NEWS RELEASE from MORALITY IN MEDIA, Inc.
NEW YORK (10 September 2003)- More than one hundred national, state and local leaders have joined with Morality in Media in signing a letter to President George W. Bush, asking him to issue a Presidential Proclamation in conjunction with “Pornography Awareness Week,” which this year runs Sunday to Sunday, October 26 through November 1.
The text of the letter, in PDF format, which includes the complete list of co-signers, can be found at this link. The suggested Presidential Proclamation accompanying the letter can be found at this link.
The letter signers say they “are encouraged” that the U.S. Justice Department is again “targeting commercial distributors of hardcore pornography, but truly the war against obscenity has just begun. It is time for all Americans to renew our commitment to enforcing obscenity laws.”
The letter notes, “Those harmed by the proliferation of ‘adult’ obscenity … include the ‘performers’ (many in their teens), the children and adults who become addicted to obscenity, the spouses of obscenity addicts, the women raped by obscenity addicts, and the children sexually abused by adults who use obscenity to arouse themselves and to desensitize their child victims. Commercialized obscenity also erodes the right of every American to live and work in a decent society and is a source of income for organized crime.”
“Vigorous enforcement of federal obscenity laws will reduce the number of such tragedies and the need for programs that deal with them at great cost to taxpayers,” the letter continues. They also said that such enforcement is more likely to happen “if you issue a Proclamation in conjunction with Pornography Awareness Week and speak frequently about the proliferation of illegal ‘adult’ obscenity and in support of obscenity law enforcement.”
The co-signers “appreciate the danger that terrorism continues to pose,” but state “there is a second battle that must also be fought. It is a battle for our children and families and for a safe and decent society … If we are to preserve Western Civilization … we must fight not only for our national security but also for our most cherished values and a decent society.”
MORALITY IN MEDIA is a nonprofit national organization, with headquarters in New York City, working through constitutional means to curb traffic in 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.
