War on Pornography

The War on Pornography Will Be Won, One Battle at a Time

By Carol Wiley, Director
A Way Out Victim Assistance Program
Sponsored by Citizens for Community Values of Memphis

Sir Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!” In Galatians 6:9, Paul’s exhortation is, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” These two exhortations are a motivating force for all who are actively involved in the battle to protect children and families from the harms of pornography and the sex-oriented businesses. When the overall battle seems too fierce to win, these words remind us to focus on one battle at a time and to remember that no matter how rich and powerful the porn industry may be each strategic victory is important to winning the war and God is more powerful and resourceful than the porn advocates ever will be. This motivates us to keep fighting and to keep helping young women to walk away from a life of degradation and shame into a life of dignity and success.

Each time a young woman leaves the topless club scene a strategic battle is won. To date we have helped fifty-nine young women to leave the sex-oriented business and at the present time we have fifteen women actively participating in A Way Out’s Victim Assistance Program.

Each time the laws that govern sex-oriented businesses are enforced a strategic battle is won. On Sunday, August 26, 2001 a small article appeared in the Commercial Appeal. It reported that an undercover operation was targeting adult-oriented businesses that stay open past midnight. Vice officers arrested the cashier at the Paris Theater on Summer. According to state law, it is illegal to operate an “adult oriented establishment” past midnight . In a follow-up article on August 29th, Major D. A. Betts, assistant commander of the Memphis Police Department said “It is not an undercover operation. We are simply checking to make sure these businesses are following the law and we are enforcing it.” This too is a strategic victory because most laws on the books are broken consistently in the clubs and porn shops. Hopefully this is the first of many such victories.

As citizens we need to not only voice our disdain when wrong goes unnoticed by those in power, but we also should voice our praise when elected officials and law enforcement steps up to the plate and takes the porn industry to task by making sure they obey the law or pay the consequences. It would be a good thing to write our Police Chief and our District Attorney and let them know as citizens we are behind them and encourage them to keep up the good work.

The war for our children’s minds and our family’s security is still raging as the porn peddlers seek to entrap parents and children. They aren’t satisfied to entrap the fathers and mothers, but they are constantly targeting our children via the Internet, teen magazines, Abercrombie and Fitch catalogs, etc. Statistics show that the largest audience for pornography is young boys between the age of seven and twelve. Our elected officials and law enforcement can’t win this war alone. WON’T YOU JOIN US IN THE BATTLE TO HELP VICITMS AND TO FIGHT FOR DECENCY AND HIGH MORAL STANDARDS IN OUR CITY?

To volunteer call 685-1493 or email carol@ccvmemphis.org.