AFA of PA Action Alert

February 9, 2010

Issue

War on Illegal Pornography

Details

The American Family Association of Pennsylvania is a member of the War on Illegal Pornography, which is a coalition of nearly 60 national and state groups working to get federal laws against illegal adult pornography enforced. We need your help right now.

As you are aware, obscene adult pornography is widely available on the Internet and elsewhere in our society.

What you may not know is that the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that the First Amendment does NOT protect obscene material.  Federal laws prohibit distribution of obscene adult pornography on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV (including pay-per-view) and thus on hotel/motel television, through the mails, and in retail outlets.

Porn harms people. Porn harms children – and with life-long effects. Porn harms society. What you know intuitively about the harm caused by pornography is now reflected in research.  Addiction to obscene adult pornography is now an untreated pandemic and contributes to the breakup of marriages, to sexual violence against women, to the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking, to an increase in child pornography, to on-the-job sexual harassment and a decline in worker productivity because of time spent viewing internet pornography.

We have many supporters in the U.S. Congress willing to help us get the U.S. Department of Justice to restart prosecutions.

A letter from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R, UT) and U.S. House Representatives Mike McIntyre (D. NC) and Randy Forbes (R. VA) addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder requests that he begin vigorously prosecuting major producers and distributors of illegal adult pornography.  Senator Hatch and Representatives McIntyre and Forbes are circulating these letters now to all Members of Congress urging them to co-sign with them.  They need your help as a voter to get your senators and house member to co-sign these letters to Attorney General Holder.

Action Steps:

Call Congress today.  Click here for the contact information for Senator Casey and Senator Toomey. Click here for contact information for your Congressman.

Congressional staffs have also told us of the critical importance of letters.  All letters are good, but those of your own composition stand out.  If you do mail a letter, send it to the district office nearest you, as all mail into Washington Congressional offices is delayed by several weeks due to security screenings.

Here is a draft email and/or letter language:

Dear Congressman (or Senator) ________:

I am writing to ask you to co-sign the letter authored by (Sen. Orrin Hatch) (Representatives Randy Forbes and Mike McIntyre) to Attorney General Eric Holder urging that he vigorously enforce existing federal obscenity laws which prohibit the distribution of hardcore, obscene pornography on the Internet, on cable/satellite TV (including pay-per-view) and thus on hotel/motel television, through the mails, and in retail outlets.

Porn harms people. Porn harms children – and with life-long effects. Porn harms society. What you know intuitively about the harm caused by pornography is now reflected in research.  Addiction to obscene adult pornography is now an untreated pandemic and contributes to the breakup of marriages, to sexual violence against women, to the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking, to an increase in child pornography, to on-the-job sexual harassment and a decline in worker productivity because of time spent viewing internet pornography.

The harms from pornography are now at crisis levels in the U.S. and we deserve to have our existing obscenity laws enforced to curb this terrible harm.

Sincerely,

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