Should teachers be held to higher moral standards? A Massachusetts teacher is on paid administrative leave for starring in several pornographic movies. The teacher, Kevin Hogan was an English teacher, chair of the English Department and the coach of the crew team at the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden, one of the top rated schools in the country. This story has created a firestorm of controversy, mostly on whether a teacher's private life should be public.
The story was the result of a tip which led to a Fox Undercover investigation by Boston's Fox affiliate, Fox 25's investigative reporter Mike Beaudet. The story was the result of a tip from a Fox 25 viewer. While there are no details on whether the viewer has a child at the school, an interesting question arises: Why was he or she looking at gay pornographic movies in the first place?
Whenever a story such as this comes up there is always a lot of outrage from both sides. One side says that a teacher shouldn't engage in this type of conduct especially if there is a chance it could be seen by students, and the other side states if the teacher is a good teacher, it shouldn't matter what they do in their private life.
There is a bigger issue involved here and that is the general decline in morality in our society. It is obvious that there is a market for these films, if there weren't customers to buy them, they wouldn't be produced, after all this is still a capitalist, free-market economy. If the demand is out there, then there will be someone who will be willing to supply it. What is the difference between this and someone producing any other good for the market? Should anyone be stopped from earning money even if it's a way in which some may not agree with?
Again, why was the person who reported this looking at this pornography anyway? Does this person feel it is okay for him or her to buy one of these films but protect their children from it? Is this not a double standard? And again, if no one bought the stuff, it would not be produced.
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Comments: 8
With over 330 million population divided by north and south, red and blue, is there a definitive moral checklist? Do you smoke? Regularly or occasionally? Are you a functional alcoholic? Single parent? Did you have an abortion? Premarital sex? Extramarital affairs? Do you accept Jesus as your savior? How about Allah? Buddha? Lady Gaga?
When we refer to higher morals, how high from the benchmark? Where is the benchmark? The fine line between higher and lower morals is blurred by shades of gray, but sex will always be dirty (even if it's really not).
We have former felons raising children 24/7 yet we demand teachers to be moral exemplars for a lot of work and little pay. It's harsh when we refer to porn stars as people of low morals. They are no more perverse than your brother who subscribes to Playboy. Shame on her for doing it on camera. Shame on him for oogling.
What's worse, pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. Millions of perverts must be watching. That's a lot of pots judging kettles. How few of us left qualified to be mentors! So let's leave teaching to the priests. Surely none of them have ever caused harm to our kids, right?
And speaking of harm, there was no issue before the "offending" teacher was exposed. Hogan never brought porn with him to school. By all accounts he was well-liked by his students. So why was he exposed in the most ruinous way possible? Sensationalism. Nothing like scaring the public for ratings. The image of an exhibitionist next to children is frightening for parents.
What if he's a pedophile? Well, a pedophile and a porn actor are two different people. The most objectionable thing he has done is doing it with another consenting adult in front of the camera--for your eyes only--which you or many others you know enjoy (don't deny). No crime was committed. No kid was harmed. The rest is just your mind playing tricks on you.
But he's supposed to be a role model. What if my child followed in his footsteps? What's more likely to turn your child into a stripper is if she was driven away from home with no other means to support herself. It's difficult to hold on to pride when your stomach is grumbling. And if your kid told you she wants to become a porn star, she did it to annoy you. Don't take it seriously.
In the end, it's a matter of prevailing moral taste. If plenty enough parents find him distasteful, the school board will fire him. Exceptional performance won't matter, much less the students who rallied on Facebook for his return. Hogan shouldn't have risked his career in teacher for three adult videos in the first place. But what do I know what went on his mind? He was in between jobs when those videos were made. What I'm sure of is that it's in the past, but our minds won't let go. "It's a porn star. Protect the children!"
I am not one who looks at porn and I believe it does more harm than good, however, it is my choice whether or not I look at it. It's simple supply and demand, if people buy it they will continue to make it, that is where the root of the porn problem lies.
That's why you're still on the fence. How is porn harmful? Porn is the physical manifestation of the images your mind concocts when the urge to relieve yourself hits you.
Sue Johanson, sex educator and counselor, 2000: "99 percent of men of all ages masturbate regularly and the other one percent are liars." How you relieve yourself, with or without visual aid, on cam or off cam, is nothing to be ashamed of... and clearly, none of our business.
"It's simple supply and demand, if people buy it they will continue to make it, that is where the root of the porn problem lies."
People, stop being damn sexual! It's... unnatural, right?