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Dear Members of the Board of ICANN
- To: icm-options-report@xxxxxxxxx
- Subject: Dear Members of the Board of ICANN
- From: tbaehr <ted@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 07:59:19 -0700
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>As a former
LSA with the US Attorney's Office SDNY in the 1970s, I urge you to
not create the .XXX
domain. To quote my friend Patrick A. Trueman:</b></span></font></p><p
class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><br></b></span></font></p></div><blockquote
class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none;
padding: 0px;"><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0
0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;
"> "The establishment of a .XXX domain would
increase, not decrease the spread of pornography on the Internet and thus cause
even more harm and make ICANN complicit in that harm. That would be a
tragic development and thus I urge you to kill the .XXX proposal once and for
all. There is no evidence that the public wants or needs this
domain. In fact, each time this idea has been proposed it has been
overwhelmingly opposed by the public and governments throughout the
world. There is also absolutely no evidence that any good would come of
it. Instead it appears that the company proposing it is merely seeking
enrichment
at the expense of the public. Pornography addiction is skyrocketing among
adult males and is even affecting many women and children in the same
way. Countless marriages are breaking up because of pornography use and
sexual promiscuity is more widespread than ever before because of
pornography. Pornography is destroying lives and relationships and ICANN
should not be using its authority to promote more of it. Here are some
specific arguments against the .XXX proposal:</span><br><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold; "> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>1.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Neither ICANN nor the
company urging the
establishment of this new domain are arguing that the .XXX domain would clean
up the .COM domain and require all pornographers to move to .XXX. The
.COM domain is a cash cow for pornographers and they are not leaving it.
ICANN has no enforcement powers to make them leave and thus clean up
.COM. Pornographers would simply expand to .XXX and maintain their
current .COM sites, perhaps doubling the number of porn sites and doubling
their menace to society. </b></span></font></font></span><br><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size:
16px; "><font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>2.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>The .XXX domain will NOT
make it easier to
filter porn, even if all pornographers would voluntarily move there (and that
will NOT happen). The problem with filtering is not that it is difficult
but rather that too few parents care enough to employ filters for the home or
laptop computers used by their children. Even if most parents did use
filters on home computers, kids have access to the Internet outside the
home. And it isnt just the kids that need filtering.
Addiction to pornography by adults is rampant so everyone needs filtering but,
sadly, few bother. The new website Pornography Harms,
</b></span></font><a href="http://pornharms.com/";><font
class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>http://pornharms.com</b></span></font></font></a><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>, provides overwhelming
evidence of harm from pornography and thus the need for protection from
it.</b></span></font></font></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>3.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Since most families do not
use effective
filtering services, </b></span></font><u><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>the .XXX
domain would merely make hardcore pornography even easier to find for children
seeking such material. </b></span></font></u><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b> Thus the argument that
.XXX would benefit
children by cleaning up the Internet is without any basis in
fact. </b></span></font></font></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; "><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>4.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>U.S.</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> citizens should not
believe claims by some that the U.S. Congress could merely pass a law requiring
all porn companies to leave the .Com for the .XXX. Any law attempting to
force pornographers to relocate to .XXX would likely be declared
unconstitutional because under the First Amendment, all pornography is
presumptively protected by the U.S. Constitution until it has
been determined to be obscene or child
pornography. Just as the Department of Justice cannot force porn
stores to move or go out of business because it believes that such stores are
operating illegally, the Department cannot force pornographers on the .COM
domain to move or go out of business without first charging them with a crime
and having a court make a determination of
illegality. </b></span></font></font></span><br><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size:
16px; "><font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>5.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Hardcore pornography (or
obscene
material as it is called in </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>U.S.</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> law) on the Internet is
ALREADY a violation of U.S law. It is just not being prosecuted by the
U.S. Department of Justice because those in charge are letting the public
down. So for those who argue that by establishing a new .XXX domain AND
then passing by a new law requiring porn companies to move (IF such a law was
upheld after years of litigation) we can solve our Internet porn problem, we
must ask why these two events will suddenly compel the Department to begin
prosecuting porn companies. If the Department of Justice is not
prosecuting Internet porn companies now for violating
</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial
Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>U.S.</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> obscenity
laws, it is not going to prosecute such companies for merely locating in the
wrong address.</b></span></font></font></span><br><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size:
16px; "><font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>6.)</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>If somehow all porn sites
providing
obscene material would actually leave the .COM Domain for the .XXX Domain, they
would STILL be violating </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>U.S.</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> obscenity law which
prohibits such material on the Internet regardless of location. We dont
want the Department of Justice to say to illegal porn companies, in effect,
that it is okay to violate </b></span></font></font><font><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>U.S.</b></span></font></font><font><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> law as long as you do it
on .XXX. Men, women, and children are becoming addicted to pornography
and I believe the rates of addiction are skyrocketing this is a
virtually untreated pandemic. Many who begin by viewing adult pornography
deviate down to harder and harder material as they continue a steady
consumption of material and many of these will deviate down to the point that
they only become excited by child pornography. This is a significant
factor in the growth of child pornography on the Internet. Countless
marriages are breaking up because of pornography use. Violence against
women, which is depicted in most porn films, is changing male attitudes toward
girls and women in a very negative way. A more appropriate goal should be
to STOP the distribution of this destructive material by prosecuting those
responsible for it, NOT protect pornography on the .XXX domain.
"</b></span></font></font></span></blockquote></blockquote><div
class="Section1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b> </b></span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'"
size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Thank you
so much! </b></span></font></p></div><div
apple-content-edited="true"><div><div><div><div><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><br></b></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>Ted Baehr</b></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>Movieguide(r)</b></span></font></div><div><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>1151 Avenida
Acaso</b></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial
Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>Camarillo, CA 93012</b></span></font></div><div><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b><a
href="http://www.movieguide.org";>www.movieguide.org</a></b></span></font></div><div><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b>805-383-2000</b></span></font></div><div><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><br></b></span></font></div></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><br></b></span></font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial
Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><span></span></b></span></font><span><font class="Apple-style-span"
face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:
14px;"><b><img height="144" width="513"
id="23d0513a-aa15-4d70-915d-eb859c0bee28" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes"
src="cid:777C3FE0-B512-4D78-9D8D-7383983AE585@socal.rr.com"></b></span></font></span><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Arial Black'" size="4"><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>
</b></span></font></div>
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