GOP platform draft proclaims porn a 'menace' and 'public health crisis'

A man uses a laptop computer.
(Image credit: iStock)

As Republicans chipped away at their draft party platform on Monday, one issue sparked little debate: declaring internet pornography a "public health crisis."

Mary Frances Forrester, a delegate from North Carolina, proposed the amendment during a subcommittee meeting. The provision states that the internet "must not become a safe haven for predators," CNN reports, and the "harmful effects" of pornography, "especially on children," have created a "public health crisis that is destroying the life of millions." The GOP is encouraging states to "continue to fight this public menace and pledge our commitment to children's safety and well-being. We applaud the social networking sites that bar sex offenders from participation. We urge energetic prosecution of child pornography which [is] closely linked to human trafficking."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.