Illuminations

Let's get this pornography thing straight—or as straight as one can in such a sensitive field. Like most people (I shan't say normal people because I don't want to get involved in a semantic/psychoanalytic discussion on what is normal) I find it boring in the extreme and, more often than not, distasteful. I don't read it by choice, only occasionally as a professional obligation, and, although this will undoubtedly offend the libertarians of the left and of the underworld press (of whom more later), I think there must be some prohibition on its publication—although to be honest I'm not sure where the line is to be drawn and how you should enforce it. So we're in trouble. It's a problem— complex, emotional and often plagued by irrational considerations. But one thing I'm sure of—the collective efforts of the self‐selected unctuous do‐gooders—no matter how well intentioned some of them may be—will not allay the fears of the ordinary citizenry, and will either end in complete and abject failure, or lead to some statutory restriction of individual liberty. The odd thing is that no one really wants either of these.