Essay Database

ONLY WORDS Constitutionally protected speech that is Clearly sexual abuse is discriminating and unconstitutional, therefore, must be restricted speech. Catherine A. MacKinnon, in her book “Only Words” gives persuading evidence that pornography subordinates women as a group through sexual abuse. She says “Protecting pornography means protecting sexual abuse as speech, at the same time that both pornography and it’s protection have deprived women of speech, especially speech against pornography (MacKinnon, 9). MacKinnon argues this bye …

…protected it becomes. The more pornography expands, the more protected it becomes. Therefore, the more pornography is produced, the more unequal women become, and there speech is less heard and reduced to “Only words”. (MacKinnon) Women are then left to remain silent. If true equality between male and female persons is to be achieved, we cannot ignore the threat to equality resulting from exposure to audiences of certain types of violent and degrading material. (Mackinnon, 101)