Age: 48
Claim to Fame: Republican member of the Utah State Senate since 2012
Why He's the Conservative of the Week: for his fight against the dangers of pornography, especially when it comes to kids. Weiler, a Mormon, attorney, businessman and married father of 4, wants to declare pornography a 'public health crisis', echoing an argument
being made around the U.S. by conservative religious groups as porn
becomes more accessible on smartphones and tablets. Weiler's actions are backed by
research that shows that pornography not only objectifies women, but more often leads to riskier sexual behavior, addiction, family destruction, adultery, depression, violence and sexual dysfunction.
Weiler contends that children are being exposed at young ages to
pornography, leading them to engage in riskier sexual behavior. He has
said recent research from the United Kingdom found that people who
compulsively view porn showed similar brain activity as seen in drug
addicts.
"It's
not just a kooky thing that some, you know, politician from Mormon Utah
came up with," Weiler said. "When I was a kid, people might sneak a
Playboy magazine and look at it. Now, you've got all kinds of horrible,
graphic images that are available to anyone with an Internet connection
one or two clicks away."
Four
Republicans and one Democrat on a Utah Senate health committee agreed
with Weiler and endorsed the resolution Friday afternoon in Salt Lake
City after an hour-long meeting where they heard from anti-pornography
activists, a marriage therapist and residents who said they or loved
ones struggled with pornography addictions.
Weiler's proposal would encourage the federal government to take steps to do something, such as
requiring Internet providers to make pornography only accessible if
subscribers opt-in.
