From: Ursa_M Subject: ASSC: AFTSD: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit .... Okay, here is my AFTSD contribution. Folks, we live today in a society that just doesn't know where is it coming from or going to. We have all of the elements of the Puritans trying to destroy the liberties of those of us who think that life is to be enjoyed, offset by people crazy enough to believe that sex is more dangerous than violence. I am continually appalled by the violent trash that makes its way to our children while we ignore the benefits of love and sex, and we fail to educate our kids in these areas. Why do the police care what happens between consenting adults that hurts no one? It's easier than doing the real job in the community and gets better press. I don't want the government in my bedroom or strip club. Where does the religious right get off in dictating their version of professed morality on the rest of us! They lie and scheme and screw around as much as anyone else yet come on as if they have the pipeline to the message of the Almighty. I believe the Lord gave us our senses and minds and bodies to enjoy, not to hurt others, not to comply with someone's perverted idea of what "sin" is. People are generally pretty good, but are beaten down into believing that any fun and joy in life is "evil". Give me a break! What is truly evil is to see people struck down in violent acts. What is evil is to see TV shows and movies that promote violence and denigrate the value of human life. That my friends is truly perverted yet is not only tolerated, but encouraged by the media. I would much rather see people loving each other than fighting each other. I want the freedom to enjoy life and that includes the freedom to be aroused and excited by a hot lap dance. I want the freedom that allows people to enjoy sex as they want to with whomever they wish, whether they pay for it or not. Making consensual acts "criminal" only makes life worse for the sex workers. It helps perpetuate a truly criminal element that degrades these workers and takes a significant portion of their livelihood. It also puts us in the unfortunate position of having our police spending our money on issues better left to the free market. I want the police working on solving crimes that hurt people and property. Leave sex between adults alone. It is not a proper area for concern. Sex has been a successful business area for a long time. It hasn't been called the world's oldest profession for no reason. It was the first area to really cash in on the Internet and really made the VCR business take off. That should give someone a clue that this is an area important to many. The problem is that we tend not to want to vent about this subject publicly (myself included). Part of this is fear of retribution and humiliation at the hands of those who would push the too silent majority into positions they would by themselves never be in. I truly enjoy the denizens of this group and the collective message. I feel I have found a band of kindred souls interested in areas of life I find interesting including computers and sex. Let's not allow the Puritans to have the field unchallenged. America was founded on the concept of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and that should include the freedom to act as adults and partake of the pleasures of our lives. Take care all, Ursa_M