In a recent article, several pro-family groups called for the U.S. Justice Department to “investigate the media provider for possible violation of federal law on pornography.” LodgeNet provides many adult’ pay-per-view movies for the United State’s hotels.”
Family friendly groups wished to let the citizens of Sioux Falls know that LodgeNet, with its base in their town, supplies a large amount of the porn in hotels around the nation. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court set standards and defined obscene’ in Miller v. California.
The group then asked South Dakota’s U.S. Attorney to investigate the possibility that LodgeNet violates federal laws by transporting obscenity over within states (over state lines.) They are able to operate in the state because there are no existing laws in South Dakota that regulate obscenity, and the Family Policy Council and others want them to make laws that will regulate “all sexually oriented businesses.”
These groups want to try to get South Dakota as well as four other states that have no obscenity laws to draft them, making it much more difficult for businesses like LodgeNet to operate and pander obscenity to hotels in the United States. Even though the movies are pay-per-view, they are obscene and available to anyone to watch. They can be accidentally ordered by children and provide temptation for travelers. The group is not trying to eliminate all pornography, although that would be great; they are attempting to eliminate obscene, illegal by definition of the federal government, porn.
These groups and others see this move as a move for family values. They are concerned that this obscene material is being pandered across state lines where obscenity laws do exist, and it is enabled to operate by the lack of such laws in South Dakota. Studies have shown that porn hurts people, directly and indirectly. It often leads to crime and other negative consequences. Groups like this need to be sent a message that we, the families who are the backbone of this nation, want regulations in place that keep them from pandering obscenity and offer protection for families and family values across the nation. Only by making a definite statement and applying existing federal laws to all can we stop businesses like this from corrupting our nation and harming the families we love.
I may not travel often, but when I do, I do not like the availability of obscene, over the line porn in the hotels I frequent. I do not like that it is there as a temptation and that it is there at all in a place where I bring my family. I also do not like that places like LodgeNet are able to circumvent federal law by sending obscenity over state lines to hotels everywhere. If we want our law to be respected, it must be upheld by all and for all. Our families depend on us to make the world safe for them, and the fight against obscene pornography is part of the fight to create this safer world for them. I say apply our federal law across the board, whether it be illegal immigration or obscenity.
Resource:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/groups_say_its_time_feds_call.php