l I - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

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Mr. 3ohn M. H~zrington
3une .~, 19S6
Page 3
Since time is short, formation of this new coalition and recruitment of a chairman and
spokesperson should be undertaken at once. As soon as this task is accomplished, the new
coalition should hold a news conference in Washington to announce its formation,
membership, objectives and program. The new coalition should move quickly to establish
state and local chapters, seeklng to enlist the broadest possible support.
Quiet e~_f__or~s should be undertaken to peFsuade the Attorney General,_ . the White House ancl._
the leaders of both oolitical parl:ies that the forthc;omin~ reoort of work of the
Commission is so flawed, so controversial, so contcs~c_d and so bia}ed that they should shy
away from oubliclv endorsin~ the document, The more doubts that can be created about
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the objectivity and validity of the Commission's findings and recommendations, the more
difficult it will be for anti-pornography crusaders to use the report as an e~fective toot
for achieving their objectives,
The new coalition should launch a series of pre-emptive strikes against the Commission's
report, using aflvertorials in ma[or_.na.tig.n.al newspapers and magazines, placing
spokespersons on national and local television and radio news, public affairs and talk
shows, holding a series of news conterences in major cities across the country, and
meeting with government leaders and politicians to discuss the biases, misrepresentations
and factual errors contained in the report.
The coalition should hold a second news conference in Washington immediately following
the release of the Commission's report in 3uly, providing the media, Members of Con&ross
and other interested groups with a "white paper" refuting the findings and
recommendations of the Commission's report. Hopefully,. the dissenting Commissioners,
social scientists whose research or testimony has been taken out of context, prominent
legal scholars and civil liberties activists could participate.
Lon.~-term S trate;~y
Sadly, it often seems socially acceptable and politically expedient to support restraints on
the freedom to speak, publish or perform -- so long.as those restraints are made under the
guise of a crusade against pornography. In the long run, these attacks on our First
Amendment freedoms will probably continue as long as there are those who feel they and
the Government have the right and the responsibility to determine the content of what we
readt look at and listen to.
Still, most Americans vigorously oppose censorship. Most Americans believe firmly in the
separation of Church and State. Most Americans oppose Government intervention in their
private lives~ Most Americans value deeply the concept o[ personal freedom. Our task is
to convince the American people that campaigns to ban certain books, magazines,
newspapers, movies, television shows, speeches and performances threaten everyone's
freedom.
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