Comstock Control
Control is a fundamental part of human society. Hierarchies and systems of government have been so heavily entrenched in society that people begin to find ways to implement systems of control in their everyday lives. From these systems of control, fostered different ideas of right and wrong. These differing perspectives have led to controversy between groups over what systems are proper for society, and which ones cause more harm. This especially holds true for systems that regulate the actions of people. What one group sees as the proper order of things, another sees a system that shackles them to wrongful beliefs. With this understanding it can easily be seen why there is often so much conflict over human rights and liberties. And one of the clear pictures of this can be seen in the U.S.’s response to women’s bodily autonomy.
When people take a step back and look at the history of U.S. policy, they will see the end of the American Revolution and say that the U.S. government produces more broad legislation in order to curb the amount of government control in people’s lives. While this is certainly a great ideal and one of the focuses of the Founding Fathers, it is sadly not actually the case now, or all the way back then. A prime example of this would be the Comstock Act of 1873. The Comstock Act of 1873 made it a federal offense to distribute “obscene or illicit” materials through the mail and/or across state lines. This act also defined contraceptives, birth control, as “obscene”; therefore, it was a federal offense to distribute it.