Everyone loves the First Amendment. The only difference between leftists and conservatives is that leftists only like the First Amendment when it is protecting the speech that they agree with. One of the great hypocrisies of American politics is that the same folks who want to use the First Amendment as their golden ticket to put on drag shows for children are also the folks who think conservative viewpoints need to be silenced on social media and in the classroom.
The conservative belief system surrounding the First Amendment is remarkably straightforward. Viewpoints should never be silenced because they are unpopular. However, forms of media which are widely accepted to be immoral and detrimental to society are not worthy of being considered protected free speech. For instance, we have laws which protect children from being exposed to graphic nudity and sexual content. Adults that want to expose children to graphic sexual material can and should be considered “groomers.” That isn’t a slur. It’s just a fact. Our Founding Fathers never intended for the First Amendment to protect the rights of drag queens to dance provocatively in front of four-year-olds.
In fact, I’m tired of weak-kneed conservative who feel porn in the school library is where we ought to be drawing the line. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in favor of pornography in schools. However, just one generation ago, conservatives were fighting to keep pornography out of all libraries and book stores. Now we want to say that keeping it out of school libraries is the best we can do? As a movement, we can do better. Pornography is harmful, no matter what age the consumer is. Anyone who thinks the Founding Fathers wanted to protect pornography is either a bold liar or else they have never read a history book.
By all means, let’s kick pornography out of school. However, let’s not do it because children aren’t “old enough” for porn. Let’s kick pornography out of school because it is morally repugnant. Porn isn’t good for you. Porn isn’t protected free speech. Porn is harming our sons and daughters. What other reason do we need to take back the ground that previous generations of conservatives fought for?
This post originally appeared at https://www.phyllisschlafly.com/constitution/free-speech/pornography-is-not-protected-speech/
Phyllis Schlafly