Tara Tainton

I've said it a million times. I've written it, and I've worn it as well. I've also lived it... I've sent countless adult magazines, posters, DVDs, photos, and sex toys overseas to provide my soldier friends at war with exactly what they really, really want.... what they miss from home, what they need to keep their heads level and "real life" in their mind's eye.

"Make porn, not war." My live-in lover wears the message on his t-shirt. We carry it around on the license plate bracket on our car.

"Support the troops. Send 'em porn!" "Support the troops. Send 'em the care packages Mom won't!" "Help raise morale. Send the troops porn!" Yeah, we say, live, and wear these ideas as well. And so do our military friends.

In fact, US military men are speaking up, publicly, for what they want, what they need, and what is damn necessary for getting them through all that comes with earning that extra hazardous duty pay while away from home. I'm behind you all the way, boys! (And I'd be behind the gals too, of course... except, they don't happen to be mentioned in this particular bit of news.)

Legislation's in the works to ban specific "men's magazines" on military bases around the globe. And believe me... that's a lot of locations. And the members of the US military - well, most of them - are up in arms about it. They're saying what we know and support: porn helps morale. And when at war, morale is almost as valuable and life-sustaining as ammo itself.

Military.com clued me in on what's going on. They've republished an article originally appearing in Stars and Stripes, written by Seth Robson. Read "Soldiers Say Porn Ban May Hurt Morale" in full.

"U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., has introduced legislation that would close a loophole in the current law that allows the sale of some sexually explicit material on military bases by lowering the threshold required to deem material 'sexually explicit.'

A Department of Defense committee that reviews materials sold on bases ruled last year that magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse are not pornographic. But Broun's Military Honor and Decency Act includes language that could make those magazines eligible for the ban."

PFC Paul Rubio says they all read the mags. "'There are times we just read 'em for the technological parts like the new gadgets that come out. They have good stories sometimes too.'

Sgt. Simon Brown, 34, of Daytona Beach, Fla., said men's magazines build morale. 'It's not all about the pictures, although 80 percent of it is,' he said. Pfc. Greg Smith, 21, of Northboro, Mass., a regular Playboy reader, said soldiers should be allowed to buy nudie magazines at the exchange. 'Playboy is good entertainment while you are on the can. They have jokes and good stories,' he said.

And the outrage doesn't end there.

"Some soldiers say magazines that could be banned are particularly important downrange. Brown deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 and 2005 and is preparing to go to Iraq with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade this summer. When he was in Afghanistan he was one of the first to pick up a new copy of Maxim or FHM when it came out, he said.

"'It would suck if they ban it," he said. "It's bad enough we are down there to begin with. Taking that away would be like a knife in the chest. I'm not saying I'm depending on Maxim to keep me alive over there, but it helps.'"

What's said on the other side of the argument? Oh, the same old opinions always associated with the subject of adult material. They say the accessibility of these magazines is connected with an increased number of sexual assaults. They say that the publications aren't positive at all and offer no value whatsoever. They say indulging in such material degrades society.

I don't think those views will ever end. Not until those arguing against the existence of pornographic material make the decision to actually educate themselves on the material they're actually "against." And not until those holding the same opinions start giving individuals credit for their own actions, decisions, and positive or negative behavior.

It's not the mags that do harm. It's a puritan society that fails to educate and openly discuss that does.

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michael g.b. | 2008-05-16 08:17 soldiers live and work and fight to defend and protect and insure "freedom" . . . why should soldiers not have their own freedom to read what they choose limited or curtailed or censored? . . . it is counter-productive and actually sends the wrong signal about "liberty and freedom of speech and of thought" . . . soldiers are adults . . and have a right to read and look at adult material if they want to . . .

jon   | 2008-05-16 23:05 I was just going to say the same thing Michael just stated. I think IF they ban the sale of these magazines (which is a ridiculous waste of our government's time and our tax dollars) we should be able to send crates of them through the red cross or USO. I bet the magazine publishers themselves would help. These folks deserve our support

Brandon   | 2008-05-17 09:21 of course you already know my views on the whole thing, being that i personally wear my official "Help Raise Morale: Send the Troops Porn" shirt all over Ft. Riley, getting quite the dirty looks i might add. I was stationed at one of the three largest bases in Iraq, that being Camp Anaconda in Balad. i can say from personal experience that i never saw a single issue of Playboy or Penthouse sold there. They are in the states, but not over there. I know there are rumors about Maxim and FHM being banned on US bases as well. I remember one of our first convoys south of Baghdad. We were assigned a tent to sleep in, and in this tent was about 30 hardcore dirty magazines, which were snatched up quicker than you could blink. it was refreshing to find them there, but at the same time it was sad because it really did feel like we were breaking the law and had to be secretive about having them... absolutely ridiculous. was it not enough that we were risking our lives escorting Subway ingredients all over Iraq? the very least the military could do is give the right to buy magazines that could help "relieve" some tension. i've never been happier to have about three weeks left in my contract... don't forget... the military preserves democracy, not practice it.

Tara, your Admiring WebMistress   | 2008-05-18 00:46 Powerful comments... and you all know I couldn't agree with your views more. Thank you for sharing your own views and raising your voices as well! xoxo

Tara Tainton Fans & Friends | 2008-06-07 16:34 MIchael Troop 05/30/2008 02:49 AM I was a soldier for many years, asked to kill for my country and did it very well but republicans are trying to take every right the SM has away, from the right to smoke, to the right to drink beer, even the right to vote while overseas. Now, the right to yank the chicken is being taken away. The public only knows a bit of what sacrifices SMs make for their country and each day, they have fewer rights of their own but they protect you and your rights every day. They are grown men and women but cannot shit without permission now and even canned air used to clean computers is not allowed for SMs for fear they might use it to get high. WOW, fighting for freedom and they have none of their own, and now, another simple pleasure being taken away by a congressman from Georgia. Tara, your Adoring WebMistress 06/02/2008 12:44 PM Thank you so much for adding your own personal experiences and perspective, Michael!

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