American Family Association

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The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative Christian organization founded in 1977 by Rev. Donald Wildmon as the National Federation for Decency. Headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, the AFA's stated purpose is "to promote traditional family values."

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[edit] Goals

The AFA claims that it "represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media—including pornography—on our society."[1]

The organization publishes articles that promote what it claims are traditional nuclear families, promote a conservative brand of Christianity, advocate for Christian missionaries, oppose abortion, oppose homosexuality, oppose pornography and promote clean entertainment, and advocate being thrifty with finances and against excessive debt.

Since Christmas 2005, the AFA has actively pursued retail corporations in their non-usage of the term "Christmas" in their television, radio, or in-store advertising. The AFA has a "Christmas Ban" web page on their site, listing all corporations that refuse to endorse Christmas, including all relevant contact information[2].

[edit] Activism

The AFA has a long history of activism by organizing its members in boycotts and letter-writing campaigns aimed at promoting socially conservative values in the United States. As of June 2006, it is promoting boycotts of Abercrombie & Fitch ("Use of softcore pornography in company catalogs"), Movie Gallery ("distributor of pornographic videos"), Kmart ("Sale of adult-rated music CDs") and Nike ("promoting a back door move to legalise homosexual marriage").[3]

In the past, the AFA has promoted boycotts of all television shows, movies, and businesses that have promoted "indecency". The AFA has also launched specific boycotts against Crest, Volkswagen, Tide, Clorox, Pampers, Microsoft, Burger King, the Carl's Jr., Kraft Foods, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Old Navy, NutriSystem, and American Airlines. In 2004, the AFA went after the movie Shark Tale, because the group believed the movie was designed to brainwash children into accepting gay rights. In 2005, it boycotted the company American Girl, seller of dolls and accessories, because of a charity that the company supported [4], and Target for its lack of the word "Christmas" in its advertising.[5]

AFA's boycotts have had mixed success. In 1990, Blockbuster Video decided not to stock films that carried the recently introduced NC-17 rating after pressure from the AFA. But a nine-year boycott of Disney resulted in none of the group's demands being met while Disney enjoyed a surge in profits.

The AFA failed in 2000 to persuade Congress to eradicate the National Endowment for the Arts for funding a controversial book, One of the Guys, by Robert Clark Young. In March of 2004, the AFA filed suit in an attempt to prevent the city of Seattle, Washington from recognizing same-sex marriages. (see Same-sex marriage in the United States).

[edit] Controversial statements

The American Family Association's many publications and statements claim that homosexuality is a choice and that it can be changed.[6]

On the October 11, 2005, AFA broadcast, Tim Wildmon agreed with a caller that cable networks like Animal Planet and HGTV featured homosexual people and added that "You have to watch out for children's programs today as well because they'll slip it in there as well."[7]

On November 28, 2006, the AFA released an article entitled "A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath" In this article, the AFA made the claims that it is un-American to swear an oath on any book other than the Bible. The AFA urged members to contact Congressmen to pass a law stipulating that all oaths for federal office must invoke the Bible. This was in response to Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, stating he would use a Koran in his swearing in ceremony. Requiring holy books in swearing in ceremonies would violate Article VI of the US Constitution, according to legal experts like Eugene Volokh.[8] This was also criticised by Michael Savage, to who MSNBC's Keith Olbermann responded that the swearing in ceremony is not on any kind of book, but rather the books are there for a "photo-op", appearing to criticise Savage and the AFA for criticising this issue.

AFA is currently a defendant in Federal Court for violation of the American with Disabilities Act. AFA failed to grant plaintiff a reasonable accommodation for a previously known illness. The plaintiff was fired when he checked into a mental health hospital for suicidal depression. AFA's counsel came to the psychiatric hospital to serve termination and showed no compassion for the plaintiff. Defendant subsequently misrepresented the truth in legal documents.[citation needed]

[edit] Critics

The AFA has long been opposed by civil liberties organizations, especially the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and conservative Constitutionalists, both of whom charge that its policies directly violate the First Amendment. They also argue that many legal restrictions on individual liberty favored by the AFA require a loose interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

[edit] References

  1. ^ AFA about page, AFA website
  2. ^ AFA Christmas Ban, AFA website
  3. ^ Family Advocate Condemns Nike's Support for Oregon Civil Unions, AFA website
  4. ^ American Girl Boycott
  5. ^ Target Boycott
  6. ^ Homosexuality in America, AFA website
  7. ^ Today's Issues, Media Matters for America website
  8. ^ Constitution & Oaths, National Review

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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