Contact: Morality In Media, Inc., 212-870-3210, 212-870-3222, mim@moralityinmedia.org

NEW YORK, Mar. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- In his column, "Politicians for Porn: The sad decline of San Francisco" (N.Y. Post, 3/9/07), Bill O'Reilly criticized San Francisco's mayor for proclaiming February 23 as "Colt Studio Day in San Francisco." Colt Studios is a "gay porn outfit" that produces hardcore pornography. Mr. O'Reilly also stated his belief that "adults should be able to consume so-called 'adult entertainment' without government intrusion."

MIM President Robert Peters had the following comments in regard to the latter remark:

You are right to describe hardcore pornography as "so-called 'adult entertainment'" because as former FBI obscenity investigator Roger Young stated in an interview (published at www.obscenitycrimes.org Porn Problem & Solutions page):
"People in the pornography industry do not like the word pornography…The term 'adult material' was put forth by them to soften it, to try to make it more acceptable in the community. They'd rather say that this is mainstream, run-of-the-mill, adult material, not pornography, because they know that 'pornography' came from two Greek words, 'porne' and 'graphos,' which literally translated means 'the writing of prostitutes.'"

In the real world, the term "adult" (when used to describe pornography) encompasses everything from soft-core pornography (e.g., a Playboy magazine "foldout") to hard-core pornography of every description. Even assuming for the sake of argument that children and un-consenting adults could be shielded from the flood of hardcore pornography, the production, distribution and consumption of (and addiction to) such material would still contribute to:

• The epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS
• The decline in marriages and the breakup of marriages
• On-the-job sexual harassment and a decline in worker productivity
• Sex crimes against adults and children
• The breakdown of morality and erosion of decency

Thankfully, there are still obscenity laws on the books at both the federal and state levels that can be enforced against hardcore pornography. The Supreme Court has also repeatedly upheld these laws against various "constitutional challenges" brought by the pornographers and the ACLU.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion; but perhaps in the future you could express your support for "adult entertainment" in a way that will enable your readers and listeners to more fully comprehend what you support. I suggest the following language:

"I usually disagree with the ACLU, but on the subject of pornography we think alike for the most part. I also believe the First Amendment should protect the right of adult Americans to produce and distribute hardcore pornographic materials that depict, among other things, adultery, the degradation, rape and torture of women, male rape, the sexual exploitation of children (as long as actual children aren't depicted), the consumption of urine and feces, the sexual union of humans with animals, the sexual union of siblings and of parents and children (as long as they are all at least 18 years old), men exposing themselves to women in public places, prostitution, someone's eighteen year old girl having sex with a dozen boys at a college fraternity, unsafe anal sex galore, and more.

"Furthermore, I choose to ignore the evidence linking pornography to sexual crimes against children and adults. I don't care how many marriages pornography destroys. I don't think it is all that bad if kids get their hands on this stuff. They have to learn about sex too. Nor do I care about morality or about maintaining a decent society.

"Nor do I care what the America people or their elected representatives in Congress think. Or what the Supreme Court has said about obscenity. With five Supreme Court Justices who think they can interpret the Constitution any way they please, the ACLU and I can set the pornographers and their customers free from government intrusion.

"This is what America is all about."

MORALITY IN MEDIA works through constitutional means to curb traffic in obscenity.