Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that the first thing about Catullus that may strike a modern reader is his frequent preoccupation with sex in general, and with obscenity in particular. The writer maintains that this is in stark contrast with his love poems about lesbians. Further, the writer points out that it has been said that Catullus sought in love not sexual transport but a deep human union which would last a whole lifetime.

From the Paper
"On examination an argument can be made that these two facets were flip sides of the same coin, and together offer a complete and direct look into the mind and heart of Catullus. They reveal to us two honest, although contradictory, faces of the same man. Like all of us, Catullus encapsulates dark and light in one person. He is highly unusual in that he communicates both sides so directly and personally with his readers. It seems that the obscenity, along with the love and pain, has the same function: they achieve the direct and honest expression that Catullus clearly desired."

Tags:catullus, poetry, obscenity

Abstract
This paper discusses how Americans despise obscenity by and large, but have always had a problem with identifying just what was obscene and why. This study maintains that while popular and legal definitions may vary, some people may simply consider something obscene if it is forced upon them rather than when they purposely seek out such literary materials or artistic works for themselves for prurient or other reasons. A summary of the research and important findings is provided in the conclusion.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Arbiters of Obscenity and Their Implications for Artists and the Media
Conclusion

From the Paper
"According to Kidd, there was essentially no due process provided the artist in this unfair association between him and denied Mapplethorpe his "day in court" in which he could voice his rebuttals; rather, the case was an example of an arbitrary - and some say capricious - decision by the Institute for Contemporary Art as to what they regarded as obscene, and they got paid handsomely for the privilege of designating Mapplethorpe's work as being obscene: "The key decisions that implicated the NEA in the funding of 'obscenity' were made not by the artist, and not even by the NEA, but by mediating arts organizations -- specifically, the Institute for Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, that used a $30,000 NEA grant to mount a retrospective of Mapplethorpe's photography" (Kidd, 2003, p. 6). By any measure, Mapplethorpe's works could be viewed as being inappropriate for certain age groups or others, depending on the unique individual factors involved, but the same issues that affected the Mapplethorpe outcome are at play in virtually every instance of the obscenity determination."

Tags:controlling, precedents, legal, television, internet, Age, of, Information, choice

Abstract
The paper presents two questions to be answered regarding whether the courts should view obscenity as a sexual equality issue or as a freedom of expression issue. The paper offers the answer that gender is irrelevant.

From the Paper
"When is "free speech" not "free speech"? The answer is when the courts, including the Supreme Court decide. There have been numerous cases brought to all sorts of courts- federal as well as state, trying to seek a definition for "obscenity" that can withstand the test of time as well as the changing mores of the population. However, in one landmark case, "Miller vs. State of California", the Supreme Court held that obscenity was not protected by the First Amendment. In this case, the majority decision (against the plaintiff) was written by then-Chief Justice Burger who stated that "we are called [413 U.S. 15, 20] A'A on to define the standards..."

Tags:supreme court, libel, free speech

From the Paper
"Any discussion of a national obscenity standard must begin with the question: Does one exist? The 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. California, along with subsequent clarifying decisions, declared that from then on local communities would in effect establish their own rules and standards of what was and was not obscene. What's more, the court "specifically rejected the concept of a nationwide "contemporary community standard," and left to the individual states" to determine the scope of the community upon which questionable material might be judged (Linz, 1994, 82). Thus, at the time many thought this might abolish for good any thought of a national standard. Not surprisingly, however, considering the unpredictability of American public life, the high court's ruling has raised surprising ..."

Abstract
"Berl Kutchinsky, in "Obscenity and Pornography: Behavioral Aspects," states that "In the twentieth century the issue of pornography, like that of environmental pollution, has grown from insignificance to the status of a 'major social problem'" (Kutchinsky, 1983, p. 1077). In

From the Paper
"Berl Kutchinsky, in "Obscenity and Pornography: Behavioral Aspects," states that "In the twentieth century the issue of pornography, like that of environmental pollution, has grown from insignificance to the status of a 'major social problem'" (Kutchinsky, 1983, p. 1077). In fact, Kutchinsky clearly means to hold up the phrase "major social problem" in describing pornography in order to show that the term does not apply in reality to pornography. This report will examine the ways in which Kutchinsky demonstrates that, in fact, there is little if any evidence to support the argument that pornography can legitimately qualify as a major social problem. The reader finishes Kutchinsky article with the clean impression that the author believes pornography is hardly a legitimate social problem at all."

Abstract
The paper discusses obscenity in the form of sexual explicitness and wanton violence in the media and questions whether the media can claim 'freedom of speech' as a reason for using sex and violence to sell their products and films. The paper examines the effect of violent and offensive media on children and society as a whole.

From the Paper
"These acts of violence include not only murder, but also rape, other forms of sexual assault, assault and aggravated assault, and robbery. In 1996, juvenile offenders accounted for more than 40 % of all instances of serious violent crime (all the above except for simple assault), and some 30% of the perpetrators of all violent crimes were juveniles. (Snyder and Sickmund. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report) That these inappropriate behaviors are influenced by the images seen on television, in video games, and in other media is not in doubt. The typical American child watches an average of twenty-eight hours of television a week. By the time this child has reached the age of eighteen, he will have witnessed some 16,000 television murders and 200,000 sundry acts of violence."

Tags:Chicago, Hope, network, censors, sexual, assaults, Osbournes

Abstract
The question of the intersection of law and morality is one that has been the subject of debate among philosophers and jurists for centuries. In this essay the debate between Patrick Devlin and H. L. A .Hart with respect to the relationship between law and morality is explored with reference to R. v. Butler, a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on the question of obscenity. The paper argues that in the Butler decision the Supreme Court adopted the utilitarian justification - as described by Hart - in its approval of the limitation of the freedom of expression of Donald Butler.

Tags:law, morality, ethics

Abstract
Leo Groarke, in his article "Pornography, Censorship, and Obscenity Law in Canada," presents an analysis of the issues of censorship, pornography and their co-existence with the principles of free speech and freedom of expression, in Canada and the United States. This analysis explores these issues from a primarily Canadian perspective, beginning with an analysis of the philosophical and theoretical foundations of these issues and extending this to their application in case law and legislation. Within this context, Groarke argues that while proposed legislation in Canada with regard to pornography and freedom of speech are flawed in that they do not take into account the complexities of these issues, it is nonetheless possible to reconcile restrictions on access to pornographic materials while still maintaining the principle of freedom of thought, speech and expression in our society.

From the Paper
"Pornography and the First Amendment
Erotic literature, depictions, and displays have been common in all cultures since ancient times, with some of the earliest examples belonging to the ancient Greek civilization, which frequently celebrated the human form in art.1 Although not as prevalent as during the Greek period, erotic art continued to be produced throughout the Roman period, Middle Ages, and Renaissance.2 Throughout these times, little attempt was made by governments to censor or regulate these materials, except during the Puritan period in England and the American colonies during the 17th Century.3


Protected under. the First Amendment of the Constitution, there has been much debate as to what constitutes speech. It is generally agreed that conduct, in order to be protected, must..."

From the Paper
"The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech." And although the First Amendment specifically mentions only Congress, the provision now applies to protect the free speech rights of each individual from all governmental intrusion, including local, state and federal. In many ways, the evolution of the right to free speech in the United States illustrates the social and political history of the nation. Begun as a contested amendment to the Constitution, the right to freedom of speech has become one of the central tenets of American democracy."