American Presidential Commissions on Obscenity and Pornography
First commission: the Lockhart Commission
The first American commission on obscenity and pornography was formed in 1968. It was appointed by President Johnson and its results were published in 1970. The conclusion was that pornography was not harmful in any way.The Commission stated (10) that national surveys of psychiatrists, psychologists, sex educators, social workers, and counsellors show a large majority to believe that sexual materials do not have harmful effects on either adults or adolescents.
Significantly, the Commission's report was immediately denounced by President Nixon who "categorically rejected its morally bankrupt conclusions" and promised that "pornography which can corrupt and poison the wellsprings of American and Western culture and civilization" would be controlled if not eliminated under his aegis.
Earl Kemp published an illustrated edition of this report and subsequently served a one year prison sentence for doing so. [Oct 2005]
Second commission: the Meese Commission
The final report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography (sometimes called The Meese Report for Attorney General Edwin Meese) is the result of a comprehensive investigation into pornography ordered by President Ronald Reagan. It was published in July 1986 and contains 1,960 pages.
These people comprised the commission (nicknamed The Meese Commission):
- Henry E. Hudson, chairman.
- Diane D. Cusack
- Park Elliott Dietz
- James Dobson
- Father Bruce Ritter
- Frederick Schauer
- Deanne Tilton-Durfee
- Judith Becker
- Ellen Levine
The report is divided into five parts and thirty-five chapters and details most aspects of the pornography industry, including the history of pornography and the extent of First Amendment protections. The report also documents what the committee found to be the harmful effects of pornography and connections between pornographers and organized crime. The report was criticized by some of the scientists whose research was utilized; they claim that their results were distorted and incongruent with the final report. Some also believe that Meese similarly minimalized evidence indicating that pornography is not dangerous. The report was also criticized by many in the pornography industry, calling it biased, incredible, and inaccurate. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General%27s_Commission_on_Pornography [Oct 2005]
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