Letter to Hagel and Joint Chiefs addresses concerns with pornography in the military
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2013) – Morality in Media is calling on Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to do more to prevent sexual assaults in the military. In a letter to Hagel, which can be viewed at http://bit.ly/13zPmjM, MIM requests the Secretary to order the removal of all items of pornography for sale in military exchange services, commissaries, and ships to help curb the plague of sexual assaults that afflict the United States Military at this time. In addition, MIM encourages the military to adopt a policy that prohibits access to pornography on all bases.
“Research shows a strong link between pornography and increased sexual violence. The increase in sexual assaults in the military is not surprising because of the widespread use of pornography in the military. It is time for Secretary Hagel to crack down on the sale of pornographic material on bases,” said Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of Morality In Media.
Pornography is a contributing factor to increased sexual assaults, as the Secretary clearly recognizes, indicated by his current effort to remove pornographic material from the military workspaces. Under the Military Honor and Decency Act, passed in 1996, Congress prohibited the sale of pornography at military exchanges. Unfortunately, the Pentagon has not adequately enforced this legislation and pornography continues to be sold.
In a letter to Secretary Hagel, Morality in Media also asks the Secretary to prohibit access to pornography by electronic devices or other means on all military bases and government-owned facilities used by the military worldwide. Corporations do not permit the viewing of pornography while at work. It is time that the military raise the bar on work standards.
Earlier this year, MIM listed the Department of Defense in the Dirty Dozen List as one of the top facilitators of pornography in America stating at the time that, “The Pentagon has a serious pornography problem, and it is doing little to combat it.”