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Battle against pornography must be tough
2006-09-03 09:56:03
By Editor
Understanbly, the documentary film Darwin’s nightmare has kicked off a lot of dust, heavily weighed on the side of those who view it as a deliberate scheme by the producer to cast Mwanza, and specifically the export aspect of the fishing industry in negative light.
Whenever and wherever anyone, and more-so a foreigner, seeks to undermine Tanzania’s image, we, as any people elsewhere, have the right and indeed the patriotic obligation to defend ourselves and hit back hard at the schemer.
Granted, the film projects Mwanza, and by extension Tanzania, in negative light. It is damaging, and whatever initiatives have been taken at presidential level downwards are intended to both control the damage and block recurrence in future.
Movies, and other forms of electronically-relayed information and images, are very powerful and as such, their effects, positive or negative are bound to be very big.
The negative effects of Darwin’s nightmare are (if not arrested) bound to be of an economic and diplomatic nature: crippling the fishing sector and lowering Tanzania’s esteem in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Away from the economy and the world of diplomacy, pornography is a curse that has not been adequately addressed. Much is said, in various fora, about the effects of pornography, and especially to the young generation.
It is as well that sentiments on pornography are being expressed, loudly, clearly and bitterly: drawing attention, listing the effects and consequences, condemning the perpetrators, and demanding decisive action.
What is clearly lacking is action to stamp out the vice, by way of netting the culprits who are broadly in three categories importers and distributors of pornographic video tapes, producers of such tapes on the domestic front and those who accept to feature in the dirty scenes.
Pornography has an alarmingly corruptive influence on the morality of the watchers, and especially young people, who society banks upon as a decent and resourceful mature citizenry of the future.
Tackling pornography, therefore, entails a big, consistent crackdown, given the threat it poses on our society. Herculian though the mission may seem and sound, at the outset, it is not insurmountable, given that the law enforcement organs can apply their skills to solicit and follow up on hints on the whos, and hows, of the dirty business.
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