Freedom of Speech: A pedophiles best friend?

Freedom of Speech. It's the first amendment of the United States Constitution. It is allowing me to write this blog right now. However I have recently started to think about the parameters of this gigantic thing. Personally I feel that everyone should have the right to express their opinion. If someone doesn't like something they should have the right to say so. But what I have been wondering lately is if their needs to be a limit on this freedom. Now before you get all mad, hear me out you'll understand what I mean by the end of this blog entry.

I recently heard about a website where pedophiles, essentially trade stories and/or fantasy's. The site doesn't operate underground, it is legal. Why? The reason being there aren't pictures and as far as the U.S is concerned the site is protected under the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech). So while it maybe sick, there's really not much that can be done about it.

Now when I said that I believe in Freedom of Speech that's true but it comes with an asterisk. Freedom of Speech is great as long as it doesn't hurt anybody physically. The problem with sites like the one I mentioned is that they condone physical harm. Now these people may not term it as rape, but when it comes down to it, that's what their "fantasy's" are. Some people may say that this type of site is OK, as long as it's all fantasy and that it may even keep pedophiles from actually harming a real child.

Reality Check: While reading stories may satisfy someones appetite for awhile eventually it is not going to be enough. It's the same idea as looking at porn will satisfy someones urgings for sex. It might work for awhile, but eventually that person is going to want the real thing as much if not more than they did before. Pedophilia is disturbing, it is wrong and so far has proven itself to be more or less uncontrollable. If somebody is visiting the type of site previously mentioned, they are looking to satisfy some type of need or want. That site could come dangerously close to being a "how to lesson" for a pedophile more than an "appetite suppressant."

So no, I'm not against freedom of speech, I love it and I exercise mine as you can tell. But I don't think that the founding fathers of the United States intended the First Amendment to protect child molesters. So while it should be OK for a person to voice their displeasure with a current war. It should not be allowed for that person to voice their fantasy of molesting a child, and sharing how they would or did do it with others.

The Law

There is a group out there called Abuse Freedom United, which is trying to get new legislation passed that would force website hosting companies to be responsible for the content they post on their servers.
With all its benefits the Internet has unfortunately become a major tool for pedophiles. Child porn sites exist in mass numbers, these sites allow pedophiles to view, download and trade images of children being molested. Websites that do not contain pornographic images also exist, where pedophiles essentially trade ideas. While freedom of speech is a great thing there needs to be a line when it starts hurting others. These sites are dangerous to all children, even ones that have not been molested yet. The fact that pedophiles can so easily trade information and even pictures should be alarming to everyone.
I am only 21 years old when I was younger, right before the Internet’s use became common place, I was always warned of “stranger danger.” For whatever reason, I don’t really understand why, I came up with this picture of a man lurking in the bushes in a park somewhere. The scary thing today is it is no longer sufficient to be wary of the man lurking in the bushes of the neighborhood park. That park has morphed into the computer, and that bush has become the Internet.
I realize that this subject remains under the radar for many people, some may even question the true existence of these sites. I was one of those that, never really thought about it until a year and a half ago when while surfing the Internet I accidentally came across a website containing graphic images that were child pornography. The pictures were alarming to say the least. It is important that people get involved to get this purposed law passed. The law would seriously decrease the ease in which pedophiles can share information. Getting these people off the Internet makes not only it, but everywhere safer for children. Obviously I realize making it harder for pedophiles to share information on the Internet will not eliminate the problem of child abuse but it will make it harder for pedophiles to “brag” to their friends about what they have done or share other types of information.