Submitted for posting to the avtivist mailing list. Rev Donald Wildmon recently took out a full page advertisement in my local newspaper for his 'American Family Association'. After his usual ranting and raving about the depravity of TV, Music, Videos, Hollywood, etc. etc. etc., he promises to run like ads in newspapers across the country and send petitions to the Boards Of Directors of various entertainement companies. I do not usually get involved directly with activism regarding censorship but when I saw this self appointed keeper of American Morality steping up his efforts to con people out of money to promote the agenda of the Religious RIght, I was outraged. My liberal sister said that she was thinking of sending him money - she had no idea who he is and would never support him but was hooked by the rhetoric. I knew I had tio do something if only the act of writing the media to expose this "Bible Belt Blowhard" for what he really is before other unsuspecting people are sucked in. What follows is the text of my letter. I place it into the public domain as a guide or to be used as is for Wildmon trash that is soon to hit your area. You do not need to quote me or give credit but I would appreciate hearing from those who find it useful. George DeVinney Buffalo United for Choice PO Box 871 Amherst, NY 14226 E-Mail CIS: 73437,1501 Phone Messages: (716) 855-4033 Lettter text follows: "WE ARE OUTRAGED!", the full page ad in the November 24th Buffalo News shouts! Crime and violence is everywhere! Who is to blame? The Media, Hollywood, the Music Industry and, of course, Television. What can YOU do to stop these menaces from preying on the minds of our youth? Teach them better values? No. Stand up for your beliefs as a shining example? No. Understand that tolerance and diversity is the strength of America? No. What CAN you do then? Send money to Dr. (aka Reverend) Donald Wildmon, self appointed keeper of American morality! Before you dig too deep, know where your hard earned dollars are going. Mother Jones Magazine (Nov/Dec '92) calls Rev. Wildmon "A Bible Belt Blowhard". Wildmon's 'American Family Association' is a paper tiger that takes millions from unsuspecting donors while promoting the agenda of the Christian Right. Aptly named, this six million dollar a year operation counts at least eight Wildmon family members among its staff of thirty-five. The organization is housed in its own new building full of computers. Wildmon has his own radio station, a million newsletter readers, four hundred volunteer lawyers and a first class direct mail operation at his disposal. Although claiming great victories against vice, Wildmon has little effect when targets ignore his threats. S.C. Johnson & Son has been the target of a two year boycott because of its choice of TV shows. Johnson & Johnson products are selling better that ever with no change in advertising practices. Holiday Inn, boycotted for offering pay-per-view soft porn in its rooms, says reservation and movie rentals are doing nicely. Waldenbooks (and its parent K-Mart) have been unhurt by Wildmon's call to boycott them for their sale of Playboy and Playgirl Magazines Why then does the "reverend" continue to blow his horn? Mother Jones reports that on January 28, 1991, Wildmon's fund raising consultants mailed its "TV scum and slime" survey to 1% of American Housholds. Of course, a plea for contributions to fight the television heathens was included. Cost of mailing: $59,343.16. Three months later, Wildmon had received $254,395.12 in donations. A stock broker's dream: a 429% return on his investment. How scientific are the TV surveys? Recruited from fundamentalist or evangelical Christians, surveyors are hardly mainstream Americans. Asked to write all words of profanity in a TV show, one soldier included: "called man a stud" and "Oh my God" in his tally. MJ magazine reports that there are no guidelines for profanity or reporting in general: "Anything sexual is bad. When 'Life Stories' deals sympathetically with a TV Newsman's battle with AIDS, that's bad; when 'The Hogan Family' pushes safe sex for teenagers, that's bad too". What about surveys that don't agree with the pre- ordained analysis? According to Don's big brother, Allen (the Media Handler), they are tossed out! You can bet that's one crusader that won't be called to battle the heathens again! The survey was a good moneymaker but the failed K-Mart boycott brought in bucks "faster than a Blue Light Special". A plea to the association's 'inactive' member list alone brought $34,722.29 for this non boycott while a video store across the street from Wildmon's own headquarters continues to peddle X rated fare. "Nobody pays attention to Wildmon here", says a former manager of 'Videophile'. Where does the money eventually land? In 1989, Reverend Wildmon launched the 'AFA Law Center' as a legal arm of the Christian Right. "The Law Center sees its mission as protecting Christians by making new laws in the areas of abortion, sex education, teenage pregnancy, family planning, indecency and obscenity, and religious freedom" says Mother Jones. Wildmon is also leading a crusade against the 'Impressions' textbook curriculum which he says promotes Witchcraft. These widely used school books count A. A. Milne, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Seuss, C. S. Lewis and Rudyard Kipling among its authors. 'People for the American Way' has called this court case "Scopes II". Remember last April's visit of Operation Rescue that cost Buffalo area taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars? Reverend Wildmon is a big donor to these anti-abortion terrorists. So, before you pull out your check book, remember a few things that Wildmon and his 'American Family Association' doesn't want you to consider. The TV has a channel changer and an off button. Don't like what's sold in stores? Tell the manager and don't shop there anymore. Don't like what's taught in the schools? Find a private one more to your liking. When the market dries up for items Americans reject, they won't be on TV and in the stores anymore. That's the the system works: lining the pockets of a "grass roots" fundraising con man like Donald Wildmon will do no more than make him rich and powerful. We can retain our values while protecting the freedoms, diversity, and lack of censorship that makes America a great country. We can do it without self appointed watchdogs who get rich at the expense of American culture. We can do it while keeping our money for worthwhile causes.