On the news today was a report about the Department of Justice (USA) has subpoenaed Google. What I think it boils down to is they are trying to prosecute pornographic sites because children can access them. Google is resisting. Good for them.

My husband has the perfect idea to allow porn sites to operate and protect our children. He has composed a letter to our senators and congressperson. Please, feel free to copy this (verbatim if you wish) and send it to your representatives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To:
The Honorable xxx
United States Senate
xxx Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
-or-
United States House of Representatives
xxxx Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 From:
Your Name
Your Street
Your City, ST ZIP

21-Jan-2005

Dear Senator xxx,

The proliferation of pornographic web sites, and parental concerns over how to shield their children from them is frequently in the news. Additionally, pornographic-related e-mail spam is assaulting the in-boxes of millions of internet users who don’t want anything to do with it. What prompts my letter today is a news report concerning the government’s attempt to subpoena Google’s search records about the terms people use to surf the web, and the sites where they end up. Obviously, unrestricted pornography is a big problem for the United States, but it does not appear that we have an effective plan to deal with it.
I have a suggestion which I believe will help get this monster under control. Currently, all web sites must obtain and register a domain name in order to exist. The last two or three characters in a domain name are the top-level domain. We are all familiar with .com, .net, .org, .gov, etc. My suggestion is to enact legislation to establish .prn as a top-level domain specifically reserved for pornographic web sites. As I see it:
• ALL pornographic-related web sites must register and do their business on the .prn domain.
• There would be no “grandfathering” of old web sites domain names. The bill would establish a reasonable amount of time (not more then 6 months) for ALL pornographic-related web sites to switch to the new .prn domain.
• Non-pornographic web sites may not take advertising from pornographic web sites. In order to display pornographic web site advertising, or even have links to pornographic sites, the site on which the advertising or link appears must also be a .prn site.
• HEAVY fines would be levied on violators.
In my opinion, this is NOT a freedom of speech issue. This regulation would in no way keep someone from doing whatever they want with respect to pornography, either to put it on the web, or view it. It is no different from enacting zoning regulations limiting where “adult” clubs can be in a city.
The benefits, of course, would be many.
• Software could be installed on a computer so parents could block all .prn addresses, period. It takes all the guesswork away and gives confidence the action is effective.
• Monitoring of pornographic web sites by regulatory agencies for outlawed pornography would be infinitely easier.
• The unintentional visit to a pornographic web site (by clicking on a harmless-looking link) would be eliminated, because the web sites on which those links appear must themselves be a .prn site.
There will be more benefits, I’m sure.
I urge you to consider this suggestion and support legislation to make it law.
Sincerely,


Your name again