Los Angeles Times Bans Adult Club Advertising . . .In October, 1998, a Los Angeles Times reader expressed concern about the placement of adult club advertising in the Sports section of the paper. After writing to the paper, the reader received a letter from the President and Chief Executive Office of the paper, Kathryn M. Downing. Ms. Downing stated, “We examine our advertising standards, in an effort to balance the needs of our advertisers with those of our readers. You will be happy to know that we have recently reviewed our policy regarding adult club advertising and have reached the decision not to accept it in Sports or in any other section of The Times, beginning December 1. Everything we do at The Times carries with it the ultimate goal of improving the performance of society. I think this change in policy helps move us closer to that ideal.” [AFA Newsletter, 12/98] The American Family Association (AFA) suggests that individuals contact their local newspaper if they carry ads for “adult” businesses and let them know about the Los Angeles Times’ new policy. If you would like a copy of the above letter from Ms. Downing to share with your local newspaper, contact AFA at 601-844-5036 or call Family Watch. “Know Your Customer” Update . . .Due to an overwhelming response from the public about the “Know Your Customer” proposed regulations, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has extended the comment period to March 8, 1999. See Family Watch #50 (12/13/98)Send your comments to: Robert E. Feldman, Executive Secretary, Attn:Comments/OES, FDIC, 550 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20429. Fax:202/898-3838. Include at the top of your letter: 6374-01, FDIC 12, CFR 326, Minimum Security Devices and Procedures and Bank Secrecy Act Compliance, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Email: comments@FDIC.gov Three other agencies, besides the FDIC, are proposing similar, but slightly different rules, apparently to diffuse opposition. They are: Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) – email: regs.comments@occ.treas.gov; Federal Reserve System (FRB) - no email address; Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) – email: public.info@ots.treas.gov. Comments should also be sent to your members of Congress, who have legislative authority to halt the regulations. [SCAN THIS NEWS, fingerprint@networkusa.org] .Privacy Legislation Introduced . . .Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) recently introduced the Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act of 1999. This act: 1) forbids the use of the Social Security number for purposes unrelated to Social Security; 2) forbids any two government agencies from using the same numeric identifier; 3) forbids any government agency from issuing any standards for identification that would have to be followed by any other government agency, a private party, a state government, state agency or political subdivision of a state – (government agencies could use IDs only to carry out their congressionally assigned purpose.); 4) forbids the federal government from conditioning the receipt of federal funds on a state, state agency or subdivision of a state’s adoption of a uniform identifier; and 5) forbids the federal government from assigning ID numbers to investigate, monitor, oversee, or regulate a transaction between private parties not involving the government. It also forbids the government from using ID numbers for purposes of administrative simplification. In introducing this legislation, Rep. Paul said, “The Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act halts the greatest threat to liberty today; the growth of the surveillance state. Unless Congress stops authorizing the federal bureaucracy to stamp and number the American people federal officials will soon have the power to arbitrarily prevent citizens from opening a bank account, getting a job, traveling, or even seeking medical treatment unless their ‘papers are in order!’ In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I once again call on my colleagues to join me in putting an end to the federal government’s unconstitutional use of national identifiers to monitor the actions of private citizens. National identifiers are incompatible with a limited, constitutional government.” [Congressional Record, Extension of Remarks, 1/6/99]NIH Will Fund Stem Cell Research . . .Despite a federal funding ban on scientific experiments that involve the killing of human embryos, embryonic stem cell experiments will be undertaken by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to its director, Dr. Harold Varmus. The Voice of America reported that the “U.S. government has found a way to overcome restrictions imposed by Congress that prevent federal money from being spent on research using human embryos.” The funding ban states that no Federal money may be used for “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death …” According to press reports, Dr. Varmus said his agency intends to go ahead with plans to give money to academic researchers to work with embryonic stem cells. Scientists are trying to race headlong into stem cell experiments in an attempt to find out if they can be used to grow human tissue for transplant purposes, with evident disregard for the fact that, in order to “harvest” the cells, tiny embryonic human beings must be killed! According to Colleen Parro, director of RNC, “the Clinton Administration’s plan to compel American taxpayers to participate in loathsome and unconscionable activities that have long been rejected by civilized society is not to be tolerated. Congress must immediately close any loophole in the federal funding ban that might be used by NIH to conduct these experiments.” Contact your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators with your concerns about this issue. |