After listening to this clip (John Grisham Excuses Child Porn), I just had to respond. This is an open letter to Mr. John Grisham, posted on his Facebook page. I would encourage you to write your objection to his statement on his wall, too. 

Mr. Grisham:

I have just listened to your comments in regards to men who download child pornography, and I am absolutely stunned. I have always respected you, Mr. Grisham, but the statements you made leave me deeply troubled. I fear you have been blinded to the truth by your own good impression of your friend. I appreciate that he may have made a tragic mistake, but to draw the conclusion that our society is wrongly imprisoning “sixty-year-old white men” is both ignorant and racist. However, it is not as egregious as suggesting that downloading child porn is a victim-less offense.

My husband and I serve on the prison and aftercare mission field in New England, and we have ministered to many sexual offenders. I know very well that these men are not animals. I have great compassion for their brokenness. Yet, I recognize they have committed an offense against a child, a family, and our society. To deny that is the same as suggesting that child’s life has no worth at all. I hope that is not what you really think.

Mr. Grisham, I would encourage you to take the time to educate yourself on this subject, before speaking about it again. I would also urge you to apologize to the many victims and families of victims of child pornography. In order for an image to be viewed, a child’s life must be sacrificed. And, it is never a willing sacrifice, sir. It is taken by force, leaving a devastated and wounded soul who sometimes can never recover. I plead with you to reconsider what you have said. Your words were insensitive and oblivious to the human suffering child pornography causes every day. No one should ever speak so nonchalantly about something so horrifying.

And, I must add: it doesn’t matter how old a child appears. She is still a child, and a grown man has no business looking at her with lust in his heart. Any man aroused by a child needs to seek counseling. As you do not seem to know anything about this subject, I will tell you that all pornography use has the potential of leading the user to eventually acting out. Your friend should thank God he was stopped, before it went any further. Studies have shown the impact of internet pornography on the human brain. This is nothing to speak of lightly, especially for a man of your position and influence.

Thank you very much for your time. I sincerely hope you will read this message, and receive it with the same good will with which it is being sent.

Sincerely yours,
Caroline Gregan
New Brothers, Inc.