A Mom's Influence

A recent study in Idaho found that when mom's talk to their high school and college aged children about drinking, their children listen. About 1 in 4 college students admit to being binge drinkers. After multiple conversations with their mom about drinking, that statistic drastically decreased to 1 in 10.

Read more here.

Child Porn vs Child Protection

Concerned Women has published an article regarding the 'fine line' of protecting our children or 'protecting' those who view child porn. Has our society become so desensitized that people who view and peddle child porn are not convicted on these heinous crimes?

The article continues:

It is symptomatic of the condition of our culture today that the Express, a daily newspaper for commuters published by the Washington Post, can feature a piece in its entertainment section about an indie-rock band known as the New Pornographers without raising any eyebrows. But let someone speak out against pornography and suddenly people get uncomfortable.

We’ve reached the point where we blindly ignore gross and horrific child abuse. And we’ve become so comfortable in our upscale communities that we don’t want to acknowledge what the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) calls “the seedy and sophisticated underworld” of child porn.

McDonald's Letter

I received a letter in response to my request for McDonald's to remain neutral in the culture war. They have no intentions of deviating from their current course. Until then, I will continue give my business to Sonic!

McDonald's Is Not Backing Down

The big hamburger giant, McDonald's, is not backing down. We have learned that McDonald's paid $20,000 to have a seat on the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. They are consistently responding to requests to remain neutral in the culture by telling people they are motivated by hate.

Here's the latest McDonald's news:
Now we learn that McDonald’s sponsors training for homosexuals on how to promote their agenda among corporations from the inside. Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates is a national organization devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the workplace. One of its primary purposes is to train employees how to aggressively promote homosexuality within the company they work for, all the way to the corporate boardroom. Part of last year’s Out & Equal Summit in Washington, DC, (sponsored by McDonald’s) was an organized march into congressional offices demanding same-sex marriage laws be passed. (AFA Action Alert)

Why Is Pornography Rampant?

The Bill Clinton/Janet Reno Justice Department put a stop to federal obscenity law enforcement in 1993 and left much of the country, years later, unaware that the law even exists.

That widespread ignorance of the law on obscenity is an appalling legacy of the Clinton/Reno decision 15 years ago. Without enforcement, it became easy to forget there was a law. And now there’s so much porn around people are left to assume it must be legal. Why else would the government do nothing about it?

Adult Video News called the Clinton years a time of “benevolent neglect” and a “free ride” for the porn racketeers. In the run-up to the 2000 elections, AVN warned that the free ride was “probably about to end.” The George W. Bush administration is only now, eight years after Clinton and Reno left office, beginning to put an end to the “free ride.”

But, even with the Mukasey Justice Department moving forward in the war against obscenity, it’s going to take time to get the word out. Lots of folks still don’t get it:

obscenity is not harmless; nor is it protected Free Speech.

And there are felony criminal laws against it.

~Morality In Media

Hallmark's Response

I emailed Hallmark about their new line of cards targeting homosexuals. Here's their response:

Beginning this summer, Hallmark's selection of more than 200 wedding cards will include four cards that use specific language and images appropriate for same-sex wedding ceremonies or civil unions. Hallmark makes cards for all kinds of relationships and situations, and we have for years produced cards for relationships that might be defined as "non-traditional" - including heterosexual couples who are not married, those in mixed race or interfaith relationships and blended families - so people in each of these situations could find cards to meet their needs. It is our goal to be inclusive rather than exclusive so that our products appeal to the widest range of people who wish to communicate and connect with one another. Not every one of the more than 200 wedding cards we offer will be
right for every relationship, but we want every consumer to be able to find one that is just right.

We understand that this is a sensitive issue for you and appreciate you letting us know your concerns.

Thanks,
Hallmark Customer Care

I will continue to use my buying power and shop other card companies.

Hallmark

The privately owned company, Hallmark, has decided to create and sell homosexual wedding cards. The cards feature 2 tuxedos on the front with hearts intertwined. In 2007, Hallmark began selling 'coming out' cards for their gay customers. Why do companies such as Hallmark feel the need to endorse homosexual values? At some point, companies will decide to place values over profits.

Send Hallmark an email and let them know of your disapproval.
AP Story

The Culture Battle

Rebecca Hagelin's weekly column on Townhall.com is The Culture Battle. After I read her articles, I always feel like I am not alone in the culture war. There are other good people out there fighting in the trenches against pornography, sexual exploitation and abortion. It's time to make a stand with each other and push back this tidal wave of 'cultural sewage.'

Contact Presidential Candidates

If you haven’t done so already (or haven’t gotten an answer yet), please contact the Candidate(s) of your choice and ask them where they stand on enforcement of federal obscenity laws.

America’s Independent Party (Alan Keyes): contact@alankeyes.com
Constitution Party (Chuck Baldwin): chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com
Democratic Party (Barack Obama): http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2
Green Party (Cynthia McKinney): http://www2.runcynthiarun.org/TalkBack
Libertarian Party (Bob Barr): http://www.bobbarr2008.com/contact/form/?type=4
Ralph Nader: http://www.votenader.org/contact/
Republican Party (John McCain): http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/

Here is some suggested language (long & short versions):

Despite the fact that there are federal obscenity laws on the books that have been upheld by the Supreme Court, hardcore pornographic materials continue to proliferate, especially on the Internet. Among other things, obscene materials tarnish our national image, destroy marriages, and corrupt children. They also contribute to sexual exploitation of children, to trafficking in women and children and to rape. What is your position on enforcement of federal obscenity laws? If elected, will you do all in your power to see that these laws are vigorously enforced? The American people deserve an honest answer to these questions.

Action Alert from Morality In Media

Victorious In Defeating Porn

A prosecuting attorney in Virginia won a case against hard-core pornography. A porn in Virginia opened up and began selling hard-core pornography. After showing the jury what the store sold, the jury convicted the store owner. He must close the doors or risk facing a felony prosecution.

If a prosecuting attorney can do this in Virginia, why isn't the Department of Justice and the US Government begin prosecuting hard-core pornography? The case can be won! The DOJ feels because of its limited resources that it can only go after the most terrible forms of pornography.

Isn't That the Truth?!

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table."

President Ronald Reagan

HIV Rate Higher Than Expected

The latest numbers are in from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). And they are astounding. In 2006, the United States detected 56,000 new HIV infections; they only expected to see 40,000.

In an email from Citizenlink.com it says:

Male-to-male transmission accounted for almost 60 percent of new infections in 2006, according to the CDC, while 34 percent occurred among people ages 13-29.

“I feel great compassion for these men, because I’ve had different friends who are HIV-positive, friends who have died with AIDS," said Jeff Johnston, gender issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "Outside of a faithful marriage between a man and a woman, there is no 'safe sex.' It is irresponsible to teach people that you can have 'safe sex' or 'safer sex' outside of marriage.”

Democratic National Committee

The DNC gave $25,000 to defeat California's Proposition 8 which defines marriage between a man and a women. The DNC is is moving farther to the left when polls show that 30% of California Democrats do not support same sex marriage.

Why is the DNC so committed to this effort when they are going against their base?

Read the story here.

Abortions

The American Psychological Association declared that if women have only 1 abortion that it will not have a significant effect on their mental health.

“The report basically admits that if you’ve had multiple abortions, your risk for mental-health problems may be greater," she said. ”If you've been pressured or coerced into an abortion, you may have an even more negative experience."

Sixty percent of abortions are either repeat abortions or those in which the women are pressured to have one.

"That’s millions of women whose needs and psychological problems are not represented in this report," Earll said. "The APA is spinning the results to their desired political conclusion, which is that they want to keep abortion legal and promoted in the culture.”

Click here for more info.

Red Flags

"It's like Sex and the City with more drama and for younger kids...It's kind of like what you want life to be." -- 14-year-old fan Layla Alter, eagerly anticipating the new season of the CW network's program Gossip Girl (Reuters, July 31, 2008)(Parents TV council email)

Does this quote alarm anybody?! You can not tell me that what we watch on TV does not have an effect on society as a whole.


Children between the ages of 13 and 17 spend an average of 33.35 days a year in front of a television or movie screen-- IMMI data research organization (www.immi.com, August 3, 2007)(Parents TV council email)

Just imagine the amount of good that could be done in the world if we put the 13-17 year olds to work on a humanitarian project for 1 month every year. Imagine the self esteem boost for this vulnerable age group if they spent time helping other people.

How much more time is spent in front of computers?

Fantastic You Tube- Anti Porn Video

Another CBS Disregard For Indecency

This last Tuesday, CBS show Big Brother aired during primetime. During the broadcast, the "F word" was used. CBS in no way tried to cover this up. The show is not aired live and CBS could have easily bleeped this obscenity. Unfortunately, they chose not to.

As you may know, CBS recently won a court case for overturning the FCC's fine for the wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl Halftime show.

CBS does not care about morality or decency as their record shows. Please write and encourage them to rise above the filth.

Campanies Do Listen

Recently, Ace Hardware began advertising on the disgusting CBS show Swingtown. After 1 short day of emailing Ace asking them to remove their ads, Ace replied that they would. Here is some insight from the letter Ace sent to One Million Moms:

When the media buy was placed for the show that aired Friday, August 8, we were unaware of the questionable content that would be included in that particular episode. While Ace, like all advertisers, is never given the opportunity to preview shows before the advertising is placed against our target demographic, we have made the decision to permanently cease all advertising on this particular CBS show, effective immediately.

Thank you Ace! We appreciate your commitment to family values and decency.

Ronald Reagan Quote

Indeed, Reagan underscored the value of the family when defending his tax policy in a 1985 address to the nation. “There is no instrument of hard work, savings, and job creation as effective as the family,” he said. “There is no cultural institution as ennobling as family life. And there is no superior, indeed no equal, means to rear the young, protect the weak, or attend the elderly. None.”

Quoted from Rebecca Hagelin in her article.

China and Internet Porn

The Chinese are seriously concerned about the effects of Internet porn. And they should be. China is the 2nd biggest population on the Internet with 137 million users.

MSNBC Reports-
In China's biggest online porn case to date, a Web site operator, Chen Hui, was sentenced in November to life in prison. The government said Chen's Web site had more than 9 million pornographic images and more than 600,000 registered users.

There are countless more stories.
AsiaMedia
Countries Cooperate to Stop Internet Porn
China Blocks News and Not Internet Porn
China's Fight

Family Media Agreement

Moms On Media has proposed a Family Media Agreement. I think it's a great start on discussing media concerns with your children.

California Porn Tax Bill

Details from Shelley Lubben's blog:

Porn Tax Bill Passed 5-4!!!
Please read below a letter from Assemblyman Charles Calderon regarding Daphne and I testifying at California State Capitol on May 12, 2008, in support of AB2914 Adult Entertainment Tax Bill which will tax pornography and the adult entertainment industry at the rate of 25% of gross receipts received in this state on or after October 1, 2008. I've been informed the bill did pass out of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee and is now on its way to becoming a law!

Please keep praying the bill will go all the way as this tax measure will help individuals and families deal with the physical and emotional negative effects of the adult industry. We know God hears your prayers and wants to protect those who are exploited and abused by the porn industry. Thank you for supporting us!

Thank you Assemblyman Calderon for giving us the opportunity to testify and tell the truth about the porn industry. We will continue to support your efforts.

To learn more about the AB2914 Bill and who supports it please click here.
To read which assembly members voted on the bill click here.

Finally, the porn industry will have to pay for the damage it causes for many lives!

Planned Parenthood's sex miseducation

Here's another informative article about the evil of Planned Parenthood's new website takecaredownthere.org

We, as parents, need to educate our own children about sex when it is the right time. We must not let the media do this job for us. The media glamorizes sex and teaches everyone that anything goes. Children must learn about this in a loving environment. It is the parent's responsibility and NOT the schools or the government.

Recently released from The Heritage Foundation is the Top 10 Research Findings in the Parent Factor in Teen Sex Outcomes. Look at the difference PARENTS can make!

Ads for Dads

New ads portray the critical role of a dad created pro bono by Campbell Ewald in conjunction with The Advertising Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The ads conclude with the tag line "take time to be a dad today."

Please email your thanks for these agencies. One email will go to all 3 agencies.

California Marriage Amendment

I received this email update from Prop 8. It gives you a glimpse of what we are up against.

Our opposition intends to wage a scorched earth campaign through big media funded by Hollywood, labor unions, and big corporations and supported by the people writing the ballot language. Just take a look at what "No on 8" campaign sent out yesterday about a recent Beverly Hills fundraiser:


"Both labor organizations and businesses made significant contributions to NO on 8 – Equality California on Saturday. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU-California) made a contribution of $500,000, presented by United Healthcare Workers-West President Sal Rosselli. David Sanchez, president of the California Teacher's Association announced a contribution $250,000 on behalf of CTA. Ken McNeely, president of AT&T California, presented a donation of $25,000 from the telecommunications corporation. EQCA supporters at the event also pledged an additional combined $350,000. All of those contributions will help fund the NO on 8 campaign."


That's $1,125,000 from a handful of groups in just one night, plus another $500,000 the "Equality California" group is transferring to the No campaign.

You may think this is discouraging. However, it motivates me to work even harder. My vote is just as important as theirs and I will do whatever it takes to get the vote out. Do not fret; we can do this!

ADF v Maricopa Unified School District

The First Baptist Church of Maricopa desired to distribute flyers promoting their youth program, AWANA. However, Maricopa Unified School District did not allow this, because the flyers had religious content. That is when Pastor Jim Johnson contacted the Alliance Defense Fund, because the school was discriminating against religious his religious flyer.

Click here to read more.

House Republicans won't go home!

I don't usually get too excited about things like this, but this is worth passing on.
Click on the title to check out the video, then look at these press releases and see what you think.. . .

House Republican Leader John Boehner -



Congressman Pence



AZ Congressman John Shadegg





Here's what Jeff Flake said:
Congressman Flake Calls on President Bush to Call Congress Into Special Session Democratic Majority Adjourns for August With No Energy Vote
Washington, D.C., Aug 1 - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today called on President Bush to call Congress into a special session during August. Without voting on legislation to address rising gas prices, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives adjourned today until September. “I often say that taxpayers are better off when Congress is out of session,” said Flake, “but adjourning for August without voting on legislation allowing more domestic energy production will only exacerbate rising fuel costs.” “President Bush ought to call us back into session and force us to deal with an issue that Democrats have thus far been reluctant to address.”

World Net Daily Article

World Net Daily (WND) featured on article on the Marriage Amendment fight in California, Florida and Arizona. It mentions how key religious denominations are going to be in activating and motivating people to vote.

Our own Sally Mikesall, AZ Director of Concerned Women for America, is featured in the article. She said:

"The people of Arizona will be able to decide the future of marriage in their state," she said, referring to Ballot Proposition 102, which states that only a union of one man and one woman will be valid or recognized as a marriage in Arizona. "Judges will not make the decision for the citizens as the activist California Supreme Court did. Hard work must be done in the months ahead to protect the sanctity of marriage."

Thanks, Sally, for your passion to leave the world a better place!

TakeCareDownThere.org

Don't go to that website! It is a pornographic website funded by Planned Parenthood. Here is another news story about it. People are beginning to take notice.

Action Item from the Family Research Council:
One way to de-fund the group responsible for obscene material like this is to end the meshing of Title X "family planning" funds with abortion mills. Call the White House switchboard today at 202-456-1414 and ask President Bush to separate these funds before more children are caught up in Planned Parenthood's pornographic web.

You can bet they'll be receiving a call from me on Monday.

Planned Parenthood

The local affiliate of Planned Parenthood in Oregon and Washington has created a new website. TakeCareCownThere.org has posted some of the most disgusting and foul videos aimed at our young people. The website says that it will teach "the ins and outs about the ins and outs." This material is highly inappropriate for anyone, much less teenagers.

We all know that hundreds of millions of our tax dollars go to Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood has put our tax dollars to 'good use' by creating a pornographic website. Just what our kids need.

Please do not visit the website. If you want more information, read here.

Rebecca Hagelin's Latest Column

I'm a big fan of Rebecca Hagelin of The Heritage Foundation. Check out her latest column entitled, Family, The Bedrock of Society.

Homosexual Activists

This week we learned to what extent homosexual activists will go to manipulate the system to redefine marriage for our entire society.

We don't know the total "backstory" yet, but California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a change to the "title and summary" for the California Marriage Amendment. I have highlighted the change to the right. To summarize, Brown's edits turn the positive of the marriage amendment into a double negative -- it will "eliminate" a "right" and cause "revenue loss…totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars."

Why is this significant? Because the pro-homosexual activists know that many voters will rely upon the summary language when they are casting their votes in November.

Homosexual activists are playing to win. And they're going for the knockout…
Combine this with the recent passage in Colorado of a new law that establishes fines and prison sentences for businesses whose practices run contrary to the homosexual agenda and the move in Massachusetts this month to export homosexual marriage and one thing is clear:

Homosexual activists are playing to win. They are not holding back. They think they have pro-family and pro-faith citizens on the ropes and they are going for the knockout punch!

--Family Research Council

Homosexual activists are proactive and determined to get their message across. We need to be just as proactive in getting a clear, united message across. We have got to educate the voters about the simple language on Proposition 102 and the need for an amendment for the AZ Constitution.

Parents TV Council

A quote from this week's newsletter.

Media Quote of the Week:
"Sex of any kind is a big deal. The advertisement, entertainment and merchandising industries lie to our children about this -- they pretty much make sex look simple, easy and without human meaning...Kids [should know] how cheated they will be if they buy into this deception." -- Debbie Roffman, author of Sex and Sensibility: The Thinking Parent's Guide to Talking Sense About Sex (Washington Post Express, April 16, 2008)

Statistic of the Week:
A high percentage of American teens and tweens (children aged 9-12) say they have experienced a physically or emotionally abusive dating relationship. Sixty nine percent of all teens who had sex by age 14 said they had gone through one or more types of abuse in a relationship. -- survey by Teenage Research Unlimited (Reuters.com, July 10, 2008, via Focus on the Family's Plugged In Online)