A Huge Stimulous?

So, I'm watching CNN last night, and what do I discover? That Larry Flynt is asking the federal government to bail out the porn industry. Seriously?? This is an industry over which I personally, have very conflicted feelings...one the one hand, as a woman, a graduate of a woman's college, someone who has worked in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault, a feminist, I feel that this is a business that only serves to exploit women and perpetuate various racial and ethnic stereotypes as it pertains to female sexuality. Additionally, there have been plenty of studies that demonstrate that boys and men, especially if exposed to pornography at a younger age, and watch it excessively, end up having violent sexual tendencies, and unhealthy sexual relationships with their partners. But, on the other hand, as a liberal Democrat, I am all for freedom of speech, and love the First Ammendment. I may not, personally, like what people like Larry Flynt do, but I can appreciate their legal rights to do it. However, that doesn't mean that I want my tax-payer dollars to go to bailing them out. I didn't love the idea of the federal government bailing out Wall Street or the auto industry, either, but a great more people were being hurt, economically (and the strain on the economy, overall), in those two examples, and therefore, perhaps a bit more in need or deserving of a government bailout, than the number of people who will be hurt by the collapse of the porn industry. Remember when there was a collapse in the tech industry and computer programmers were losing jobs left and right? No one bailed out the computer companies. No one bailed out the dot coms that went under, when there was a downturn in that industry, either. But, where do we draw the line? It's okay to bailout Wall Street, the auto industry, and at various point, the airlines, but it's not okay to bailout the tech sector. And, what about all of the nonprofits that are (or, probably will be, given the downturn, currently, in the economy) closing their doors, due to lack of funding? At least the npo's are doing something to give back to their communities, and providing services to those who need them? (Does anyone really NEED to see a gang bang produced by Larry Flynt? And, if you do 1) you may be in need of therapy and 2) get HBO.) At point do the bailouts end? And, should they? Where is the line between helping an industry that is suffering from a downturn in the economy and helping a company who is being hurt by their own business practices? (ie...the American auto industry not doing more to make fuel efficient cars...perhaps the auto industry should have been bailed out by the oil industry.) And, who has the moral authority to make that judgement, on any level? "We're not going to bail you out, because you just ran a poor business...we're not going to bail you out, because we don't like your business." But, as an American citizen and a tax payer, I certainly don't want to see any more people lose their jobs, their homes, their businesses, as someone who works in the nonprofit sector, I want to see the economy get better, as much as anyone. But, as a woman (and, still a citizen and tax payer), if Larry Flynt's business is suffering, perhaps he should have a business that doesn't promote the exploitation of women.