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National commission studies pornography's effects
By WENDY JOHNSON
Staff Writer
A t the verbal request of
President Reagan, Attorney
General Edwin Meese ap
pointed an 11-member commission
on pornography in May 1985. The
commission's task — to study the ef
fects of pornography on human be
havior.
"The president said he had heard
from many segments of the country
on this issue and thought it was
something that needed to be looked
into," says Dee Kuhn, spokeswoman
for the commission.
Pornography was last studied by
a national commission in 1970. The
earlier commission found no corre
lation between pornography and
crime. The present commission,
however, has made a "tentative pro
posed finding" that pornography
has become more graphic, more vi
olent, more sexually explicit and
more accessible since it was last
studied.
But Philip Nobile, editorial director
of Penthouse's Forum magazine told
the Houston Chronicle that he fears
the commission has already made
up its mind to recommend "repres
sive, anti-constitutional legislation"
to combat pornography.
Kuhn, however, says the panel is
merely on a fact-finding mission.
"The Attorney General told them
(they) must stay within the First
Amendment," she says.
"(Members of the panel include) a
professor, social scientists, a rever
end, a woman from Woman's Day
magazine, and a lawyer — all have
touched the field," Kuhn says. "That
was the main criterion, that they al
ready be involved in some way."
Henry Hudson, a prosecutor from
Arlington County, Va., is the chair
man of the panel.
Panel members make themselves
available one week per month to
travel to various cities to hear testi
mony. Panelists also have regular
full-time jobs.
The commission must hear all tes
timony before reporting its findings
to the Attorney General in June 1986.
The Attorney General will evaluate
the findings and report to the presi
dent if any action is to be taken.
The commission will hear testi
mony in six cities around the country
from people on both sides of the is
sues. The cities were chosen to give
a cross section of the country.
E ach of the six hearings
will be on a different aspect of
pornography. On Tuesday and
Wednesday, the commission was in
Los Angeles to hear testimony on the
production and distribution of por
nography. Members heard from tal
ent scouts and agencies on such
subjects as how pornography is per
formed and how the performers are
paid.
In September, the commission
was in Houston studying the social
issues involved in pornography,
specifically the relationship between
the use of pornography and anti-so
cial behavior such as rape. The
commission listened to testimony
from 24 social scientists, police offi
cers and alleged victims of pornog
raphy. Only two of those testifying
were from Houston.
The next hearing will be in Miami,
where child pornography will be
studied. The final hearing will be in
New York on Jan. 21 and 22, and the
subject will be the alleged involve
ment of organized crime in pornog
raphy.
The commission has no subpoena
power, and a very small budget, so
it must rely on volunteers to testify or
submit written testimony.
Written opinions and information
on the committee's subject may be
sent to The Attorney General's Com
mission on Pornography, 320 First
St. SW, Suite 1018, Washington,
D.C.20530 □
Woman dyes dogs' hair to make clothes
By VIRGIL SWING
Associated Press
SAGINAW, Minn. — While most
dog owners toss the loose hair in the
garbage without a second thought
after grooming their pets, Peggy
Swan is recycling that hair into
clothing for family and friends.
The Saginaw woman spins yam
from the dog hair, dyes it with Kool-
Aid and creates sweaters, hats and
vests that are soft to the touch, com
fortable to wear and appealing to
the eye.
"I kind of like the grape and lem
onade myself," she says.
Making clothing from animal hair
isn't unheard of — after all, that's
what wool, angora and mohair are.
at ease
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But, Swan says, "You don't want to
be ordinary. I like to do different
things."
Swan says she read about the
techniques of spinning dog hair into
yam and dyeing it in magazines.
The practice of spinning dog hair
into yarn is quite popular in some
areas, she says. "In Alaska, you
have to buy it (dog hair)," she adds.
The Swan family once raised
Samoyeds, the large, white, long
haired dogs popular in Alaska and
other northern climates. It was dur
ing that time she learned about spin
ning dog hair into yarn in a mag
azine for Samoyed owners.
Coincidentally, this came not long
after Swan had learned to use a
spinning wheel and not long before
she read about the process of dyeing
the yarn. So it's logical that her mind
brought a spinning wheel, dog hair
and Kool-Aid together into an un
usual knitting art.
Here's how it works:
Swan gets dog hair from dog
owning friends, relatives and others
aware of her hobby. She's tried
Samoyed, malemute, Newfound
land, elkhound, Shetland sheep
dog, husky and poodle hair, but
likes Samoyed best.
The hair is easily collected by
brushing shedding hair off the dogs,
she says.
Swan used to wash and comb, or
card, the hair herself but now sends
it to a St. Peter, Minn, firm specializ
ing in the process.
Then she turns the hair into yam
on her spinning wheel. Swan says
spinning dog hair is not much differ
ent from spinning other material.
Some of her garments are pure
dog hair, but she usually mixes it
with half wool because the blend is
easier to spin and to extend her sup
ply of dog hair.
The yam can be dyed with sugar-
free Kool-Aid (she's tried lemon-
lime, lemonade, grape, black
cherry and raspberry), or with cof
fee, tea and onionskins, Swan says.
The yam knitted into garments
usually is four-ply, meaning four
strands of yam from the wheel are
intertwined by running the wheel
backward. The techniques for knit
ting dog hair yam are no different
from those for other yarns, she says.
When the garments are done,
Swan doesn't try to sell them. "You
couldn't get enough to pay for your
time," she says. "So they end up as
presents." □
Taylor’s
Country & Western Dance Classes
Beginning C&W Dance
Wed., Nov. 6,13,20. Dec.
6:15-7:30 p.m.
$15
Advanced C&W Dance
Thurs., Nov. 7,14,21, Dec. 5,12
6:15-7:30 p.m.
$15
Jitterbug
Mon., Nov. 4,11,18,25, Dec. 2
6:15-7:30 p.m.
$15
to stay and dance free after each meeting!
Nonstudents must purchase an additional $2 nonstudent
identifiation card.
Registration is now being taken in the
University Plus Craft Center, located in the
basement of the Memorial Student Center,
845-1631.