a life lived well and with honor and fidelity … to loved ones and one’s country. And I hope I’m all wrong on that one. Perhaps this sad story will merit a call to some re-education.</p>
<p>btw, jail time is not intended to “fix” him. It’s execution of justice and its merited punishment for unlawful behavior and deceitful misconduct, all the result of poor and determined choices by the perpetrator.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the real victims is the honorable Midshipman who recognized this issue and acted accordingly. That required courage, conviction, knowing what was indeed right according to his calling. All that said, I’m confident he is perhaps angry, very saddened, and more.</p>