Why government bailouts are a horrible idea

It doesn't surprise me that the government cash grab for irresponsible corporations and failing companies has reached this point. Now the pornography industry wants a financial bailout not so much because the industry is faltering (which it isn't) but, as one of the pornographers puts it, "Why take chances?" Courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com:

By Kathleen Gilbert

January 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two leaders in the pornography industry have written to Congress asking for 5 billion dollars to helpease the damage done to the 13-billion dollar business by a struggling economy.

Larry Flint, the founder of Hustler magazine, and "Girls Gone Wild"creator Joe Francis told Washington that the pornography business should be treated with the same care given to auto manufacturers, who expect aportion of the government money to help avoid collapse."

Congress seems willing to help shore up our nation's most important businesses, (and) we feel we deserve the same consideration," Francis said in a statement. "In difficult economic times, Americans turn to entertainment for relief. More and more, the kind of entertainment they turn to is adult entertainment."

Francis, who was recently imprisoned on a prostitution-related charge,cited figures showing porn DVD sales and rentals decreasing 22% in 2008."

The 13-billion-dollar industry is in no fear of collapse, but why takechances?" said the pair.

Flint lamented that "With all this economic misery and people losing allthat money," more people were thinking twice about spending money on pornography. "It's time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetiteof America," he said. "The only way they can do this is by supportingthe adult industry and doing it quickly."

"I'd like to know what Obama would say," Francis told E! News. "I bet he's a Girls Gone Wild fan...If we're invited [to the White House], then we'll go."

What strikes me most about this is just how blatant and carefree they are with talking about the reality of pornography use in our culture. They're cocky and arrogant about the grip they have on so many people. Thank God Bishop Sheridan is taking a hard stand against pornography with our diocesan "As For Me and My House" program. If you haven't seen the bishop's "My House" video, it's a must-watch. The married couple's testimony is heartwrenching and ultimately inspiring (we will try to upload it to YouTube and embed it here). We also recommend going back to the Herald special section on healing and recovery from porngraphy and sex addiction. Pass it on the friends and family who you think may be struggling or you think don't take the evils of pornography seriously enough.

Good tactic or off track?

I direct you to this piece (via "News of the Weird") from Vacaville, Calif., about residents that tape customers entering an adult shop with the intent of placing them on YouTube.

The pastor of a local church had an interesting viewpoint:

"I'm not trying to embarrass anybody," [Jeremy] White said. "If you have absolutely no question of conscience about entering this store, then by all means shop
away. However, if even only one of the dozens of customers we've deterred from
entering is a married person about to do something shady behind their spouse's
back then - mission accomplished."

Setting aside possible privacy issues, does anyone else think this is a misguided way to accomplish a goal of informing people about the damage of pornography? It appears to me that blugeoning someone to accept your point of view is not effective.

Catholic college puts filters on its computers to block pornography, gambling

Nice to see at least one Catholic college campus trying to battle Internet pornography and gambling. If you know of any others, please post here so we can acknowledge them.

Nice quote from St. Vincent College president Jim Towey:

“I think our Catholic identity and mission compel us to give this witness to our students that this community is not going to be complicit in this spreading of pornography.”