After reading “Porn’s growing legitimacy in academia” (April 7, p.3), I couldn’t help but feel disappointment as a result of the attitudes of some of our Boston University professors, students and the general collegiate society as a whole.

The fact that we have come to a point in our community where pornography — a $57 billion industry worldwide that profits from the degradation of women, men and children — is being brought into our classrooms is distressing, unacceptable and wrong. While Gillian Mason, the Metropolitan College women’s history professor, may think that porn’s involvement in our learning environment is beneficial in “offering students a new way to look at an undeniable part of modern culture,” I would beg to differ. Just because porn is an “undeniable” part of our culture does not mean we should surrender to its filth. What is this “new way” we are supposed to look at it? Why not take a look at the reality of the business? Luke Ford, quoted by CBS News said, “Most girls who enter the porn industry do one video and quit. The experience is so painful, horrifying, embarrassing and humiliating for them that they never do it again.”

Beyond this objectification of women, sexual crimes against children are yet another result of the industry. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that “one in five children ages 10-17 who regularly use the internet have received a sexual solicitation while online” and “one in four were unwillingly exposed to images of naked people or people having sex.” Child pornography generates $3 billion annually in the United States alone — emphasis on child here! I cannot believe that in order to “more fully” understand a graphic theatrical scene in a writing seminar the professor would bring pornography into the class — yet another person fueling this sleazy business. Was a visual image really that necessary? It’s too bad that something that hurts and even destroys relationships, feeds crime and debases people all over the world is so casually justified and accepted.

Hailey Card CFA ’09