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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #43 - First Reading OrdinanceJ-85-661 8/19/85 ORDINANCE; NO. AN ORDINANCE, AMENDING; SECTION (a) (JE SECTION 10.5-20 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, WHICH PROHIE3ITED 'PHE. IISL OF oBSCE;NE OR INDECENT MATERIAL, OVER CABLE, TELEVISION, 13Y UELETING THE PRIOR JUI)ICIAI, OFTERMINATION REQUIREMENT; FURTHER AMENDING PARAGRAPH 3 OF SUBSECTION (b) OF SF'CTION 10.5-20 ENTITLED "INDECENT MATERIAL" BY PROVIDING FOR A MORE SPECIFIC DEFINITION THEREOF AND A 'TIME DURING WHICii INDECENT PROGRAMMING MAY BE DISTRI- BUTED; FURTHER AMENDING SECTION (d) OF SECTION 10.5-20 11Y REPEALING SAID SECTION, DEALING WITi] THE PROCEDURE; BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE SANCTIt;NS FOUR VIOLATIONS, AND SUBSTITUTING IN ITS STEAD A NEVI SECTION (d) , PROVIDIN; FOR NOTICE AND RECEIPT OF COM- PLAINTS; FURTHER PROVIDING FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF TO BE SOU!,HT BY THE CI`CY ATTORNEY FOR VIOLATIONS OF SECTION (d) IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLORIDA STATUTES; CONTAINING A REPEALER PROVISION AND SEVERARILIrI'Y CLAUSE. WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 0,538, which prohibited the use of cable television for distribution of obsceno or indecent material, was challenged in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and declared invalid in its present form; and WHEREAS, the District Court opined that the constitutional infirmities found in said ordinance could be legislatively amended and resolved; and WHEREAS, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the opinion of the District Court; and WHEREAS, the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 gives authority to franchising or licensing authorities to regulate certain cable services; and WHEREAS, the legislative history pertaining to the enactment of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 includes obscenity and indecency within the context of cable services that may be regulated; and cQ �,. •.: t Nov 20 1085 - f r WHEREAS, the City Commission has determined that it has a substantial interest in and deems it necessary to regulate the distribution of obscene and indecent material over cable televi- sion in order to further the objective of protecting the welfare of children, as emphasized by Dr. Elizaheth Holland in her presentation to the Memphis Chapter of National Federation for. Decency, a copy of which is appended hereto as "Attachment 1"; and WHEREAS, the City Commission has further determined that regulation of the distribution of obscene and indecent material over cable television is necessary in order to protect the privacy rights of viewers who are an unwilling audience to indecent material, as more fully set forth in the 41-page report of the Florida Coalition for Clean Cable (FCCC) "Cable Pornography, the Case for Indecency Regulations," the Table of Contents of which is appended hereto as "Attachment 2"; and WHEREAS, lock -out devices have proven unpopular and inappropriate for normal home television; and WHEREAS, it has been shown that many cable -television subscribers choose programming by scanning the dial thus raising a significant risk of assault on viewers by unexpected cable indecency. See "Selecting Proqrams in the Multichannel Environment," pp. 11-14, The Multichannel Environment, A Study of Two Cable Markets, Television Audience Assessment, Inc., 1983, a copy of which is appended hereto as "Attachment 3"; and WHEREAS, the City Commission has determined that lock -out devices and viewer guides do not afford effective protection for subscribers who do not wish to view indecent material; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Commission to r.equlate and not prohibit the distribution of indecent programming over the City of Miami's cable television system pursuant to the exercise of its police power; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: 2 F�� 1 Sect ioln 1. amended as f(-)ll.ows:l Section(a) of Section 10.520 is hereby (a) No person small by means of a cable television system knowingly distribute by wire or cable any material which has been j,dd4e4alip to be is obscene or. indecent. Section 2. paragraph 3 of Section 10.5-20(b) entitled "Indecent material" is hereby amended as follows: 1 Indecent material means mateeiai-wpie#q-is-a eepeesentatien or deseeiptiea of a Iguman se�dai-ee-exeeeteep-eegar�-ee-€dgetiefl-wl�ieH the average peesan applpinq eentempeeaep eerflffidnitp Standards; weuid €ind to be patefltip a€€eftsive- a visual or verbal description, display, representation, dissemination, or verbal description of: (1) A human sexual or excretory organ or function; or (2) A state of undress so as to expose the human male or female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks, with less than a fully opaque covering, or showing of the female breasts with less than a fully opague covering of any portion below the top of the nipple; or (3) An ultimate sexual act, normal or perverted, actual or simulated; or (4) Masturbation which the average person applying contemporary community standards for cable television or pay -for -viewing television programming would find is presented in a patently offensive way for the time, place, manner and context in which the material is presented. It shall be an affirmative defense to an action under this Ordinance to enjoin indecent material that the distribution of such indecent material occurred only between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. It shall be an affirmative defense to an action under this Ordinance to enjoin indecent material that the distribution of such indecent material was restricted to institutions or persons having scientific, educational, governmental, or other similar Words and/or figures stricken through shall be deleted. Underscored words and/or figures shall be added. The remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged. Asterisks indicate omitted and unchanged material. d 3 U N justification for distributiny_in-aecetit material. Section 3. section ( d ) of Section 10 . 5-20 of the Code of the City of Miami, which prohibited the use Of cahle tel evision Vor distribution of obscene car in,lecent nator_ ial, is hereby atnemied as fellows: {d}--N€e}at€en e€ the prev€g-iens of Seet€en € +�eeee€-�p-anp-€€eer�9ee-a€-a-eat€e-te3etr€9€en-spste� 91�a€€-eenst�tt�te-a-a€eat€en-e€-a-raster€a€-term-and eend€t€en-e€-the-app€€eab+e-€€eense;-of -Ord €nanee-NoT 9332. -amd-a€-an-Order-and-d€reet en-e€-the-E€tp--Sueh v€e€at€en-sha h-sub3eet-the-€€eensee-te-suspens€en-er term€nat€en of the €ieense €n aeeerdanee w-ith the €e}}ew�ng-Ereeedure- {a}-- }�e-E€tp-Managee-sha€l-eeee �e-a€€-eer�p€a nts-e€ ems-a€-Seetiem-l-heree€--provided that nothing here -in sha€€ prohibit the E€tp Manager from initiating sueh eetnp€a€nts; and provided further; that the €€eensee shall be reel"€reel-te-€erward-te-the-e4tp-Manager-er-not -if p him-#n-wr€t€ng-a€-a€�-eemp€a€rats-reee#ved-bp-the €eemsee-eemeern#ng-a}�eged-�*€eat€ens-e€-Seet€em �-heree€,-with€n-€€ae-f5}-daps-a€-€#eenseels-€#rst net€ee-a€-sueh-eefnpla4nt7 fb}--Rll-eemplaimt9 -whether- reee€aed-er-€met€aced-by the-Eitp-Manager;-Shall -be-renewed-bp-h€m-€er-a determ€mat€en-e€-whethe r- there- }s-prebab€e-eause to-be+€eve- that- a-v4elat€en-a€-Seet€en-€-heree€ has-boom-eemm€tted- +e}--upem a determination that sueh probable eause exists,-the-E�tp-Manager-sha��-net€€y-the-lr€eemsee €m-wr+timg-e€-the-a€�egeel-ae�at€en-and-give-the lieensee net fewer than fifteen +4:5} daps to present-€sets-and-argument-€m-re€"tat€era-e€-the alleged-ve�at€en-at-a-heflr€mg-te-be-eemdueted-bp the-E€tp-Manager:--Said-net€€€eaten-shad€-spee�€p the-date;-t€me;-and-p�aee-a€-said-hear�mg-and-the mature-e€- 4ea- t €en she++ be sent by registered ma€1; return reee€pt requested; at I€eemseels e€€€ee 3n the E€ty: fd}--At said hearing the l€eemsee shall be g€vem an eppertun�tp-to-be-represented-bp-eeumse�;-a-reeerd e€-the-preeeed�ngs-sha��-be-made-bp-a-eert�€#ed eeurt reperter; the 14eemsee shall have an eppertum4tp-to-eall, -and -eress-exam€me-w€tmesses; te- pre sent-deeumentary-ev€denee;-and-Otherwise-te present-€ts-pes€teem-er-de€erase- fe}--The preeeedings at sueh hearing Shell be as informal, as #s eempat-ible with the essentia€ ' requ€cements-e€-due-preeess-a€-€avr:--the-adm�ss#en e€-evidenee-shall-be-gevermed -bp-the-E-itp-Manager; eems€stently with generally eeeepted legal prime€pies-e�eaerm�mg-the-adm}ss�en-e€-ea€donee-€m administrative preeeed}ngs: Ste€et rules of ea-idenee appi€eable in eeerts Of law shal+ net app+p-to-s"eh-preeeed€ngs: f€}--The burden Of proof by a prependerenee Of the ev4denee she€+ be en the E€tp; wheh shad€ be 4 Ir V w represented-bp-the-Eitp-Atternep-er-his-designee- fg}--The-order-e€-the-preeeedings-shall-be-a9-€ellews- 4i}--The City and the lieensee shaii have an epporten itp-te- present -openinc.1-statements-e€ their-positiens- fii}--The City shall then present its ease with respect- to- the- alleg ed-violatien- and -proposed sanetiens- fiii}--The-licensee-shall-then-present-its-ease-with eespeet-te-the-alleged-violation-and-proposed sanetien9- fiv}--The-Eitp-map-a€€er-evidence-in-rebuttal-o€ lieensee1s-ease- {v}--The-Eity-map-then -present-elesing-argu�+ent; to be followed by elosing argument by the l ieensee ;-te-be-€elle�aed-lap-elesing-argument bp-the-Eitp-in-rebuttal-a€-lieensee1s-closing argument- +h}--Within-ten-t1A}-daps-after- the-eenelusien-e€-said hear ing;-the -Eitp-Manage r-shall -make -in-writing his-€findings-and-doeisien;-inelt�ding-the-nature and extent of any sanetiens imposed open the lieensee-and -the-reasons-there€er---Sueh-€indfings shall be filed with the Eitp Elerk and a eepy thereof mailed to lieensee by registered mail; return-reeeipt- requested ;-at-lieenseels-aff4ee-in the -Eity---A-eepy-shall-alse-be-sent-te-the-Eity Atterney- fi}--Upon a finding that a violation of Seetien l hereof has been eemmitted by the lieensee; the Eitp-Manager-map-impose-the-€elleaing-sanetiensr {i}--Suspension-af-the-lieensee-€er-a-period-e€ time -net -te-exeeed-nine-f9}-eenseeutive-days in ahieh ease the 14eensee shall maize the eerrespending refunds to subseribers set €erth-in-erdimenee-Ne--93327-Seetien-1495; Without-the-necessity-€er-subscriber-requests €er-such-re€ands;-er fii}--Termit�atien-e€-the-lieense- Section 3. (d)(1) The City Manager_shall receive all complaints of alleged violations of Section 1 hereof; provided that nothing herein shall prohibit the City Manager from initiating such complaints; and provided further, that the licensee shall be required to forward to the City Manager or notify the City Manager in writing of all complaints received by the licensee concerning alleged violations of Section 1 hereof, within five (5) days of licensee's first notice of such complaint. (2) The City Manager may forward such complaints to the Cit Attorney who shall have the power to seek an injunction for a violation of Section pursuant to Chapter 34 of the Florida Statutes or, in the alternative, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 847.011(8)(a) of the Florida Statutes. 5 r Section 4. All ordinances or parts of ordinances insofar as they are inconsistent or in conflict with th- provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 5. If any section, part of section, paragraph, clause, phrase or word of this ordinance is declared invalid, unconstitutional or void, the remaining provisions of this ordinance shall not be affected. PASSED ON FIRST READING BY TITLE ONLY this loth- day of October , 1985. PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING BY TITLE ONLY this day of ATTEST: MATTY HIRAI City Clerk . 1985. PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: X. QVI14N J S, Deputy Ci Attorney Mayor APPROV AS 0 FORM AND CORRECTNESS: A. DOUG 'RTY City Attorney AQJ/wpc/ab/pb/166 is lr his penis inside her vagina and bouncing him there several hours at a time. The child had venereal disease. The ve- nereal disease we can treat; the scars from the experience we cannot treat. Don't tell me I don't have the right - and the don't tell me that you don't have the right - or the obligation - to speak out against the criminal spread of pornography in our midst. Another thing I hear is, "It'll never work. There are too many of them - there are too few of us. They're too big. There's too much money involved. Keep up the good work, brother, I agree with what you're doing but you're fighting a losing battle. I mean, why should I turn in my converter? I enjoy my TV. It's not going to work. they'll never remove Playboy, they'll never refuse to offer it. Why should I deprive myself of the shows I enjoy? You're fight- ing a losing battle. Count me out." Once again let me paraphrase for you a story that you all know. We'll go to the 12th chapter of Acts. Peter ane James had been preaching in the streets. Herod had had James killed; Peter had been thrown into prison and he was chained between two guards in a dark dungeon. And in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and he said, "Stand up." And Peter stood up. And when Peter stood up the chains fell off. And then the angel said: "Put on your clothes; put on your shoes; put on your coat; and follow me." Peter did. And he followed the angel out of the dungeon, out to the iron gate which had no key, and the iron gate opened to them of its own accord. You see, I'd like you to notice in this story that God did not do one thing for Peter that night that Peter could do for him- self. God could have picked up Peter from that dungeon and translated him to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where the church had gathered and was praying for his re- lease. God could have done that. But He didn't. He said, "Stand up." And Peter obeyed. And then the chains fell off. You know, I can almost hear old Peter in that dungeon, if he had been infected with the defeated attitude that prevails among many Christians today. I can hear him in that dungeon ,hen the angel appeared and said, "Stand up." He said, "Oh, no. I mean, these chains are heavy and I might wake up those guards on either side. There are two of them and there is only one of me. And actually, I've gotten fairly comfortable down here." No. Peter stood up and the chains fell off. And the Lord said, "Come. Put on your clothes. follow me. Put on your coat." And Peter says, "Now, angel, I don't think you've thought this through very carefully. I mean, we have to go through this whole jail and there are guards everywhere. We have to crawl up those creaky steps - man, have you heard those steps creak? And once we qet out, don't forget that big iron gate out there. There's no key. We can't climb that gate! No, I think I'd rather stay here. Maybe they'll let me live. Maybe they'll just flog me and let me go. No, I don't think I'll go with you - but thank you, thanks for trying, thanks for thinking about me." Instead, Peter got up and followed that angel and he obey- ed the Lord and he went and when he reached the impossible gate, the iron gate opened to him of its own accord. You see, God's call on my life and God's call on your life is to do the things that are possible and to trust Him with the things that are impossible. I am outraged when I am told that I do not have the right to speak out against pornography in our community. I am out- raged when I am told that it's a battle we cannot win - therefore, we must not try. I am outraged when I put my hands in the wounds of abused battered children who have been victimized by those who have fed on pornographers' filth. I am outraged when I sit and hold a beautiful young girl on my lap and she wraps her arms around my neck and cries, "Why? Why did he hurt me?" I have no answer for her except that good men and good women and good ministers sat back and did nothing. I treated a family who came into my office - they were brought in by the police. There was a mother and father, middle twenties. There was a four -year -old boy and a three- year -old girl. It seems that the mother and father were pro - two years as models. The children were required to strip naked and to engage in sexual acts with each other. To en- gage in sexual acts with adults. To engage in sexual acts with animals. I have seen eight by ten glossy prints pro- duced by this family with this four year old boy and three year old girl engaged in sexual intercourse at the same time. There was a dog with his hairy penis in the little girl's mouth and a rooster with the little boy's penis in his mouth. And at the same time the mother would take cups of blood and pour it over the children's heads. And. you know, people buy this filth. There's a market for this. It's a multi -million dollar busines in our nation today. And because of this these children have suffered untold har Now who do you think bears the responsibility for these children? The mother and father who photographed them? Yes. They are their responsibility. What about the distri butors of kiddie porn who take this material and distribute it? What about those who buy it and feed on it and create the market? I would say to you that they're all responsibl But I would also say to you that those of us in this room, including myself, we are responsible if we choose to not be come involved in the fight against this filth. If we chaos to allow it to happen and do not raise our voices in protes then the blood which flowed down these children's heads, this blood is on our hands. God calls us to do the possible. He'll take care of the impossible. What's possible to us? You're going to hear this morning long lists of things that are possible to you. Take note. Take careful note. But I would say to you that there is one thing that is possible to all of us and I woul earnestly enlist your support in fervent, groaning prayer _ before the Lord God Almighty. We need to fall on our faces and say, "God, we have sinned in what we have done and what we have failed to do." James tells us that the "effectual. fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." and when we reach out and touch the hem of His garment, then God wil answer us. We must reach out and claim his or.onises. God has said, "If my people ... will humble t�-Tseives an', oray if they will seek my face, and if they will . fr,m their wicked ways, then I, I the Lord, will hear their cr3,er in Heaven, I will forgive their sins and 1 .iil `eai their land." This is our possibility, friends. We have to reach out and touch and claim the power of Almighty uod rcr the clear sing and the healing of our land. You see, I'm a doctor. I can suture lacerations, I can put band -aids wouris, 1 can put ointments, I can give antibiotics. But I �3nnot heal the damage that has been done to these children who have been abused by those who feed on porno;r3pnv. I can- not erase the hurt and the bewilderment 3nl tre =ejr rr_m the eyes of those who have been affected by :,-,;r3-.ny as it exists today. And yet, the purveyors of ;3r^;1r3phy war to bring it into my living room and into your i..ih; room and into the living room of anyone who wants to oluna down a few dollars and feed on sickness and disease and decay. I can't treat the effects - I can't treat thse children who have been abused. The damage is done. I'm reminded of the disease of polio, which we fought fc so many years. A child who has polio and comes to me with a withered limb, it has lost its function. Perhaps physi- cal therapy will help a little, perhaps it won't. I can't treat the effects of polio - but polio has effectively beer conquered in our nation. How? Through a vaccine. and now we prevent it. Polio can be treated by prevention - not by treatment of its effects. Pornography? I cannot treat the effects of the pornographers on children. They will wear these handicaps for the rest of their lives. But pornogra- phy can be prevented. It can be prevented, and it can be stopped if we can enlist the help of good people throughout this land who are willing to stand up and be counted in thi effort. Please, please, join us and help stop the spread of this filth in our land. Please, help us protect the innocent children. Please. Morality in Media of Colorado P. Q Box 313111 r ATTACHMENT #1 PEDIATRICIAN SPEAKS OUT ON EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY The following presentation was given by Dr. Elizabeth Holland to a meeting of the Memphis Chapter of National Federation for Decency. Dr. Holland has served as Chairman of the Memphis and Shelby County Child Abuse Committee; Chairman of Pediatrics at St. Joseph Hospital; and for the past ten years she has been the doctor at St. Peter's Home for Children in Memphis, Tennessee. (This first appeared in the JOURNAL, a publication of National federation for Decency.) I have not come here today to shock you, though perhaps this might well happen. 1 have not come here today to of- fend your sensibilities - though again, I recognize that this may take place. I have come simply to share with you a few of my experiences over the past ten years in treat- ing victims of pornographers. Of treating children who have been affected, who have been abused. who have been damaged for life by those who feed on pornography. There exist in our nation and in our area and in our community those men and women who have abused, who have been damaged for life by those who feed on pornography. There exist in our nation and in our area and in our com- munitythose men and women who have a sickness, who need to feed on dirty pictures and pornography. And when touching pictures and pornography; and when touching pic- tures and fantasizing and looking no longer satisfies these people's insatiable appetite, then they move. And they move to live children. I know -- because I treat these children. Recently there came into my office a distraught mother with a 14-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter. an 11-year old daughter and an 8-year old son. As her story unfolded, it appeared that her 14-year-old son had been purchasing pornographic magazines and reading then in his bedroom, and after reading them and arousing himself sexually to the point that he could no longer contain himself, he would go into the bedrooms of his 12-year-old and 11-year-old sis- ters, and his 8-year-old brother and rape them -- several times weekly. It further unfolded that this had been con- tinuing for five years. If you can subtract with me, the 14-year-old boy was nine when he began his activities. His sisters were seven and six, and his 8-year-old brother was three years old when he began to be raped by his nine -year - old brother who fed on pornography and graduated to live children. I treated a young boy in my office who was four years old. His parents were divorced. He lived with his mother. He visited his father on week -ends. From the time he was two, when the child would return home to his mother after visiting his father, he would cry and be irritable -- and none of us could figure out why. At age four we learned that the father of this two -year -old boy had been system- atically raping this child in his home -- many times, every weekend for two years. The father bought pornograp;iic magazines. He shared them with his two -year -old child and then forced this child into anal intercourse. This child's rectum looked like hamburger meat. I have been told by many children who have been there -- I have never seen this house -- but I have been told that there is a house in Memphis. It's called a "safe" house. Children are abducted from our streets and taken to this house where they are photographed in various sexual poses with each other, with adults, with men, with women, with animals. They are photographed and the pictures are dis- tributed to the various kiddie porn magazines which are sold throughout this country. And yet, do you know what I hear when I speak out against pornography? When I stand and tell these stories to people who are not con- cerned? Do you know what I hear? I hear from them that I don't have the right to determine what someone else watches in their living room. I wouldn't subscribe to the Playboy channel, but what.right do I have to say that someone who is willing to pay the money can't subscribe? I don't have the right to prevent you from watching it if you'd like -- yet I look at the children who have been abused and who have been beaten and who have been battered by those who feed on this pornography. I say that I not only have the right to prevent this pornography from spreading in this community. I have a moral obligation. Let me paraphrase for you a story that you're all fa- miliar with -- Ezekiel, Chapter 3. The Lord is calling Ezekiel. He says, "Oh, son of man, I have made you a watchman of the house of Israel. I send you to the House of Israel with my warning. You must go to them and you must warn them of their wicked ways. If you refuse to and the wicked man dies in his sins, then I will hold you to blame and his blood is on your hands. If you go and warn him and he refuses to listen, he will die in his sins but you are blameless. And if you go and warn him and he listens, and he repents, then he will core unto life and you have saved your soul." Do I have the right to speak out against evil that ex- ists in this world and in my community and in my neighbor- hood? As God said to Ezekiel, I must go and ,you rust go. If we refuse to go, those of us who have been scoken to and commanded by the Lord, if we refuse to �;o, t"e tl.^d of those innocent children is on our hands. A little girl was brought into my office not long ago. She was four years old. She had a torn and lacerated vagina. She was brought in by the police. It seers her father, her uncle, and her brothers would buy-ornograohic literature and would pass it around among themselves and would laught and tell dirty jokes -- and finally, when they were tired of reading and tired of fantasizing, they .ould take this four -year -old child and they .ouli all rape her. The child had been taken to another doctor one year previously, for the same problem. This doctor had chosen to ignore the signs and the symptoms; t-escribed ointment; and sent a three -year -old girl back into this situation for another year of torture and fear and oain. Now who's to blame? The family? Yes. But what about the one who knew? What about the one who understood and re- fused to act because he did not want to get involved? I submit that his guilt is great or greater than those who actually perpetrated this violence on that innocent child. I have treated two young girls, ages nine and eleven. Their father purchased sadistic pornographic literature. One afternoon he took the mother and the two daughters onto his front porch with a pile of sadistic pornographic literature and he required that they all share in and look at it. And then he took a gun and he held it to the mo- ther's head and he proceeded to rape her unmercifully in front of his two daughters) And when he had finished rapin her he calmly pulled the trigger and blew her head off in front of his daughters. Then he held the gun to their head and he raped them in the same manner and said to them, "I will kill you in the same manner if you tell anyone what I have done." I treated these children for two years before I could get one word out of either child. They live in ab- ject terror because of what they had seen and what they had experienced. I treated a three -year -old boy who visited his mother on weekends, and one day, during a check-up after such a visit I noticed he had large, draining sores on his penis. After further investigation it turned out that this mother, every week -end, had been taking her three-year-oid son, placing TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I. THE EFFECTS OF "ADULT" PROGRA%k1MING ON OUR SOCIETY. SUMMARY . . 1. Children Feel Pressured to Experience Sex Too Early 2. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Are Skyrocketing. . 3. Children Are Receiving Their Sex Education from Cable Television. 4. Children are Imitating the Sexual Behavior They See Modeled on Cable Television . 5. Children Are Being Damaged Emotionally . 6. Children Are Being Damaged Intellectually . 7. Sex Crimes Are Continually Increasing. . A. Rape Is An Ever Increasing Threat . . B. Increasing Child Abuse Is Alarming The Nation . . C. Juveniles Are Themselves Committing Sex Crimes. . 8. Cable Pornography Stimulates Men to Commit Sex Crimes. 9. Cable Pornography Encourages Sex Addiction Just Like Porn Magazines . PART II. RESEARCH SUBSTANTIAT114G THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF • . PORNOGRAPHY SLP,12-IARY . . 1. Soft -Core Pornography Callouses Men Toward Women and Creates Appetites for Harder Material . 2. Pornography Affects Both Normal and Disturbed People Negatively. It Is Not Cathartic . . 3. There Is a high Correlation Between Viewing Pornography and Committing Rape. . 4. There Are Substantial Relationships Between Viewing Pornography and Promiscuity and Sexual Deviance 5. Sexual Images Are Permanently Stored in the Brain. 6. Sexual Overpermissiveness Saps Creative Energy and Leads to Cultural Decline. . ' PART III. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TELEVISED VIOLE.:CE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR . . SUi,1MARY . . 1. Violence has become a National Problem . 2. The Cause -Effect Relationship Between Television Violence and Aggressive Behavior Has Been Established . 3. T.V. Rock Videos Are Creating a Subculture of Hatred and Violence. . 4. T.V. Violence Desensitizes Viewers to Real Life Violence . 5. ViolerLc:e in America Has Become Eroticized 6. Torture and :Murder for Pleasure Is on the Increase in the U . S . . i 4 7 7 7 7 8 8 10 12-19 12 14 15 15 16 18 18 19-24 19 20 �0 2' 23 23 23 ATTACHMENT # 2 FLORIDA COALITION FOR CLEAN CABLE MEtt t" MORALITY IN MEDIA OF NAPLES OF PALM BEACH COUNTY SUNCOASY CHAPTER THE REs�E kGROWTH CABLE PORNOGRAPHY CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT CITIZENS AGAINST PORFgORAPHY The Case for Indecency Regulations OF CENTRAL FLORIDA OF ST LUCIE COUNTY CITIZENS FOR A DECENT COMMUNITY. NaNfILLE. FL NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR DECENCY The Table of Contents is a summary of the CAM CANTONMENT CWTER TAAEAACHAP M�P°A AREA whole report. Each part begins with a sum- FLORIDA MFAWY FOAIUM mary of that section. The summaries and the FLORIDA FEDERATION OF WOMEN'SCLUBS concluding section explain the problem and FLORIDA FEDERATION WOMEN FOR RESPONSIBLE LEGISLATION the solution. The rest is back-up informa- EAGLE FORUM o JAI,ACKSONVILE tion: documentary material and examples. OF LEE COUNTY OF NAPLES OF ORLANDO MINUTEWOMEN OF FLORIDA KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FLORIDA STATE COUNCIL TAMPA MINISTERS ASSOCIATION UNITED CHRISTIAN ACTION INC NORTHWEST COAST BAPTIST ASSOC MORAL MAJORITY OF FLORIDA THE AMERICAN COALITION FOR TRADITIONAL VALUES OF FL CHRISTIAN VOICE Of FLORIDA FLON HULLING Of THE NATION FLOWDA I "Cablevision can and should be an instrument of bene- CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMER f,A. TAMPA CHAPTER f icial cultural influence in American life. It should CHRISTIAN NEWS UPDATE not be surrendered to the disposition of undisciplined COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE entrepreneurs. We submit that grave abuses are evident CITIZENHIP PALM BEACH COUNTY in the recent history of cable programming. We close FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN S our eyes to that evidence only at peril to the vulner- FNAP ELLOWSHIP ES CHAPTERRNATIONAL ability of our children and to those decencies funda- DEMOCRATIC WOMEN S CLUB mental to a family -oriented and self -respective civil OF COLLIER COUNTY society." COMMITTEE FOR THE RESTORATION - Massachusetts Governor's Advisory Committee Report OF THE FAMILY INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WINNING WOMEN OF FLORIDA INC RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FORUM ' FLORIDA A= ATION OF CHRISTUUI COLLEGE AND SCHOOLS INC FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN CHILD CARING - AGENCIES Eladda Qathal= Ctrfexerce 440 SPINNAKER DRIVE. NAPLES. FLORIDA 33940 • 813.262.2471 • OR 263.8908 , } i i } PART I. THE EFFECTS OF "ADULT" PROGRA2MING ON OUR SOCIETY SU�Z-IARY: Children are being taught an increasingly promiscuous life style. Because children imitate what they see, they are experimen- ting with sex at progressively younger ages. Robbed of childhood, their capacity for intellectual creativity is lessened and they are left with deep emotional scars that may keep them from ever enjoying mature sexual relationships as adults. All this is reflected in un- precedented numbers of sexually active teenagers and soaring statis- tics of unwed teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex crimes are increasing at a time when general crime is decreasing. It is no longer safe for women and children to be alone in many neighborhoods and shopping malls even in the daytime. The number of sex and porn addicts, rapists and child molesters, who are bein7 constantly stimulated by the flow of sexually arousing stimuli in our society, are increasing and they feed their perverse appetites on Lmed sex and violence. A new phenomenon of our times is chil-4- ren molesting ;ounger children. Those who are victimized in turn victimize others who are weaker and cannot resist and it is becoming evident that preteen vic�imizers are even more violent than their adult victimizers. ..,e ne5,3tive changes that are taking place in our societ:- are reflected in the changes in the top disciplinary problems in ouo- iic schools in the last 40 years: t PART IV. THE NATURE OF CABLE TELEVISION TODAY. 24-34 SMOLNRY . 24 1. The Number of Homes Receiving Cable Is Continually Increasing. 25 2. Discontent with Cable Programming Is Being Expressed. 26 3. Cable Television Promotes Nudity, Vulgarity, Sex Exploitation and Sexual Violence 26 4. We Can Expect Cable Programming to Become Harder and More Decadent. 27 5. Cable Pornography Is Attracting Organized Crime 28 6. "Adult" Cable Services Break into Homes of Non -Subscribers . 28 7. Children Have Learned to Unscramble Pay Channels 29 8. Lock Boxes Don't Work . 30 9. Children Are Watching Television Late at Night 30 10. The Message of Cableporn Is Distorted. 31 11. Cableporn Is Used to Break Down Resistance in Children 31 12. Other States Are Considering Indecency Legislation 32 13. Citizens Across the Country Are Protesting Playboy Channel . 32 14. Other Countries See the Dangers of Cableporn 34 PART V. THE CASE FOR PROHIBITILNG INDECENCY ON CABLE TELEVISION 34-41 1. Censorship Is Not the Issue . 34 2. We Need State Legislation. 37 3. Prevention Is the Best Solution. 39 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PANT I. THE EFFECTS OF "ADULT" PROGRAMMING ON OUR SOCIETY. SUMMARY . . 1. Children Feel Pressured to Experience Sex Too Early 2. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Are Skyrocketing. , 3. Children Are Receiving Their Sex Education from Cable Television. . 4. Children are Imitating the Sexual Behavior They See Modeled on Cable Television . 5. Children Are Being Damaged Emotionally . . 6. Children Are Being Damaged Intellectually 7. Sex Crimes Are Continually Increasing. . A. Rape Is An Ever Increasing Threat . . B. Increasing Child Abuse Is Alarming The Nation . C. Juveniles Are Themselves Committing Sex Crimes. S. Cable Pornography Stimulates Men to Commit Sex Crimes. 9. Cable Pornography Encourages Sex Addiction Just Like Porn Magazines . PART II. RESEARCH SUBSTANTIATING THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY . • . . S UMC,IA RY . . 1. Soft -Core Pornography Callouses Men Toward Women and Creates Appetites for Harder Material . 2. Pornography Affects Both Normal and Disturbed People negatively. It Is Not Cathartic . . 3. There Is a High Correlation Between Viewing Pornography and Committing Rape. . 4. There Are Substantial Relationships Between Viewing Pornography and Promiscuity and Sexual Deviance 5. Sexual Images Are Permanently Stored in the Brain. 6. Sexual Overpermissiveness Saps Creative Energy and Leads to Cultural Decline. . PART III. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TELEVISED VIOLEINCE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. . S U101A RY . . 1. Violence has become a National Problem . 2. The Cause -Effect Relationship Between Television Violence and Aggressive Behavior Has Been Established 3. T.V. Rock Videos Are Creating a Subculture of Hatred and Violence. 4. T.V. Violence Desensitizes Viewers to Real Life Violence 5. Violence in America Has Become Eroticized . 6. Torture and I•:urder for Pleasure Is on the Increase in the U . S . . i 1-11 1 3 3 4 4 7 7 7 7 8 8 10 12-19 12 14 15 15 16 18 18 19-24 19 20 10 2Z 23 23 23 ATTACHMENT #2 of*"" MORALITY IN MEDIA OF MAPLES OF PALM BEACH COUNTY SUNCOAST CHAPTER THE ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT CITIZENS AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA OF ST LUCIE COUNTY CITIZENS FOR A OECENT COMMUNITY. WAVIILE.FL NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR DECENCY CAM CANTONMENT DAYTONA CHAPTER TAMPA AREA CHAPTER FLORIDA PIIO-FAMILY FORUM FLORIDA FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS FLORIDA FEDERATION WOMEN FOR RESPONSIBLE LEGISLATION EAGLE FORUM OF GAINESVILLE OF AACUSONVI►LE OF LEE COUNTY OF NAPLES OF ORLANDO MINUTEWOMEN OF FLORIDA KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FLORIDA STATE COUNCIL TAMPA MINISTERS ASSOCIATION UNITED CHRISTIAN ACTION INC NORTHWEST COAST BAPTIST A= MORAL MAJORITY OF FLORIDA THE AMERICAN COALITION FOR TRADITIONAL VALUES OF FL CHRISTIAN VOICE OF FLORIDA HEALING OF THE NATION FLORIDA CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA. TAMPA CHAPTER CHRISTIAN NEWS UPDATE COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP PALM BEACH COUNTY FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN'S FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL. NAPLES CHAPTER DEMOCRATIC WOMEN S CLUB OF COLLIER CDUNTY COMMITTEE FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE FAMILY INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WINNING WOMEN OF FLORIDA INC RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FORUM FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN COLLEGE AND SCHOOLS, INC FLORIDA ASSOCIATION Of CHRISTIAN CHILD CARING AGENCIES Flaidli C`i relic Ctnfenrce 1 FLORIDA COALITION FOR CLEAN CABLE CABLE PORNOGRAPHY The Case for Indecency Regulations The Table of Contents is a summary of the whole report. Each part begins with a sum- mary of that section. The summaries and the concluding section explain the problem and the solution. The rest is back-up informa- tion: documentary material and examples. "Cablevision can and should be an instrument of bene- ficial cultural influence in American life. It should not be surrendered to the disposition of undisciplined entrepreneurs. We submit that grave abuses are evident in the recent history of cable programming. We close our eyes to that evidence only at peril to the vulner- ability of our children and to those decencies funda- mental to afamily-oriented and self -respective civil society." - Massachusetts Governor's Advisory Committee Report 440 SPINNAKER DRIVE, MAPLES, FLORIDA 33940 • 813.262.247t • OR 283.8908 i� 1I"*N a PART I. THE EFFECTS OF "ADULT" PROGRAI-MING ON OUR SOCIETY MCIARY: Children are being taught an increasingly promiscuous life style. Because children imitate what they see, they are experimen- ting with sex at progressively younger ages. Robbed of childhood, their capacity for intellectual creativity is lessened and they are left with deep emotional scars that may keep them from ever enjoying mature sexual relationships as adults. All this is reflected in un- precedented numbers of sexually active teenagers and soaring statis- tics of unwed teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex crimes are increasing at a time when general crime is decreasing. It is no longer safe for women and children to be alone in many neighborhoods and shopping malls even in the daytime. The number of sex and porn addicts, rapists and child molesters, who are being constantly stimulated by the flow of sexually arousing stimuli in our society, are increasing and they feed their perverse appetites on filmed sex and violence. A new phenomenon or our times is chi'_.:- ren ,,.olesting lounger children. Those who are victimized in turn victimize others who are weaker and cannot resist and it is becoming evi"'ent that preteen vic-i-izers are even more violent than their adult victimizers. 1 e ne�;ative changes that are taking place in our socie:_: are reflected in the changes in the top disciplinary problems in pub- lic schools in the last 40 vears: 1 � r Au K # Z �CoY1i rU� 'r T2 k me'� PART IV. THE NATURE OF CABLE TELEVISION TODAY. 24-34 SUMMARY. 24 1. The Number of Homes Receiving Cable Is Continually Increasing. 25 2. Discontent with Cable Programming Is Being Expressed. 26 3. Cable Television Promotes Nudity, Vulgarity, Sex Exploitation and Sexual Violence . 26 4. We Can Expect Cable Programming to Become Harder and More Decadent. 27 5. Cable Pornography Is Attracting Organized Crime 28 6. "Adult" Cable Services Break into Homes of Non -Subscribers . 28 7. Children Have Learned to Unscramble Pay Channels 29 8. Lock Boxes Don't Work . 30 9. Children Are Watching Television Late at Night 30 10. The Message of Cableporn Is Distorted. 31 11. Cableporn Is Used to Break Down Resistance in Children 31 12. Other States Are Considering Indecency Legislation 32 13. Citizens Across the Country Are Protesting Playboy Channel . 32 14. Other Countries See the Dangers of Cableporn 34 PART V. THE CASE FOR PROHIBITING INDECENCY ON CABLE TELEVISION 34-41 1. Censorship Is Not the Issue . 34 2. We Need State Legislation. 37 3. Prevention Is the Best Solution. 39 ii The Multichannel , Environment A Study of Television Viewing in TWo Cable Markets Executive Summary i Introduction 1 A Profile of Cable Subscribers 5 Selecting Programs in the Multichannel Environment 11 What Cable Viewers Watch 15 Does Cable Make a Difference in the Audience's Response? 20 Notes 23 Appendixes 24 l DEFENDANTS' EXHI3I:' ':O. 33 9 SELECTING PROGRAMS IN THE � MULTICHANNEL ENVIRONMENT 0 nc of the major characteristics of cable subscribers that sets them apart from ether vicwcrs is that thev watch tcicwision on a set with a vastl+ expanded program menu. In Kansas City. homes without cable rcccivc six broadcast chan- nels. and in Nc++ Britain. depending on the terrain. they may recei+e eight or ten. Cable subscribers in both markets get at least 26 channels of programming. and if they have purchased pay services in addition to the regular basic cable fare. they may have as many as 30 program choices availahle at any given time. With their options tripled, viewers may he using television differently. In this chapter we look specifically at ho++ viewers select programs to watch. ` A considerable hods of research has been undertaken to probe the factors that motivate viewers to select a particular program. Not all viewers in any given program audience, of course, have actually elected to watch that particular show. Owcr two-thirds of the wic+wcrs %kc surveyed were watching a show of their own choice. and the rest %%erc captive +ie%%cr• of another famil+ mcnthcr's choice. Hawing cable made no difference in that proportion. despite the higher incidence of multiple set families among suhscrihing households. %%c also f:uutd rabic to h;n_ little effect on the reasons people _.is c for choosing to %%atc'h a particular In the pre, imis chapter. we Contrasted cable subscnbers %%ith nomubscrihers i people Mit) haul liml the ohpilrtunits to suhscnbe and had turned it do%%nl in order nit illunun.itc tartar% that ntas he attecling the deCisiun Io subscribe. In the remaining chapters. where we examine selcctian and usage of and response to prugramnung. our concern is funetuinal Honk dues the presence of apprtmniatelc 30 channels aftect stea- m' hchasim" Theretme, from this piton an we will he cont- paring cable subscribers with all viewers wh<i did not receisc cable, whether thec h%ed in wired or unwired areas. When the figures warrant it. we will look at nonsuhscrihers sepa- rateh from panelists whose neighborhoods were not wired for cable. program. For example. 44 percent of +ics+crs s+Ithout cable and 39 percent of viewers with cable said they chase a program because they expected that their friends watchcd it. Twcnty-seven percent of cahlc viewers and 29 percent of people +without cable said thcv chose to watch a program because the+ sits+ an , crtisement for it on television. Finallw. 17 percent of cable subscribers and 18 percent of noncable view- ers said they selected a show because they had read good reviews of it. Approximately half the people in our study. whether or not their houses had cable, reported that the show they were viewing was one they regularly tried to watch. This kind of habitual +watching no doubt contributed to the fact that two-thirds of all panelists said they were aware of none or onl\ a fcw of the alternatives to the program they acre \%atching. Again. the proportion held true ++hethcr panelists' houses received only six or seycn channels or the full array of cable services. The fact that tsso-thirds of all cable viewers did not know v hat else %+as on at the time they �%erc watching sugeests that despite the temptations of the multichannel emironment. �ic•t+crs may still remain loyal to specific pinigranis Planning ahead When \%c analyzed yrc\+cr selection Imitcrns o+cr the full 14 dat,s of the stud+. ++c found that ncarl+ �11 pCivent of the time programs that +IC1+Cry watched s+crc chosen at the time of rather than in advance. The presence of cable television had tittle influence on this planning process. cable suhscrrhcrs ++ere neither more nor less likely to plan ahead to ++atch a particular show than were yie%kers \%ithout cable. It appears that even in homes with premium services, television viewing is often an unplanned activity, with many program choices made on the spur of the moment. 11 The two strongest predictors of whether view- ers would plan ahead to watch a program, we found, were the amount of television thev recularly viewed and how much appeal the program held for them. Heavy users of television were much more likely to plan their viewing than were less frequent viewers of television. Fifty-three percent of people who spent more than two hours an evening watching television planned ahead to see a program, compared to 42 percent of those who watched less than one hour a night. There was also a strong correlation across all programs in our study between advance planning and a viewer's evaluation of a program's entertainment value. The higher a viewer rated a show on the Tcicvi- sion Audience Assessment Program Appeal Index. the more likely it was that he or she planned ahead to watch it.' Overall, therefore, the amount of viewing, and the appeal of programs, not the availability of cable services, indicate if viewers are likely to plan their viewing, in advance. Looking at the menu Although access to cable dues not seem to affect ithen %ice%ers decide to %%atch a given program. it does appear to influence another aspect of the selec- tion process, namely, hue+• vie%%ers discover ,,ghat is availablc to watch. People e%ho want to consider the full menu hctore choosing a program can consult two bade suurccs—printecl listings and the television sct itself. People in homes eeith cable television use both sources more frequently than do %iewcrs without cable. Viewers without cable television reported see- ing the program they watched listed in a program guide or in the newspapers 52 percent of the time. whereas basic -only cable subscribers used a guide SS percent of the time and multi -pay subscribers relied on a guide or listing 62 percent of the time. The heavier reliance that cable viewers. particularly pay subscribers, put on printed guides is interesting in light of the fact that. like %icm crs in most cable markets in the United States. subscribers in Kansas City and New Britain did not have thorough or easy -to -use printed guides to all the programming their sets received. 7V Guide. probably the most complete single listing available at the time of our study, had limited utility for subscribers, because it lists cable programming by the name of the service. not by the number of the channel. Subscribers who rely on this listing must also use another source to discover what channel a given program is appearing on. The program listings published in the Kansas Cit% Star and the Hartford Courant were equally limited. Subscribers to pay services in bath markets do receive a monthly guide that lists %%hat is aeadahle on the pay services for the month, but these guides pro- vide no information about broadcast or hasic cable programming. And in New Britain. %iewcrs « ho .uh- scribe to the premium service called Prism h.t%c to consult a special listing for that program schedule alone. All in all, cable subscribers have printed 'urclC1, that are clearly more difficult to use. but the great array of choices available to them forces them to uNc these listings more frequently than noncahle �ie�eer. use theirs. Many %iewers who %ant to resicw the pro- gram menu before selecting it show nc%cr refer to printed guides or listings at all; +%hen thc� sit doyen tO %%atch, they simply scan the channels to find out MIA is playing. in fact, evert those viewers Mio hase con- sulted a guide may want to have a glimpse at the programs themselves before making it choice. About Sri percent of all panelists reported that they had looked at the alternatives to what they were watching and decided that the program they chose was the best available at the time. This pattern of scanning chan- 12 nets before making a program choice was far more characteristic of people with cable tcicyr,ion than of 7. More channels mean more scanning. nonsuhscribers. (Sec Figure 7.) ` Another factor that undoubtedly encourage, I channel scannine among cable s ic%%ers is the prescncc Percentage of viewers who said that they 'often" or "almost ! of a remote control unit. Since remote control selec- always" scanned channels before deciding what to watch tors are often used as a premium by many cable companies, it is not surprising to find that they arc 33 47 45 52 far more common in households with cable than in households without cable. ']�%cnty-four percent of cable households in our study had a remote control a. Viewers who scan unit. compared to 9 percent of noncablc households. Nevertheless. the effect of the remote control on pro- gram scanning was less pronounced than we expected. Percentage of viewers reporting As Figure 8 dettlonstratcs. yic+scrs in cable homes "often" or "almost always" scanning scan more than %icwers in noncable homes regardle„ before deciding what to watch of +yhether or not they ha\e a rerllotc control unit. szm tither c%,ldence a, %%cll to support the belief that ha+ing cable encourages %ic+yers to turn the 32 54 dial. Fir,t. a surprisingly large proportion of cable 32 47 +rc%%crs—almost ill percent —said that they %%crc a++arc of ++hat ++a, on "all" or "most- of the other ch.,nncl, at the tinic they ++crc ++;etching. If tr'Ue, this i, nu small ;lchievenlcni. \%nli 30 channels to sure+. SCCUrld. \%c found that cahie ,ub,crihcrs not only ,C.uuied helorc .hOu,rn-' but ++crc al,o much nu+rc Ilkeb to loin III Orel during the pr -orani and it, conunercral break,. !n one L1a),', Mc+r,ion VIC"lilt, Monitor. p;ulcli,is ++ere a,kCd to indicate ho++ fee- clucnti, they ch;uigcd ch;uincl, during the program .uid during" the conlnlcrcials 111C\ ++� r� ++.et�hrn;�. Cahlc i suh,crihers ++crc three tinie, inoic• hkcl+ than pcopic %%ithout cable to report that ihc+ "otter- s++lichcd channels during both the ,how .old the c'o►nrlicrcial message. (Scc Figurc V.) Vic%%,crs with cahlc actually included a suh- stantial fraction of people-10 percent of them —Moo reported frcyucntiv watching programs on two chan- ncls at once by switching hack and forth between 13 l . ti ------- -- - THE CIT1 NiA',AGE.R l ' r j �Octobdr',IVj;: 1985 Mr. Terry S. Bienstock, P.A. Frates Bienstock & Sheehe Attorneys at Law Southeast Financial Center - Suite 3160 200 South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida 33131-2367 HAND DELIVERED Dear Mr. Bienstock: In response to your letter of September 25, 1985, please be advised that we are forwarding same to the City Clerk so that your name can be placed on the list of those individuals wishing to address the City Commission in opposition to the proposed revision of the City of Miami Ordinance regulating cable indecency. Also, a copy of your letter is being sent to the Mayor and each member of the City Commission. As indicated on the attached agenda for the City Commission Meeting of October 10, 1985, the matter related to the subject ordinance can be found on Page 22 as item No. 43. It is scheduled to be considered at 2:30 p.m. If you require additional information, do not hesitate to contact Albert Ruder of my staff at 579-6639. Sincerely, Sergio Pereira City Manager attachment cc: Matty Hirai, City Clerk Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission 3500 Fan American Dme'Miami, Florida 33233-0708 t305� 579-6040 1 FRATES BIENSTOCK & SHEEHE ATTORNEYS AT LAW (A PAPTNEPS-1- INCLUDING A PPOrESSIONA, ASSOC'A�IONI I SOUTHEAST CINANCIAL CEN'ER SUI'E 3-60 POO SOUTH BISCAYNE BOULEvAPO TERRY S BIENSTOCK, P A MIAMI, FLORIDA 33131-23e7 (30S) 358 7447 September 25, 1985 Mr. Sergio Pereira City Manager - City of Miami Agenda Office 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, Florida 33133 Re: Appearance at Commission Meeting on October 10, 1985 Dear Mr. Pereira: This is to request a formal appearance to speak at your next City Commission Meeting scheduled for October 101 1985 in opposition to the proposed revision of Miami City � i ^-''-•Y ��V �.-ncc No. 9538 regulating cable indecency. Vu L Thank you for your courtesies in connection with this matter. Sincerely, Terry B. Bienstock, P.A. TSB/mm It•.*� _ gip. i7F 1Y: t _ 1� Ift r' Percentage of viewers who said they "often" or "almost always" changed channels Noncable viewers Cabe subs::• te•s Dur rg wogra rs 6 17 Durng co r re,c a:s 13 39 them. Only 2 percent of vic%ycrs without cable rc- ported jumping hack and forth like this. Of course. these data on scanning and chan- nel switching are based on the yicwcrsI o�kn reports. Further research using electronic data -gathering tech- niques such as meters will provide us %pith more defi- nite insight into how significantly cable television in- fluences channel scanning and channel s-,%itchina as a mode of program selection. Nevertheless. these findings suggest that cable television. with all the programs it offers. does influence how viewers select programs. Although they plan ahead no more than other viewers do. cable subscribers do rely more on printed guides and channel scanning to discover what is available. Their heavier use of the tools available. alone with their higher rate of switching channels both before and during programs. suggest that ha%ine 0 channels to choose among encourages today's cable vic\%ers to u.e their television sets more acti%el\ than other vic%kers do. 14 0 4ANMSPEAKS EDIATRICIOUT ON EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY The following presentation was given by Dr. Elizabeth Holland to a meeting of the Memphis Chapter of National Federation for Decency. Dr. Holland has served as Chairman of the Memphis and Shelby County Child Abuse Committee; Chairman of Pediatrics at St. Joseph Hospital; and for the past ten years she has been the doctor at St. Peter's Home for Children in Memphis, Tennessee. (This first appeared in the JOURNAL, a publication of National Federation for Decency.) I have not come here today to shock you, though perhaps this might well happen. I have not come here today to of- fend your sensibilities - though again, I recognize that this may take place. I have come simply to share with you a few of my experiences over the past ten years in treat- ing victims of pornographers. Of treating children who have been affected. who have been abused, who have been damaged for life by those who feed on pornography. There exist in our nation and in our area and in our community those men and women who have abused, who have been damaged for life by those who feed on pornography. There exist in our nation and in our area and in our com- munitythose men and women who have a sickness. who need to feed on dirty pictures and pornography. And when touching pictures and pornography; and when touching pic- tures and fantasizing and looking no longer satisfies these people's insatiable appetite, then they move. And they move to live children. I know -- because I treat these children. Recently there came into my office a distraught mother with a 14-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter, an 11-year old daughter and an 8-year old son. As her story unfolded, it appeared that her 14-year-old son had been purchasing pornographic magazines and reading them in his bedroom, and after reading them and arousing himself sexually to the point that he could no longer contain himself, he would go into the bedrooms of his 12-year-old and 11-year-old sis- ters, and his 8-year-old brother and rape them -- several times weekly. It further unfolded that this had been con- tinuing for five years. If you can subtract with me, the 14-year-old boy was nine when he began his activities. pis sisters were seven and six, and his 8-year-old brother was three years old when he oegan to be raved by his nine -year - old brother who fed on pornography and graduated to live children. I treated a young boy in my office who was four years old. His parents were divorced. He lived with his mother. He visited his father on week -ends. From the time he was two, when the child would return home to his mother after visiting his father, he would cry and be irritable -- and none of us could figure out why. At age four we learned that the father of this two -year -old boy had Caen system- atically raping this child in his home -- m%ny times, every weekend for two years. The father bought pornographic magazines. He shared them with his two -year -old child and then forced this child into anal intercourse. This child's rectum looked like hamburger meat I have been told by many children who have been there -- I have never seen this house -- but I have been told that there is a house in Memphis. It's called a "safe" house. Children are abducted from our streets and taken to this house where they are photographed in various sexual poses with each other. with adults, with men, with women, with animals. They are photographed and the pictures are dis- tributed to the various kiddie porn magazines which are sold throughout this country. And yet, do you know what I hear when I speak out against pornography? When I stand and tell these stories to people who are not con- cerned? Do you know what I hear? I hear from them that I don't have the right to determine what someone else watches in their living room. I wouldn't subscribe to the Playboy channel, but what.right do I have to say that someone who is willing to pay the money can't subscribe? I don't have the right to prevent you from watching it if you'd like -- yet I look at the children who have been abused and who have been beaten and who have been battered by those who feed on this pornography. I say that I not only have the right to prevent this pornography from spreading in this community, I have a moral obligation. Let ■e paraphrase for you a story that you're all fa- miliar with -- Ezekiel. Chapter 3. The Lord is calling Ezekiel. He says. "Oh. son of man, I have made you a watchman of the house of Israel. I send you to the House of Israel with my warning. You must go to them and you must warn them of their wicked ways. If you refuse to and the wicked man dies in his sins, then I will hold you to blame and his blood is on your hands. If you go and warn him and he refuses to listen, he will die in his sins buL you are blameless. And if you go and warn him and he listens, and he repents, then he will come unto life and you have saved your soul." Do I have the right to speak out against evil that ex- ists in this world and in my community and in my neighbor- hood? As God said to Ezekiel, I must go and you rust go. If we refuse to go, those of us who have been woken to and commanded by the Lord, if we refuse to go, the blood of those innocent children is on our hands. A little girl was brought into my office not long ago. She was four years old. She had a torn and lacerated vagina. She was brought in by the police. It seems her father, her uncle, and her brothers would buy pornographic literature and would pass it around among themselves and would laught and tell dirty jokes -- and finally, when they were tired of reading and tired of fantasizing. they .ould take this four -year -old child and they would all rape her. The child had been taken to another doctor one year previously, for the same problem. This doctor had chosen to ignore the signs and the symptoms;--escribed ointment; and sent a three -year -old girl back into this situation for another year of torture and fear and pain. Now who's to blame? The family? Yes. But what about the one who knew? What about the one who understood and re - Fused to act because he did not want to get involved? I suomit that his guilt is great or greater than those who actually perpetrated this violence on that innocent child. I ha,e treated two young girls, ages nine and eleven. Their father purchased sadistic pornographic literature. One :rcernoon he took the mother and the two daughters onto his front porch with a pile of sadistic pornographic literature and he required that they all share in and look at it. And then he took a gun and he held it to the mo- ther's head and he proceeded to rape her unmercifully in front of his two daughters) And when he had finished rapin hee he calmly pulled the trigger and blew her head off in front of his daughters. Then he held the gun to their head and he raped them in the same manner and said to them. "I will kill you in the same manner if you tell anyone what I have done." I treated these children for two years before I could get one word out of either child. They live in ab- ject terror because of what they had seen and what they had experienced. I treated a three -year -old boy who visited his mother on weekends, and one day, during a check-up after such a visit I noticed he had large, draining sores on his penis. After further investigation it turned out that this mother, every week -end, had been taking her three -year -old son, placing his penis inside her vagina and bouncing his there several hours at a time. The child had venereal disease. The ve- nereal disease we can treat; the scars from the experience we cannot treat. Don't tell me I don't have the right - and the don't tell me that you don't have the right - or the obligation - to speak out against the criminal spread of pornography in our midst. Another thing I hear is, "It'll never work. There are too many of them - there are too few of us. They're too big. There's too much money involved. Keep up the good work, brother, I agree with what you're doing but you're fighting a losing battle. I mean, why should I turn in my converter? I enjoy my TV. It's not going to work. They'll never remove Playboy, they'll never refuse to offer it. Why should I deprive myself of the shows 1 enjoy? You're fight- ing a losing battle. Count me out." Once again let me paraphrase for you a story that you all know. We'll go to the 12th chapter of Acts. Peter ane James had been preaching in the streets. Herod had had James killed; Peter had been thrown into prison and he was chained between two guards in a dark dungeon. And in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and he said, "Stand up." And Peter stood up. And when Peter stood up the chains fell off. And then the angel said: "Put on your clothes; put on your shoes; put on your coat; and follow me." Peter did. And he followed the angel out of the dungeon, out to the iron gate which had no key, and the iron gate opened to them of its own accord. You see, I'd like you to notice in this story that God did not do one thing for Peter that night that Peter could do for him- self. God could have picked up Peter from that dungeon and translated him to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where the church had gathered and was praying for his re- lease. God could have done that. But He didn't. He said. "Stand up." And Peter obeyed. And then the chains fell off. You know, I can almost hear old Peter in that dungeon, if he had been infected with the defeated attitude that prevails among many Christians today. I can hear him in that dungeon when the angel appeared and said, "Stand up." He said, "Oh, no. I mean, these chains are heavy and I might wake up those guards on either side. There are two of them and there is only one of me. And actually, I've gotten fairly comfortable. down here." No, Peter stood up and the chains fell off. And the Lord said, "Come. Put on your clothes. Follow me. Put on your coat." And Peter says, "Now, angel, I don't think you've thought this through very carefully. I mean, we have to go through this whole jail and there are guards everywhere. We have to crawl up those creaky steps - man, have you heard those steps creak? And once we get out, don't forget that big iron gate out there. There's no key. We can't climb that gate! No, I think I'd rather stay here. Maybe they'll let me live. Maybe they'll just flog me and let me go. No, I don't think I'll go with you - but thank you, thanks for trying, thanks for thinking about me." Instead, Peter got up and followed that angel and he obey- ed the Lord and he went and when he reached the impossible gate, the iron gate opened to him of its own accord. You see, God's call on my life and God's call on your life is to do the things that are possible and to trust Him with the things that are impossible. I am outraged when I as told that I do not have the right to speak out against pornography in our community. I am out- raged when I am told that it's a battle we cannot win . therefore, we must not try. I am outraged when I put my hands in the wounds of abused battered children who have been victimized by those who have fed on pornographers' filth. I am outraged when I sit and hold a beautiful young girl on ■y lap and she wraps her arms around my neck and cries, "Why? Why did he hurt me?" I have no answer for her except that good men and good women and good ministers iat back and did nothing. I treated a family who came into my office - they were brought in by the police. There was a mother and father, middle twenties. There was a four -year -old boy and a three- year -old girl. It seems that the mother and father were pro- A...--- -O L: JJ:- ---- --, .. , I , - --- .:,,- - c— two years as models. The children were required to strip naked and to engage in sexual acts with each other. To en- gage in sexual acts with adults. To engage in sexual acts with animals. I have seen eight by ten glossy prints pro- duced by this family with this four year old boy and three year old girl engaged in sexual intercourse at the sage time. There was a dog with his hairy penis in the little girl's mouth and a rooster with the little boy's penis in his mouth. And at the same time the mother would take cups of blood and pour it over the children's heads. And, you know. people buy this filth. There's a market for this. It's a multi -million dollar busines in our nation today. And because of this these children have suffered untold har Now who do you think bears the responsibility for these children? The mother and father who photographed them? Yes. They are their responsibility. What about the distri butors of kiddie porn who take this material and distribute it? What about those who buy it and feed on it and create the market? I would say to you that they're all responsibl But I would also say to you that those of us in this room, including myself, we are responsible if we choose to not be come involved in the fight against this filth. If we choos to allow it to happen and do not raise our voices in orotes then the blood which flowed down these children's heads. this blood is on our hands. God calls us to do the possible. He'll take care of the impossible. What's possible to us? You're going to hear this morning long lists of things that are possible to you. Take note. Take careful note. But I would say to you that there is one thing that is possible to all of us and I woui earnestly enlist your support in fervent, groaning prayer before the Lord God Almighty. We need to fall on our faces and say, "God, we have sinned in what we have done and .hat we have failed to do." James tells us that the "effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," and when we reach out and touch the hem of His garment, then God wil answer us. We must reach out and claim his proiises. God has said, "If my people ... will humble t'emseives 3r�- craw if they will seeK my face, and if they will t--n t^eir wicked ways, then I, I the Lord. will hear their pr3,er in Heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land." This is our possibility, friends. We have to re3cn out and touch and claim the power of Almighty God for the clear sing and the healing of our land. You see, I'm a doctor. I can suture lacerations, I can put band -aids on .our,s, 1 can put ointments, I can give antibiotics. But I ,;:riot heal the damage that has been done to these chilirer .ho have been abused by those who feed on oornogr3Civ. I can- not erase the hurt and the bewilderment inn tie " 3r^cm the eyes of those who have been affected by cor-_;-3c^y as it exists today. And yet, the purveyors of ;cr%-r3chy war to bring it into my living room and into your livin; room and into the living room of anyone who wants to plunk down a few dollars and feed on sickness and disease and decay. I can't treat the effects - I can't treat thse children whc have been abased. The damage is done. I'm reminded of the disease of polio, which we fought fc so many years. A child who has polio and comes to me with a withered limb, it has lost its function. Perhaps physi- cal therapy will help a little, perhaps it won't. I can't treat the effects of polio - but polio has effectively beer conquered in our nation. How? Through a vaccine, and now, we prevent it. Polio can be treated by prevention - not by treatment of its effects. Pornography? I cannot treat thf effects of the pornographers on children. They will wear these handicaps for the rest of their lives. But pornogra- phy can be prevented. It can be prevented, and it can be stopped if we can enlist the help of good people throughout this land who are willing to stand up and be counted in thi effort. Please, please, join us and help stop the spread of this filth in our land. Please, help us protect the innocent children. Please. Morality in Nledia of Colorado P.Q Bo: 3181E 2