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|  | AFA JournalNews of InterestAFA Journal, January, 2003 edition ACTIVISM Major retailer uses porn to promote clothes to youth Abercrombie & Fitch, the youth-oriented clothing retailer whose quarterly catalogs containing soft porn have outraged parents across the nation, pushed the limits again with the 2002 Christmas holiday issue. The catalog’s clear, plastic wrap promises “280 pages of sex and X-mas fun.” Nearly 43% of the book’s 180 pages feature “Abercrombie kids” – alone, in couples and threesomes – posing nude and in sexually provocative stances. One particularly startling photograph is of a young man who is totally nude except for slender red ribbons wrapped around his body, with a large red bow covering his genitals. The ribbons warn, “Do not open until Christmas.” “Why would a retail clothing chain devote nearly half of its catalog to displaying young people who are nude?” asked AFA Chairman Don Wildmon. “The reality is that Abercrombie & Fitch is selling a sexually promiscuous lifestyle along with its clothing. We want to warn America’s parents that this store’s free-sex policy has a corrupting influence on our nation’s youth. We strongly encourage parents to make this store off-limits to their kids.” Abercrombie & Fitch Michael Jeffries, Chairman P.O. Box 182168 Columbus, Ohio 43218 Phone: 614-577-6500 Toll free: 1-888-856-4480 E-mail: mike_ jeffries@abercrombie.com OneMillionYouth.com provides voice for young people An online activist initiative aimed at youth has been launched by AFA. The Internet Web site found at www.onemillionyouth.com gives Christian teens an opportunity to respond to issues specifically impacting their lives. For example, the current issue being addressed on the site is the blatant promotion of soft-core pornography by the popular clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F primarily markets to teens and young adults. There is no charge for becoming a member. For more information and easy registration, go to www.onemillionyouth.com. Verizon Wireless drops off ‘Fastlane’ In response to thousands of E-mails from concerned parents, Verizon Wireless has informed members of OneMillionDads.com (OMD) and OneMillionMoms.com (OMM) that it will no longer sponsor the violent and sexually explicit Fox drama Fastlane. Airing during the prime-time family hour of 7-8 p.m. (CT), Fastlane is one of the worst programs on TV. OMM and OMD provides members an online avenue of responding to advertisers of offensive television shows. High school student wins free speech case Attorneys from the AFA Center for Law & Policy (CLP) celebrated a victory for free speech in Lubbock, Texas, after a high school student was censured by his principal for a letter written to the editor of the local newspaper. Late last year, Justin Latimer, a student at Crosbyton High School, wrote a letter in which he criticized the school’s decision to forbid the playing of “Amazing Grace” during halftime at a football game. The song was to be played in honor of those who had died in the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The Crosbyton Superintendent of Schools, Larry Morris, severely berated and chastised Latimer for writing to the newspaper – and told the student he was forbidden from writing any more letters to the editor without Morris’ approval. With the CLP’s help, Latimer challenged that criticism in a lawsuit. In early December, CLP Chief Counsel Steve Crampton reported that Latimer had prevailed. Superintendent Morris formally apologized to the student, and the school district agreed to adopt a written policy protecting student speech from unwarranted government intrusion. AgapePress, 12/4/02 CULTURE Early substance abuse linked to later problems A new study shows that young people who use alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs in their early adolescent years are prime targets for depression and psychological disorders in their late 20s. According to an article from Reuters, the research by Dr. David W. Brook of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and other colleagues indicates that early substance abuse among adolescents often precedes such problems. It was previously unclear whether drug and alcohol abuse was simply more prevalent among people who already had mental health problems. The “Children in the Community Study” involved 736 New Yorkers who were interviewed, on average, at ages 14, 16, 22 and 27. Those who reported early use of alcohol and drugs were more likely to experience major depression, alcohol dependence and substance use disorders at age 27. For example, early alcohol users were 50% more likely to experience problems than those who were not early users. Reuters, 11/12/02 Online gambling costs teenagers and adults Those who try their luck on an online, virtual casino lose money twice as fast as their counterparts in a real-life, physical-world casino, according to the operator of one Internet gambling site. In 2002, online gamblers were expected to lose some $3.5 billion. Every week about 2 million people visit any of the more than 1,800 virtual casinos, making it one of the Internet’s fastest-growing industries. Online gambling is an industry that’s virtually unregulated, because unlike real-world casinos in the U.S., virtual casinos are operated offshore. Some credit card companies, under pressure from the government, have begun to reject transactions between customers and online casinos, but their measures aren’t foolproof. Newsweek used a credit card to test the transaction blocking – and it failed, because the transaction was coded, by the online casino, as being made with a French catalog merchant. Even more tragically, according to Newsweek, too many times those who are running up bills at online casinos are underage. That means Internet gambling is already adding to a teen gambling epidemic that is causing numerous problems. A recent study found that almost 70% of teens age 13-17 said they had gambled at some point in their lives, despite the fact it is illegal for them. Just as troubling, the study also found that about 4% of them exhibit the psychiatric signs of being pathological gamblers. “We need to be aware that adolescents gamble, just as adults do,” said Dr. Martin Lazoritz, an associate chair of psychiatry at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “They play cards with their friends; they buy lottery tickets. We also need to be aware that underage gambling is associated with several at-risk behaviors, such as cigarette smoking, and with alcohol and drug use.” The study examined the behavior of 1,051 teenagers in Florida in December 2001. Newsweek, 10/28/02; Reuters Health, 10/28/02 Amazon.com offering pedophile book The online retailer Amazon.com continues to offer a book which promotes the depraved act of men having sex with young boys – and the company is quick to defend the action. Despite complaints from AFA and others over the past three years, Amazon.com continues to carry “Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers.” Written by David L. Riegel, the book portrays men who sexually pursue young boys as “sincere, concerned, loving human beings who simply have a sexual orientation that is neither understood nor accepted by most others.” Pedophiles who have read the book have offered their glowing endorsement. One online reviewer at Amazon.com’s website wrote, “As a pedophile myself, I found this book to be enlightening in my quest to truly come to terms with my own sexuality.” In 1999, AFA asked Amazon.com to stop selling “Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers” as well as two other objectionable titles: “The Horseman: Obsessions of a Zoophile” (a person who has sex with animals), and “Dearest Pet: On Bestiality.” Online reviews hailed “Dearest Pet” as a step-by-step manual with “wonderful and diverse color illustrations of zoophilia.” The company refused to pull the books. After OneMillionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com contacted the company again this fall, Amazon.com spokesman Clay Richart said in an E-mail that the company did not endorse the book – and in fact had criticized it. Nevertheless, Richart said, “We believe that people have the right to choose their own reading material. Our goal is to support freedom of expression and to provide customers with the broadest selection possible …. We do not censor items from our Website ….” CONTACT: Jeffrey P. Bezos, Chairman Amazon.com, Inc. P.O. Box 81226 Seattle, WA 98108-1226 Primary Phone: 206-266-1000 Fax: 206-266-1821 E-Mail: cust.service02@amazon.com Illinois citizens’ group fights DUI offenders Leah Johnson has a vested interest in the success of Citizens’ Outcry, an Illinois nonprofit organization created to protect innocent citizens from drunk drivers and, specifically, repeat offenders. Johnson’s 21-year-old daughter, Laura, and Laura’s dearest friend, Dina, were killed by a drunk driver in 1985. The man who killed them was a repeat offender with at least 19 prior arrests (many alcohol-related). Because of plea bargains and deals, he walked away with only an 18-month work release sentence. Outraged, Johnson formed Citizens’ Outcry for concerned citizens and people victimized by drunk drivers, allowing them to band together and work for more strictly enforced laws and restored honesty in what Johnson calls “a flawed and overly-lenient justice system.” Johnson’s goal is to form chapters of Citizens’ Outcry all across the country. She says she is deeply concerned about the constant barrage of beer and alcohol advertising targeted at our nation’s young people. “I want the world to know about the lives that have been snuffed out and the loved ones who have been devastated as a result of drunk drivers,” she remarks. “One way people can do this is to send me their story so I can post it on my Web site (www.citizensoutcry.org).” Another action people can take, Johnson says, is to monitor court cases in their city or town involving drunk drivers to see whether justice is served on those who injure or kill innocent people. A “Citizens’ Action Guide for Court Monitoring” is available from Johnson for a small handling fee. Call 630-415-3434 or visit the Web site for more information. EDUCATION NEA told to cease ‘religious interrogations’ The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the U.S., has been ordered to end its interrogation of teachers who object to the union’s pro-abortion and pro-homosexual agenda. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has told the NEA and its state and local affiliates to put an end to one of its most notorious methods of discriminating against religious objectors. That method? Forcing teachers to annually file a lengthy objection to paying forced union dues. Dan Cronin, a spokesman for National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, said the EEOC settlement is just one small obstacle that has been eliminated for teachers who refuse to support the NEA’s far-left political agenda. However, Cronin said he would have liked to see the government agency go even further. “I wish the EEOC, of course, had come out and said it’s unfair to force any teacher to pay union dues as a condition of employment [or] it’s unfair to force teachers to support the NEA’s radical agenda, regardless of their faith,” Cronin said. “I wish they had totally liberated teachers from that. But unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. We just have to keep fighting at it every single day to make sure that teachers and workers around this country are liberated from compulsory unionism.” Cronin said the EEOC ruling is a step in the right direction, and will likely help other teachers across the country. He said his organization deals with complaints about the NEA on a regular basis. “Typically we get about a hundred calls and e-mails a year from teachers around the country, and most of them get resolved pretty quickly,” he said. “But I’d say we have about ten to twenty cases in the courts right now involving teachers around the nation … who have been forced to support the NEA’s radical agenda that they consider immoral, and the NEA and its state and local affiliates have continued to harass them.” AgapePress, 10/28/02 ENTERTAINMENT ‘Victoria’s Secret’ show generates complaints For the second year in a row, a televised Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show caused a major uproar. The show, billed “The Sexiest Night of Television,” aired November 20 on CBS in the 8:00 p.m. (CT) time slot. Once again, the show featured barely-clad models prancing and cavorting down the runway, as well as interviews with seductive super models and a backstage look (with plenty of close-ups) at how the show was put together. After last year’s furor – more than 900 complaints were lodged with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – the ABC network bowed out from airing the show again, making way for CBS. As of November 26, more than 6,000 people had used AFA’s OneMil-lionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com Web sites to send complaints to the FCC. Dodge, the major sponsor for the show, has also been the recipient of thousands of letters and phone calls from irate citizens. Advertisers included: DaimlerChrysler Corporation Pres. Dieter Zetsche 1000 Chrysler Dr. Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Phone: 248-576-5741 Toll Free: 1-800-992-1997 www.daimlerchrysler.com Subway Restaurants Pres. Fred DeLuca 325 Bic Drive, Milford, CT 06460 Phone: 203-877-4281 Toll Free: 1-800-888-4848 www.subway.com The Gillette Company Chrm. James M. Kilts P. O. Box 720, Boston, MA 02272 Phone: 617-421-7000 www.gillette.com The Walt Disney Company Chrm. Michael Eisner 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 Phone: 818-560-1000 www.disney.com ‘Family Hour’ is prime time for ’R‘ movie ads Television’s so-called “Family Hour” is looking less like that. A recent study by the Parents Television Council (PTC) found that of 3,603 ads for movies airing during the 8-9 p.m. (ET) hour, almost a quarter of the ads, 23%, were for R-rated movies. UPN, NBC, Fox and CBS were responsible for airing the most during that time period. ABC and WB had 15% and 14%, respectively. “Many parents carefully screen what their children can and cannot watch to protect them from being exposed to inappropriate material,” said PTC Executive Director Dennis Mansfield. “It is a shame that the networks and the Hollywood studios subvert the intentions of those parents by allowing R-rated films to be advertised during the Family Hour.” The study comes a few years after the Federal Trade Commission uncovered evidence from movie studios documenting their practice of marketing R-rated movies to audiences under 17. Parents Television Council, 11/6/02; Family News in Focus, 11/11/02; USA Today, 11/7/02 HOMOSEXUALITY Disney again promotes homosexuality The Walt Disney Company will once again portray the homosexual lifestyle in a positive light through its ABC television division, as it proudly announces the development of another series with lead characters portrayed as homosexual. Disney/ABC changed the face of television in 1997 with the now infamous “coming out” episode of Ellen DeGeneres’ character on her sitcom, Ellen. It marked the first time the lead character of any television program was an out-loud-and-proud homosexual. However, in November the network announced that it was developing a light-hearted one-hour drama with a pair of crime-solving homosexuals – who happen to be lovers. Entitled Mr. and Mr. Nash, the new ABC series will be similar in nature to the old popular ABC dramas Hart to Hart and Moonlighting. “We want to find shows to fill our schedule in a lot of places that are just light entertaining fare that people can sit down and have a really good time when they watch ABC,” said network Senior Executive Thom Sherman. “This show completely fit that bill.” AFA President Tim Wildmon said, “There is nothing lighthearted about the homosexual lifestyle. It exacts a terrible price from those who practice it and from our society as well. It is irresponsible for ABC/Disney to once again promote homosexuality as ‘entertaining’.” PORNOGRAPHY Court ruling stymies child porn prosecution Chalk up a win for child pornography defenders: The Supreme Court’s 2002 ruling on virtual child pornography is already giving prosecutors fits. Child pornography charges against a New Haven, Connecticut, man were thrown out in superior court because the judge, following Supreme Court guidelines, ruled that prosecutors must prove the sexual acts depicted in the images actually occurred. “It will be virtually impossible to prove that the sexual abuse of a child in a photo really happened without finding that child and getting the child to testify,” Assistant State’s Attorney John Doyle told the New Haven Register. “That Supreme Court ruling guts child pornography laws.” Court documents show New Haven police interviewed the man after receiving a complaint in December 2000 from a 12-year-old girl claiming the man had stalked her and masturbated in her presence. In following up on the complaint, police said the man had made reference to having child pornography on his computer. Investigators found 39 images of prepubescent children, authorities said. New Haven (Connecticut) Register, 11/23/02 Pure Life founder releases new book Steve Gallagher, founder and president of Pure Life Ministries in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, has just released his latest book, Living in Victory. As a result of his own addiction to pornography for more than 12 years, Gallagher has dedicated his life to helping men overcome sexual sin through holiness and a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ. He maintains that the only way to live victoriously outside the bondage of addiction is to die continuously to the sins of pride, self-gratification and rebellion. In the introduction to Living in Victory, Gallagher offers this insight: “Most strugglers I know would be thrilled just to live in some degree of liberty … [with] an abundant spiritual life seeming far-fetched, even ludicrous. My goal is to show the reader that he need not settle for a fear-driven, white-knuckled form of freedom. As a child of God, the bountiful life of victory in Christ is his for the taking!” The book examines man’s inherent need for a relationship with God and focuses on His sovereignty, His love, His anger, and His tender mercies for those who are His. An emphasis on man’s pride and self-centeredness puts a perspective on the issue of living in victory that is much needed in today’s world. AFA Chairman Don Wildmon says, “Living in Victory will prove a wonderful help to those living in any type of habitual sin. Indeed, it will prove enriching and challenging to any true child of God.” To order a copy, call (888) 293-8714. For information about Pure Life Ministries, call (859) 824-4444, or go online at www.purelifeministries.org. Court upholds military ban on sale of porn A federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled the government is within its right to ban the sale of sexually explicit magazines and videos on military bases. The three-judge panel in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously upheld the Military Honor and Decency Act of 1996. That law requires the Department of Defense to ban the sale of such materials. The law created an eight-member committee known as the Resale Activities Board of Review. The board has prohibited magazines and video titles from Penthouse, Hustler, Playgirl, Naughty Neighbors and Mature Nympho. It has allowed Playboy, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Celebrity Skin. The law does not prohibit possession of such materials on military bases or buying them by mail or elsewhere. The law was challenged by three magazine wholesalers and several individuals. They said the law violated their First Amendment right to buy these materials at military commissaries and exchanges. But Judge Michael Daly Hawkins, in writing for the panel, said, “[T]he act is reasonable in light of the Supreme Court’s longstanding deference to military regulations in the First Amendment context, and because the act seeks to restrict the sale of materials at odds with the military’s image of honor, professionalism and proper decorum.” The New York Times, 9/17/02 RELIGION Judge rules against Ten Commandments A U.S. District Judge has declared as unconstitutional the presence of a granite monument in the rotunda of Alabama’s judicial building. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson says the monument, which depicts an open book listing the Ten Commandments, violates the Constitution’s ban on government promotion of religion. He has given Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who had the monument installed, 30 days to remove it. During the trial, Judge Moore testified that the Ten Commandments are the moral foundation of American law. Moore, a Christian, also said that while the monument attests to God’s existence, it does not force anyone to follow Christian beliefs. According to AFA Chairman Don Wildmon, some of the wording of Judge Thompson’s opinion is ludicrous, to say the least. Thompson maintains that the monument’s “sloping top and the religious air of the tablets unequivocally call to mind an open Bible resting on a podium.” “Religious air of the tablets?” asks Wildmon. “What does that mean? I think it’s a shame that the very truths upon which this country is founded are being maligned and degraded, and by individuals at the highest levels of government.” At this writing, Moore has indicated he will appeal the decision. Attorney Stephen Melchior says Moore will ask the court to allow the monument to remain until the appeal process is completed. Melchior said he doesn’t think Thompson understood Moore’s testimony. He said Thompson “uses the term religion 97 times in the opinion and the term religious 50 times, but goes on to talk about how it’s dangerous to define the term religion.” Associated Press, 11/18/02; USA Today, 11/19/02 Organization promotes end to Sudan violence Church Alliance for a New Sudan (CANS) leaders are hopeful that developments signal a chance for peace in that country, but concede a lot of work and prayer are still needed. CANS, a project of The Institute on Religion and Democracy, has for the past year been involved in trying to bring peace to Sudan, a country which practices “one of the worst cases of religious repression in the world.” Part of its work involves shedding light on the horrible conditions Christians in the nation face from the Khartoum government. In September, 2002, CANS sponsored the “Stand Firm Vigil for Sudan” in Washington, with several churches and organizations taking a week-long focus on several Sudanese issues such as slavery. Through the “Stand Firm” vigil, CANS sought, according to a news release, to “stand before God in supplication and solidarity with the suffering Sudanese; stand with the persecuted Church in Sudan; stand for sustained engagement by the United States government; and stand firm until there is a just peace and religious freedom for all in Sudan. More than two million men, women and children have died as a result of the 18-year war being waged in Sudan by the radical fundamentalist Islamic government in Khartoum against minority Africans, Christians and practitioners of traditional religions in southern Sudan. The government-endorsed reign of terror in the jihad has included atrocities such as kidnapping and bombing marketplaces, hospitals, schools and churches far removed from any military target. The Institute on Religion & Democracy, 9/6/02 | |
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