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Computer Decency: What We Really Should Be Discussing

© Frank Monaldo

Sometimes people get so upset at problems for which simple and straightforward solutions abound that they overlook far more serious and profound issues. The question about the availability of sexually explicit material on-line is just such a explosive issue.

Recently the United States Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Communications Decency Act was so vague and so endangered free communications among adults that the law violated First Amendment protections. This ruling was particularly interesting considering how computer ignorant justices were reported to be.

The Clinton Administration's Justice Department, in an election year, argued in favor of the act. They back tracked after the ruling. The Washington Post reported that Donald Hotel, leader of the Christian Coalition, averred that the court decision ``leaves our nation's children basically exposed to the worst kinds of pornographic material.'' Poppycock.

Attempts to regulate the availability of material on the Internet are destined to fail. Even if certain sites could be regulated within the United States, offending sites could move overseas. Circumvention is simple. Technology seems to be on the side of anarchy.

This does not mean we have no control over the material we or our children experience on the Internet. There are a number of software products that block sexually explicit sites. Different software modules could permit application of a variety of different filters to limit accessible sites. This software is not perfect, but will continue to improve as demand for it increases. This technological solution is the approach that all Conservatives should embrace. It places in the hands of parents the ability to specifically block the material they feel is inappropriate. There is no dependence upon an outward authority, an authority that might have lower or different standards, to determine what sites our children may visit.

Let's be fair. There are supporters of the Communications Decency Act who are genuinely concerned about protecting children and not intent on censoring material for adults. There are people opposed to the Communications Decency Act who are not pornographers eager to lure children to tasteless sites. However, there is a technological solution that largely addresses the problem. Let's move on.

There is a far more profound issue about how the Internet is changing us that calls for debate and concern. As the number of people on the Internet grows, the Internet will attenuate the bonds of local and even national community. On the Internet, we are free to form communities of like-minded individuals unencumbered by those who do not

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