NEWS RELEASE from MORALITY IN MEDIA, Inc.
NEW YORK (27 October 2003) — Morality in Media President Robert W. Peters issued the following statement on Saturday’s issuance by President George W. Bush of a Proclamation marking PROTECTION FROM PORNOGRAPHY WEEK, 26 October through 2 November 2003:
“On behalf of the 120 leaders who co-signed Morality in Media’s letter to President Bush, asking him to speak out about the proliferation of illegal “adult” obscenity and in support of obscenity law enforcement, I thank the President for issuing a strong statement against pornography and in support of enforcement of federal obscenity laws.
“The 120 co-signers included national, state and local leaders who represent various faith traditions, many walks of life, and every region of the country. The signers were united in this understanding: obscenity (‘hardcore pornography’) harms individuals of all ages, destroys marriages, and undermines the right of every American to live in a safe and decent society.
“The co-signers were further united in their support of vigorous enforcement of federal obscenity laws throughout the United States. Federal obscenity laws have been on the books for more than a century and have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1996, Congress amended federal obscenity laws to clarify that obscenity on the Internet is prohibited.
“But from 1993 to 2002, there was almost no enforcement of federal obscenity laws against commercial distributors of hardcore pornography; and, as a result, hardcore pornography is now pouring into our communities, homes and children’s minds through neighborhood retail outlets (e.g., video stores), telephones (dial-a-porn), cable & satellite TV, and now the Internet.
“We are encouraged that the United States Justice Department is once again prosecuting commercial distributors of obscene materials and that President Bush has now publicly expressed his support for prosecutorial efforts to combat obscenity and proclaimed October 26 through November 2 as PROTECTION FROM PORNOGRAPHY WEEK, 2003. The war against obscenity, however, has just begun. It is time for all Americans to renew our commitment to vigorous enforcement of the federal obscenity laws through the United States.”
MORALITY IN MEDIA is a nonprofit national organization, with headquarters in New York City, working to curb traffic in illegal obscenity and to uphold standards of decency in the media. MIM also operates the ObscenityCrimes.org Web site, where citizens can report possible violations of federal Internet obscenity laws to Federal prosecutors.
