On February 9, Boston Globe columnist Erika Christakis wrote a piece titled “Fair-trade Pornography” that encouraged so-called “ethically sourced pornography.” She goes so far as to say that society’s attraction to pornography is a “primitive – but relatively harmless” impulse.

Maureen Vacca, MFI’s Director of Public Policy, wrote a letter in response to this column, and the Boston Globe ran it on Tuesday, February 14. The date was rather appropriate as it was Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate marriage, a bond that is too often broken because of an addiction to pornography. Her letter follows in its entirety:

“Fair-Trade Pornography” (02/09/12) could have been written as a promotion piece for the pornography industry. The Op-Ed panders to the ill-advised concept that porn is a fact of life so just get used to it. Rape is a fact of life so should I as a woman just get used to it? Pedophilia is a fact of life so should our innocent children just get used to it? I hope not!

Politically correct labels be darned, porn in any form communicates that women are objects, or worse, simply pleasure giving machines to be discarded after they are exploited. Porn destroys intimate relationships and families. It permanently corrupts the minds of children and teaches some to molest younger children. Porn promotes “the rape myth,” that when women say no, they really mean yes, resulting in more rape.

FBI statistics show that 80% of serial murderers are addicted to pornography. The only way to slow the spread of this vile cancer is active enforcement of obscenity laws, with officials cooperating at the national, state and local level. Let it begin with the Justice Department doing their job and prosecuting major commercial distributors of hardcore adult pornography.

Maureen Vacca Director of Public Policy Massachusetts Family Institute

The letter appeared in the Boston Globe and on BostonGlobe.com.

A letter to Congress is currently circulating asking for a hearing on the harms of pornography. There are more than 2,800 signatories right now, and the goal is to have 5,000 before it is delivered on March 1. Add your name to the petition HERE. A recent study found that men in the twenties are suffering from “porn-induced sexual dysfunction” and that women who watch pornography are five times more likely to participate in group sex.