Several pro-family organizations are calling for supporters to make their voices heard in protest against the abuses perpetuated by the giant pornography industry in America – symbolizing their protest with a white ribbon.

The campaign kicked off its 20th annual “White Ribbon Against Pornography Week” (WRAP) last Sunday. Participants are encouraged to speak out against pornography, particularly its damaging effects on family life and on women and children, who are most victimized by pornography. The white ribbons, like the pink ribbons of breast cancer awareness, are available as car magnets, lapels, and pins.

Morality in Media (MIM), Concerned Women for American (CWA) and American Mothers are behind the campaign, the goal of which is “to educate the public about the extent of the pornography problem and about what can legally be done to fight back against the flood tide of obscenity.”

Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, director and senior fellow of CWA’s Beverly LaHaye Institute, said that the campaign has received a “very positive” response. “People see how pornography has become mainstreamed,” said Crouse. “It is virtually impossible to insulate our children from obscenity and pornography because it is so pervasive – even in nice hotel chains and public situations that families frequent.”

Participators are encouraged to spread the message against porn by writing letters to the editor of local papers, making complaints to local businesses that support or promote pornography, and asking religious leaders to take a stand in the pulpit against pornography. The MIM website provides sample sermons for pastors to use.

CWA’s website has a downloadable fact card on the dangers of pornography, which can be distributed – preferably with an attached ribbon – to those inquiring what the white ribbon stands for (http://www.cwfa.org/factsheets/wrap-factsheet.pdf).

Crouse emphasized public outreach as central to the campaign, saying that most people are unaware of how much power they actually have to stop obscenity on a case-by-case basis.

“When cases are brought to court they are won; we just need more indictments and great public awareness to bring violations of free speech to the attention of authorities,” said Crouse.

Crouse points out that obscenity has been illegal since 1973, when the Supreme Court ruled that such material could not claim protection under the First Amendment. A 1996 amendment updated the law to face the newly-launched Internet, so that it became illegal to use any interactive computer service to transmit obscene materials.

The WRAP campaign urges awareness of the extensive damage done to families and intimate relationships, as well as the danger posed to children by the growing demand for younger subjects in pornography.

“Far too many people think that porn is a matter of ‘free speech’ and that it is private matter that doesn’t hurt anyone but the user,” she said. “This is very erroneous thinking.” According to Crouse, The Federal Bureau of Prisons issued a study last year showing that 85 percent of prisoners convicted of possessing child pornography admitted to abusing at least one child.

“Pornography is everyone’s business,” said Crouse. “The criminal networks make billions of dollars by taking advantage of women and children in order to produce 15,000 new products each year. Thus, pornography ensnares the innocent and ruins the lives of thousands of vulnerable girls and women every year.”

To find out more about the WRAP campaign and purchase materials, visit: http://www.wrapfamily.com/