Planned Parenthood

Guatemale City – The Roman Catholic Archbishop here has strongly criticized U.S. funded population control efforts.  At issue is a sterilization project among Guatemalan Indians by APROFAM, a local affiliate of Planned Parenthood which, in turn, is backed by Planned Parenthood International and the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID).

Media battle

Tueplo, Miss. – Christian Leaders for Responsible TV (CLEAR – TV) says it will promote  a programme of selective buying, unless the television networks reduce the amount of sex, violence and profanity by 35 per cent this fall and immediately end their stereotyping of Christianity.

CLEAR – TV consists of more than 1600 Christian leaders of 70 denominations, including 20 Lutheran and 110 Roman Catholic Bishops.  Its 42-member board voted to monitor programmes this fall because of the indifference of the networks.  If there is no improvement, CLEAR – TV will promote a programme of selective buying.  “If money is the only common language understood,” said a board spokesman, “then, of necessity, we will speak with that common language.”

Porn aided by Courts

Washington – A Justice Department committee has issued a draft report showing a direct relationship between decisions of the courts and the explosive growth of pornography and obscenity in the U.S.  It was not until the 1950s that the U.S. Supreme Court began to involve itself substantially in the issue of pornography.  From the mid 1960s, the Supreme Court embarked on the practice of “reversing obscenity convictions.”

(The same pattern of court involvement developed in Canada.  Here, most reversals of legislation took place on provincial levels).

Homosexuality – Brothers, the U.S. cable comedy series, analyzed in the April 1986 Interim by Michael Vallins, will be shown in Toronto by City-TV in 40 episodes at prime time (9:30 p.m.) this fall.  Brothers promotes homosexuality as an acceptable, and amusing lifestyle, despite today’s known consequences such as AIDS.  Torontonians are invited to make City-TV aware of their opposition to such programming.