"I don't need studies and statistics to tell me that there is a relationship between pornography and real violence against women. My body remembers." -- Woman's testimony, 1983.*

"The relationship between particularly sexually violent images in the media and subsequent aggression...is much stronger statistically than the relationship between smoking and lung cancer." -- Edward Donnerstein, 1983.*

Pornography directly leads to the objectification and dehumanization of women. Pornography presents women as objects, sexualized means to gratification. Pornography is not about "sexuality", it has nothing to do with "sex" at all. Pornography is blatant and utter exploitation, plain and simple.

Men who view pornography do not limit the objectification to the woman on the screen/magazine, as though that wasn't bad enough. They take the image and apply it to all women: your sister, mother, wife, girlfriend, etc. Soon, the object becomes a woman at the office, a co-worker, friend, or neighbor. The object becomes you or someone you love.

Pornography's influence is not limited to where it is presented. Those who use it are changed by it. It becomes acceptable in their minds for them to treat all women in the way they see the women in the pornography. It becomes "okay" for them to view women as sexual objects. When men treat women as sexual objects, they do not relate to them on a human to human level. They begin to think it is all right for them to say things to them they would never say to a fellow human being. The respect, the camaraderie is lost.

It is not "okay" for men to view women as sexual objects. Pornography is not "okay". It has begun to proliferate our media, our magazines, our internet, our television. What abour our children? They are seeing this too. Do we really want our children growing up in a world like this? How do you think the children would feel to know how men are viewing their mothers? Their teachers? Their friends? Is this really how we want our world, folks?

It is time for us to take responsibility for our actions - for what we have allowed to happen in this world. It is time for us to take a stand to change it. We cannot stand idly by and watch things get worse and worse. Pornography is hurting us, and it is hurting our children.

*from Pornography: Evidence of Harm by Diana Russell