Art or Porn? Essay Example

Nabokov are not punished despite their controversial content. The issue of defining obscenity and art is brought up, with Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous claim that he knows it when he sees it. Personally, the speaker believes that pornography involving child abuse, like that produced by Karen Fletcher, should be prosecuted as words can have a significant impact.

While Fletcher’s stories may not have physically harmed any children, the potential harm they can cause through twisted interpretations is a concern. Pitts’ assertion that Fletcher’s works are not missed is valid since her stories promote the heinous acts of child rape, torture, and murder. These actions are illegal in the United States and carry no redeeming value. From my perspective, Fletcher’s stories lack artistic merit and are simply nonsensical.

While discussing the prosecution of Fletcher, I am not convinced by Pitts' argument that it was unwarranted. The matter of where the line between obscenity and art is drawn, and who holds the power to decide this, remains unaddressed in his viewpoint. Pitts only responds to whether or not the government should limit such content. He ultimately expresses mistrust towards the government's capability to distinguish between obscenity and art. As for Fletcher's rights to freedom of expression as a citizen being violated through her prosecution, if she genuinely believed this to be true, why did she not resist?