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BANKRUPT PLAYBOY!The sexually explicit and exploitative Playboy magazine has re-launched in South Africa and is now on shelves in C.N.A, Exclusive Books, and some 7-Elevens. We are not yet sure whether they are being sold from Petrol Station shops or any grocery stores. By 1996, through mobilizing grassroots action, Africa Christian Action and Christians for Truth had persuaded many advertisers to no longer support these anti-family publications and over 9 000 stores to no longer stock these anti-family magazines. Both Scope and Playboy were in such serious financial trouble that both went bankrupt and closed down. By God's grace we can do it again! What will happen if we don't stop them? The following shocking incident is just one example of the consequences of the porn plague: Liz Jones has counselled hundreds of sexually abused children in the years since she joined Safeline as a counsellor. She's dealt with countless incidences of porn-related abuse, but her heart sinks when once again she hears those familiar words: "I watched it on the TV" or "I saw it in the magazine". Today she's counselling a 12-year old boy from a top-notch Cape Town primary school. The principal referred his parents to Safeline after complaints were made to teachers about the way he kept trying to touch the girls, grabbing them between the legs and speaking about sex with the other children. It eventually culminated in a blatant incident of child-on-child sexual abuse. Liz Jones explains that these children become over sexualised. Now even watching soapies like "Days of our Lives" or "Isidingo" also becomes a problem. "Children explain to me that when they see people kissing or lying in bed together, then they think of a porn movie or they've seen and then they understand what is going to happen. I would love to see porn banned totally. Magazines are very easily accessible to children and they are circulating widely.They say that the poor can't afford porn, but amongst our clients, there is a lot of it."
What You Can Do: For Prayer and Action Write to the Executive Marketing/Merchandise Manager of C.N.A, Exclusive Books and 7-Eleven and ask them not to stock these exploitative magazines. FHM and GQ are also explicit and are reportedly beginning to show more explicit material in order to compete with Playboy! Also complain to the manager of any local shop which stocks offensive material. Post a polite complaint on the Facebook pages of these companies: Spar , Exclusive Books , 7-Eleven . Remember that when Woolworths announced that they were going to remove Christian magazines from their shelves, they received so many complaints on their Facebook page that within a few hours they reversed their decision! If this is not successful, a petition signed by local residents who shop there, can be given to the local shop manager. Please be polite, logical, rational and courteous. The manager did not produce the material and may not be aware of the potential damage such pornography can cause. 7-Eleven Head Office CNA Head Office CNA Executive Marketing Manager - Ms Terry Dale
Exclusive Books: Spar Customer Care : 031 - 719 1900 (Spar Central office) or 031 719 1784 or intcontact.us@spar.co.za . (FHM and GQ are being sold from Spar, not Playboy) For Pick n Pay stores, please contact the Director of General Merchandise, Barry Knichel: bknichel@pnp.co.za. If the manager needs to seek permission, or a policy decision from Head Office, an interim option is to get the magazines moved to behind the manager's kiosk or on to the top shelf of the magazine rack. Remind them that their shop should be family-friendly! Several actionites have had success in this regard. According to an FPB regulation, sexually explicit magazines are not allowed to be displayed at the eye level of children, or near to items intended for children, and also should have opaque wrapping. NB: Do not forward or attach this email, please construct your own letter. Also, please send separate letters to the different head offices. Copied "campaign letters" are disregarded by the authorities because it does not appear that the person concerned enough to write their own objection. Please 'bcc' not 'cc', us on your letters. Whilst these magazines are not explicit enough (according to the Film and Publications Act) to be restricted to sex shops, their depictions of women in often derogatory, demeaning, and immoral poses; as sex objects or commodities, underpin and fuel the pornography and prostitution industries. Playboy, FHM, and GQ should get an 18 classification according to the definition of pornography in the Sexual Offences Amendment Act (2007), yet the Film and Publications Board continue to ignore this legislation which supersedes the Film and Publications Act. Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act also makes it a criminal offence to expose children to pornography. Definitions The Sexual Offences Act 2007 broadened the definition of pornography to include " any image, of a person, real or simulated, who is 18 years or older", "engaged in an act of self-masturbation", "displaying the genital organs of such person in a state of arousal or stimulation", "displaying any form of stimulation of a sexual nature of the female breasts", "engaged in sexually suggestive or lewd acts" and "showing or describing the body, or parts of the body, of that person in a manner or in circumstances which, within the context, violates, or offends, the sexual integrity or dignity of that person, or any other person, or is capable of being used for the purposes of violating, or offending the sexual integrity, or dignity of that person, or any other person." This should force the FPB to classify (i.e. rate as 18 or above) anything which fits this definition. Section 19 and 23 made it a criminal offence to expose a child to pornography whether intentionally or negligently. Any contravention of these points should mean that the police can arrest the guilty party. Magazines should get age restriction classifications Urge the Film and Publications Board to give Playboy, FHM and GQ an 18 classification and an opaque cover. Write to the national co-ordinator for compliance monitoring for the Film and Publications Board, Ms Yolande Langa: YewandeL@fpb.gov.za Copy your letter to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ms Fatima Chohan: Tel: 012 - 810 8024 or 021-469 1620 Email: Fatima.chohan@dha.gov.za and sunita.dlala@dha.gov.za (her PA) Guidelines for Letter Writing Boycotting can follow personal contact with the shop owner and a letter writing campaign. Inform him, in writing, that you will no longer be shopping there because he sells porn. Tell him that you will also be encouraging others to do the same. Then stick to it! Remind the porn-stocking owner every few weeks that you are boycotting his shop. It is absolutely vital that in South Africa, we maintain the convention of keeping porn and other materials separate. Protesting about porn in shops where you shop is the key to this. "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 Can you not do something more in your community to be Salt and Light? Further Reading: Download the Finding Freedom from Porn leaflet here . Contact us for more facts on the harm of pornography. Recommended Resources: Africa Christian Action
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