Pornography Readings

April 21:

• D. Kelly Weisberg. "Pornography: Introduction." Weisberg, 5-27.
• Case: American Booksellers Association, Inc. v. Hudnut (1986). Excerpts from Circuit Judge Easterbrook, Opinion of the Court. Weisberg 104-109.
• Nan D. Hunter and Sylvia A. Law. "Brief Amici Curiae of Feminist Anti-Censorship Taskforce et al., in American Booksellers Association, Inc. v. Hudnut." Weisberg, 118-130.

April 23:

• Andrea Dworkin. "Against the Male Flood: Censorship, Pornography, and Equality." Weisberg, 28-36.
• Thomas I. Emerson. "Pornography and the First Amendment: A Reply to Professor MacKinnon." Weisberg, 80-86.

Written Assignment (due April 23): Answer all parts of the following question fully; when referring to the readings, cite properly, including page numbers.

As D. Kelly Weisberg states, "The subject of pornography has fragmented feminists into several camps. These factions include those who oppose censorship (liberal and libertarian feminists) and those who oppose pornography (radical feminists)" (8). Based on the readings for this unit, which of these two camps do you think has the stronger legal case? Summarize the major arguments of the side you have chosen; besides using the introduction, draw on Dworkin and Easterbrook if you choose the anti- pornography side and on Hunter and Law and Emerson if you choose the anti-censorship side. As you summarize these arguments, explain why you think they have a strong legal basis.

Additional Links on Pornography

• "Pornography Happens to Women", by Andrea Dworkin (1993)
• "The Cyberporn Debate", Project 2000
• Pornography & Obscenity: Choices and Consequences, series of web pages relating especially to legal sanctions against child pornography, put up by the siteowner because he "wishes he had the benefit of the information contained on these pages, before he downloaded kiddie porn pictures. . . I am now facing some period of time in a federal prison and likely the loss of my job. The impact on my family has been devastating both in financial and emotional terms. In my case, there was never an intent to act, just a curiosity."