Finally: People Speaking Up About How Censoring Craigslist Helps 'Pimps, Child Traffickers & Other Abusive Scumbags'
from the preach-it dept
We've been saying for years that the political granstanding efforts against Craigslist do the exact opposite of their intended purpose. They certainly don't stop prostitution or child trafficking. They just drive it further underground. Craigslist has become a very useful tool for monitoring, tracking and cracking down on such illegal activities. However, every time I mention it, some people get upset that I "just don't understand" the horrors of child trafficking etc. Well, it's true that I certainly have no experience with it, but I don't think that changes my analysis of the situation... and it appears that others are starting to notice as well. Danah Boyd has written an excellent article explaining in direct terms "how censoring Craigslist helps pimps, child traffickers and other abusive scumbags."The problem with this logic is that it fails to account for three important differences: 1) most ISPs have a fundamental business -- if not moral -- interest in helping protect people; 2) the visibility of illicit activities online makes it much easier to get at, and help, those who are being victimized; and 3) a one-stop-shop is more helpful for law enforcement than for criminals. In short, Craigslist is not a pimp, but a public perch from which law enforcement can watch without being seen.She goes into detail on all three points. It's an incredibly eloquent defense of Craigslist that should be required reading for all of the politicians, reporters and so-called "public interest groups" that have been running the media campaign against Craigslist, without understanding these basic points. I'd love to see any of the attorneys general who have been grandstanding actually try to respond to this. I doubt any of them will.
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Filed Under: censorship, grandstanding
Companies: craigslist
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Yea I know not totally relevant but the funny thought struck me so I thought I would share... shut up I thought it was funny! I'm going to go cry into this small traffic'ed child now...
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Mike, you're wrong.
No, they are furthering their intended purpose, furthering the careers of certain asshole politicians. They have the opposite of their STATED purpose, of helping exploitation victims. However, the intent is to grandstand, not to help.
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ashamed
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Re: ashamed
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duh
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Just for fun
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State AGs are grandstanding on a flimsy soapbox
CL only started charging for adult services after being forced into it by State AGs. Now State AGs argue that CL is making too much money off the ads--that they forced CL into charging for.
Prostitution is one issue. Trafficking in UA children for sex crimes is another. Free speech is a fundamental right given by the US Constitution.
Considering that State AGs are the highest profile example of their profession in every state, it clearly shows why lawyers are held in such low regard. They are collectively willing to trample the Constitution to further their careers.
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Regarding Craigs and "child traffickers", I'm sure some southeast asian countries have real issues with this sort of thing but knowing many of the women who work off of Craigs in my area all are doing it voluntarily, many prefer working for themselves and many are educated, over 30, down to earth people who aren't being beaten by some stereotyped "pimp". I actually lived in a state that had rational laws regarding prostitution but seeing that we were the only ones in the nation, the local politicos had to change (I'm speaking about Rhode Island) and made sure we all had a nanny state in our bedrooms making sure "THE CHILDREN" were protected.
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Child Trafficking
please do watch http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/479
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It would probably help for anyone wishing to more fully grasp where I stand on all this to read my recent Facebook posting at http://bit.ly/bGm4ox
To Ms Boyd: Thank you for your thoughtful and skillfully-crafted article. You clearly mean well; and to the depths of my soul, I know that you are, indeed, the passionate (and compassionate) activist for women's rights and protection that you claim. But, godloveya', that you clearly believe there can be such a thing as "consentual prostitution" (as may be intuited from your stated belief there can be such a thing as the nonconsentual kind) conveys to me -- who has spent many more years than you (and far deeper in the trenches while) understanding prostitution, and helping those victimized by it -- that your grasp of it all is intellectual, at best... and sorely misguided and flawed, in any case.
I would give almost anything for the chance to help you see prostitution, and all which surrounds it, as I have... so that perhaps you would stop both believing and writing such as you've written here.
I'll probably write a fully-developed rebuttal, but at the moment I'm so exhausted from processing all the ways that you're just... I'm sorry... just WRONG in this piece, that...
...well... I honestly barely know where to begin.
[sigh] We'll see.
Peace.
______________________________________
Gregg L. DesElms
Napa, California USA
gregg at greggdeselms dot com
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