Anthony Comstock Quotes

Anthony Comstock was born in New Canaan, Connecticut. He was a United States Postal Inspector and politician dedicated to ideas of Victorian morality. He served without incident, but objected to the profanity used by his fellow soldiers. Afterwards he became an active worker in the Young Men's Christian Association in New York City. Comstock's ideas of what might be "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" were quite broad. During his time of greatest power, even some anatomy textbooks were prohibited from being sent to medical students by the United States Postal Service. He was a savvy political insider in New York City and was made a special agent of the United States Postal Service, with police powers up to and including the right to carry a weapon.