We’re only halfway through 2018 and there have already been 23 reported school shootings. Clearly something is wrong…. but is porn to blame? Republican Congresswoman Diane Black seems to think so.
Speaking to a group of ministers, Black fingered porn as the culprit for the surging trend in school shootings. “Pornography is available on the shelf when you walk into a grocery store, yeah, you have to reach up on the shelf to get it but it’s available, all of this is available without parental guidance,” states Black.
Black’s view of teen porn consumption is a couple of decades old—teenagers aren’t exactly reaching for the glossy pages of Playboy these days. If anything, the availability of porn in grocery stores has decreased because there isn’t much of a market demand for the magazines anymore. Porn is consumed behind closed doors, on phones and laptops. Sure, the availability has increased, but not the way Rep. Black has indicated.
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As a mother of three sons, and an award-winning adult star, Alana Evans calls it irresponsible to blame porn for the violence in school shootings, citing no relation between the two. “In essence, she’s saying my job is causing children to murder other children and yet it didn’t have that effect on my kids, who are doing really well,” says Evans, who is the proud parent of a U.S. Marine, a college graduate and a second-year college student at a prestigious university.
While raising her children, Evans was hyperaware of what type of media exists online and just how easy it is to access. Being involved with her kids, monitoring their activities and offering parental guidance is key—and something she feels is lacking these days. “The fact of the matter is, parents are not watching their children. iPads, TVs, laptops, phones—these have become a substitute for childcare,” says Evans. “I’ve seen moms out with their kids and they’re on their cell phone the entire time, they’re modeling that behavior for their kids. It’s time for parents to put down their devices and get involved. Stop blaming porn for everything.”
Rep. Black made a blanket statement blaming porn for the increase in school shootings with little supporting evidence, to say the least. Porn has long been a target for the Republican Party, but using murdered children to push an unassociated agenda is a new low. These days, parents are practically putting their children’s lives in danger each time they send them to school, and as an avid NRA supporter, Rep. Black might be hesitant to acknowledge the true “root cause.”
“Shame on you Representative Black,” says adult star Kelley Cabbana. The problem isn’t porn; the root cause, in Cabbana’s opinion, is a combination of mental-health issues and easily-accessed firearms. And the real issues are not being addressing when politicians use porn as an excuse. “As a society we have to work better at the problem at hand and not be so quick to blame and shame,” says Cabbana. “Representative Black should have to retract what she said or explain it in further detail.”
Adult star Tana Lea is also frustrated with the hypocrisy. Millions of people—including our president—consume adult content, and yet they blame XXX entertainment for larger cultural issues in our society. “Social media is bigger than it’s ever been. Kids don’t play with toys anymore, they’re online all the time, and that’s part of the issue,” says Lea. “People seem to think porn stars are the scum of the earth but they all watch porn. Representative Black is probably upset because her husband watches porn.”
Let’s focus on the issues instead of attacking an industry that provides a healthy sexual outlet, says professional dominatrix Evelyn Milano. “Kids aren’t getting the help and support they need. No one’s teaching them how to cope with stress and depression,” says Milano. Citing mental illness and bullying as some of the main culprits, Milano feels there’s not enough available resources in the form of counselors or other school authorities to help kids navigate the emotional roller coaster of growing up.
“Representative Black is out of touch with reality. She mentions skipping school and wearing trench coats as ‘signs.’ I wore trench coats and skipped school all the time and I’ve never thought about shooting up a school,” says Milano.
Speaking about the therapeutic benefits of her work, Milano points out that society’s negative view of pornography is more of a problem than porn itself. We need more outlets and resources for people of all ages, not less. “Don’t blame porn. Porn is a positive outlet for people’s needs. Tons of my clients are married and they are afraid to express their sexual fetishes with their wives, afraid the fetish is seen as a negative thing,” says Milano.
Where are their parents? What is their home life like? Why is it so easy for a kid to get a gun anyway? These are just a few of the questions we should be asking, according to adult star Alexis Fawx. “I’m a military vet. I can go to a gun show, barely flash my credentials, and walk out with an AR-15. Let’s think about that. Gun magazines are everywhere… or look at YouTube. YouTube is kicking out informational cannabis videos and yet you can still learn how to make a bomb on YouTube. Where’s the responsibility?” says Fawx. “Vote Diane Black out, we don’t need that negativity and mindset in a leader.”
Politicians have the ability to change how our society deals with these school shootings but scapegoating perpetuates the problem. Blaming porn, or social media, or overburdened parents only further divides us. Yes, parents should be educating their children but maybe, between the two or three jobs they juggle to pay rent and childcare, they do the best they can. What we have is a lack of community—a weak system with no support for working parents. How many school shootings and dead children will it take to make people realize we’re in this together?
