A Word to the Wise

So, I'm studying child pornography in class.
Not the pornography itself, so much as the law regarding it.

Just to be clear. :)

Anyways, if any of you really didn't know, child pornography is illegal. (I know, it's shocking). Let me be specific about just how illegal it is. In fact, let's do a one-question pop quiz.

You could be imprisoned for:
a) Making child pornography
b) Distributing child pornpgraphy
c) Purchasing child pornography
d) Receiving child pornography
e) Posessing child pornography
f) Viewing child pornography on an internet browser
g) All of the above

I'm not telling the answer (because I am assuming that no one reading this is that dumb). Child pornography is a major multi-billion dollar industry (unfortunately). Because of the internet, it can be very difficult for law enforcement to find and prosecute enough of the individuals invovled to really do much about the problems (very much like audio file-sharing or pirated DVD's). In response, Congress has passed broad, sweeping legislation that criminalizes a variety of acts (as listed above in our little quiz).

So anyways, after spending six hours of class time talking about all this, a student in my class raised his hand to speak (the gentleman had a thick French accent, but you can pretend with any accent you want). Here's the exchange:

Teacher: "Yes?"
Student: "So I was looking at child porn on the internet--"
Class: "?!?"
Teacher: "Okay, wait."
Student: "What?"
Teacher: "You were looking at child porn on the internet?"
Student: "Yes, I wanted to--"
Teacher: "Don't...don't do that--Everyone? Don't look at child pornography on the internet."
Class: (Laughter)
Student: "But it's real."
Class: (Laughter)
Teacher: "Yes, and that's an especially good reason. Look, for anyone who doesn't know, you can get in a lot of trouble for looking at child pornography."
Student: "But I wanted to see if it was true or if it was a myth. But it's there. And it's so easy to get!"
Class: (Laughter)

Learn from this man, people. It's not long until he's deported. Don't let his deportation be a waste.