THE PUBLIC MIND: READER ASSAILS ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH, RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL

To the Editor:

Since the American Family Association (Mrs. Kuntz in an Oct. 27 Be Our Guest column) is enthu~si~astic about seizing every opportunity to use the brutal arsenal of the state to teach the lowly natives a thing or two about morality and constitutional law, it is appropriate that a dissenting voice be raised. On this, the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, those who wish to usurp even more of our precious liberty must be put on notice be prepared for a fight.

First of all, our nation was not appalled by Anita Hill's testimony before our noble and wise senators. Nations do not have minds, nor do nations act. People (individuals) act. Most people seemed to be amused by her story, or angered by the whole process, or intrigued enough to request videos by Mr. L.D. Silver. The radical feminists and anti-porn fanatics who see in the hearings proof of their respective positions are engaging in massive demagoguery.

It is heartening to see the raping and murdering Ted Bundy (late), he of the electrocuted persuasion, hold the last word on pornography. He was evil enough to be fried, yet good enough to be believed by Mrs. Kuntz. Anything can be proven by ignoring the facts and repeating the same old lies. Some mass murderers were heavy readers of the Bible; should it be banned next?

I am tired of hearing this psycho-babble nonsense about everything being addictive. What a nice way for individuals to abdicate responsibility for their own actions. No one is, or ever will be, addicted to pornography. The rapist should be held accountable for rape, and the murderer held accountable for murder. It trivializes the human mind to see its workings reduced to such simplistic concepts as "pornography causes rape."

Pornography exploits women and children. What kind of sexist, patronizing drivel is this? Are women only as intellectually advanced as children? Do they require the same special protection as children? That these women repeat the phrase shows how subservient they are to the men at AFA headquarters.

Parents must be held responsible for raising their children. Communal upbringing has been an unmitigated disaster. It is up to parents to turn off the television. It is up to parents to supervise what their children read and watch. It is their responsibility to instill values in their kids, through the church if they like. It is their job to oversee the educational process. Society does not have children, individual couples do. If parents today do not do their job, it might be instructive to see how government policies (wrongly) socialize the cost of children.

All of this discussion presupposes that we know what pornography is. We don't. The Supreme Court's "prurient interest," "community standards" and "I know it when I see it" standards have proven absolutely useless. For one thing, communities do not have standards. Individuals have standards. To say that viewpoints not held by a majority are illegal is to flush the Bill of Rights straight down the toilet.

How dare nine idiots in black robes and Mrs. Kuntz lecture the rest of us on the meaning of the Constitution. The words are clear: "Congress shall make no laws ... abridging the freedom of speech, of the press...." It does not say "except for porn." As long as individuals are held strictly accountable for their actions, their right to free speech and press is absolute. Liberals ignore the First Amendment, and complain that criminals aren't treated nicely enough. Conservatives ignore the First Amendment and wonder why the Second Amendment has withered to dust. To keep the snarling jaws of the state off of the necks of the people, that is the purpose of the Bill of Rights.

It is high time to restore the Constitution. It is high time to throw off the yoke of Big Brother. It is high time to restore the right of acquisition and disposition of private property. It is high time that people restore their sense of humor and thicken their skin. It is high time that parents take responsibility for the upbringing of their children. It is high time for people to mind their own damn business, and I would thank you, Mrs. Kuntz, to mind yours.

Edward W. Rehak

Oak Ridge