You're the one that said both child abuse images and other crime images should be punished the same way. They often punish child porn downloaders the same as if they abused a child. It's not reasonable. Just as punishing someone who collected murder pictures the same as if they murdered is not reasonable.

So treat them the same? Treat people who collect images of murder the same as if they killed someone? That's about how they treat people who look at pictures of child abuse. Both are very distasteful. But a person with images is nothing like the person who committed the actual crime, unless and until they ever do something similar themselves. Browsing the internet, even looking at very distasteful things, shouldn't be punishable by long prison sentences. That should be for the actual crime, only. In a sane society that's how it would be. Actually, in many (more sane) countries, just looking at things on the internet, and not actually doing them, isn't a huge crime like in the USA. Things are going to have to move in that direction, eventually.

Yes, I am not saying they are wrong to go after people doing something illegal under current law, whether I think it should be illegal and hyped up as it is or not. The problem is that they use it to go after people who didn't even have anything to do with it. Please don't let them do that. It would be like searching everyone's home just in case they might have drugs, just because some people nearby did. The government really needs to get more respectful of people's right not to be searched without probable cause.

But you can never actually take something down from the internet. Thousands of copies will still exist. Even though they (unreasonably, I might add) punish these many holders of the evidence often as hard as the person who actually committed the crime. They don't do this when people download copies of evidence of other crimes on the internet. Despite the fact that people suffer at least as much in those other crimes, and people also get enjoyment from those things. And get no punishment for that. Thanks for being respectful, though.

It shouldn't be illegal, anymore than stuff on sites like rotten.com is illegal. Information should be free. It's distasteful, yes. But that's why most people wouldn't want to look at it. Anymore than most people would want to look at rotten.com or beheading videos or a video of an adult getting raped. It's creepy stuff. Go after the people that actually hurt the children. All this emphasis on bad pictures gives the government endless opportunities to erode freedoms.

Pedophile means that the person has a condition called "pedophilia". It does not mean they break the law. It's not illegal to be attracted to children. Most people with pedophilia live their lives legally and deal with their attractions to children (which they cannot change) legally, also. Pedophile does not equal child molester. Just as someone who just thinks about robbing a bank is not a bank robber. This short article tells the real deal about pedophiles: http://www.commonatheist.com/ped.htm

Actually: "Scientists at the Toronto center have uncovered a series of associations that suggest pedophilia has biological roots. Among the most compelling findings is that 30% of pedophiles are left-handed or ambidextrous, triple the general rate. Because hand dominance is established through some combination of genetics and the environment of the womb, scientists see that association as a powerful indicator that something is different about pedophiles at birth." source: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/local/la-me-pedophiles-20130115

Correct. It is more an excuse to clamp down on the general population than anything. You always need a scapegoat.

Sure, let them slowly take away everyone's free speech because of 0.1 percent of people looking at rotten.com type of material on the internet.

They certainly did not have the right to mess with Tormail. That would be like attacking bittorrent because some are using it for an illegal purpose. People need free and anonymous communication, without the government attacking every tool people have for that purpose.

You are correct. Pedophile does not equal child molester. Being a pedophile means a person has an attraction to children, it says nothing about whether they practice this attraction. Many do not and therefore deserve the same respect as anyone else. Also, many non-pedophiles molest just for the feeling of power, because a child was the only partner available, among other reasons. The issue is complex. This article changed my mind about pedophiles. http://www.commonatheist.com/ped.htm

Pedophilia is a sexual preference that is as unchangeable as hetero or homo-sexuality. Actually practicing it sexually with a child is illegal, yes. But most with pedophilia are non-practicing and hurt no one. That is the real story you don't see on tv. Pedophile does not equal child molester. This is starting to become better known. http://www.commonatheist.com/ped.htm [commonatheist.com]