Should CP be legal to *VIEW*

What I don't understand is, why is it illegal to merely VIEW images of child pornography? Why does the govenrnmet feel the need to prevent people from seeing something that has already occured, as if hiding it from view will change the fact that it has happened? Banning pictures of the holocaust won't change the fact that it happened.

Is it because it depicts an act that is illegal? We see illegal acts being committed all the time. Hell, we even have television programs dedicated to watching real video of illegal acts being committed. I can freely go online and watch videos of real robberies, thefts, carjackings, beatings, even murders and assassinations. BUT WAIT! That girl looks a little TOO sexy! Lock the fucker in prison!

Is it because it could encourage deviant behavior? There's nothing to stop murderers from going on to Rotten or Ogrish to download all kinds of grisly scenes of murder and death and getting off to that. Does the government think that banning possession of murder and crime scene photos will prevent murders from occuring? Apparently they are not that stupid. Why, then, the double standard? Because there are children involved? Again, I could go over to Rotten or Ogrish and download pictures of dead and mutilated children all day long. Nothing wrong with that, huh?

Is it because they think the only reason that child pornography is produced is because there is a demand for it? Yeah fucking right. That's like saying that if there was no longer a demand for art, all artists in the world would stop painting, all composers would stop making music, all writers would stop writing. It doesn't work that way. No I am not directly comparing child pornography to the fine arts, but the situation is the same.

I suppose what it can finally come down to is not wanting to give pedophiles the satisfaction. Everyone hates pedos, right? But everyone hates the KKK and ELF and the God Hates Fags people, and they're still allowed to think and believe whatever they want, as long as they don't act out violently. How is fapping to an image an act that affects anyone other than the one fapping? It is a victimless "crime," much like enjoying certain drugs in the privacy of one's own home.

I am no more in support of the production of child pornography than I am of the commiting of any other violent crime. But I am against censorship of any kind. Not letting one watch a video of JFK getting assassinated isn't going to change the fact that his fucking brains were blown out, just like not letting one see a picture of Vicky isn't going to change the fact that she took it in the pooper.

Considering that the common conception is that it's illegal to view it already (although it's not, it certainly might as well be considering you have to possess it in order to view it). I doubt that disencouraging video taping the act in progress would actually deter the crime as most child sexual abuse is off camera. It is more then likely that every sexual encounter that has happened with children would have happened with or without a camera. It may have even caused more children to be hurt considering that individuals participating might not have been caught as fast. Considering it is already illegal and very punishable for creating the videos and distributing the material, I would think thats enough deterant regardless of people watching it. The same thing applies for guro really, the only difference is that people killed do not come back. Stopping child pornography by stopping the viewers is no way to fight the child abuse, it's really to fight the distributers (which is whats currently being done) and I believe COULD bring about other laws banning what you can see or perhaps even listen to. There are a lot less real life guro for fun videos out there then pedography simply because the punishments for producing the videos would be sevear, much more so then any child pornography (ounce for ounce). Instead of punishing people who are simply watching these things, which is really just very immoral instead of a damaging act, the consequences for distribution should be much higher. If the argument is that those that view it will most likely harm children is completely unfounded as well. There are plenty of fans of guro/bestiality and other immoral/illegal acts that would never commit the act themselves. In response to the original poster, the law is probably the best it can be to protect people's civil liberties and to stop abuse of children. Like I said earlier though in response to those who want to make veiwing it illegal, making viewing it illegal would not really detur those who make it as most individuals see it as illegal to view in the first place. It would make it a crime for you to accidently see CP posted on /b/, regardless of if you didn't want to and ACTUALLY deleted the cache (hard delete). I feel like im rambling but the law as it is now is perfect as it is now. The first poster can look at his pedography as long as he hard deletes it and we can all send producers to jail. Win win I suppose. Write to your local congressmen or whatever to impose tougher punishment on those that commit these crimes... but to my understanding, a lot of those people in office are pedos anyways (hence molesters getting 6 months probation) Iiiits a sick world aaafter all (Tune of Its a small world after all, disney)