This past Veterans Day, ABC honored America's vets for a third straight year by airing "Saving Private Ryan."  But 66 local ABC affiliates, bullied by a small group of right-wing zealots who objected to the realistic violence and language in the film, asked the Federal Communications Commission for a ruling to protect themselves before proceeding. 

How did the FCC respond?  Silence.  They left the stations hanging out to dry.  And these 66 affiliates, fearing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, chose not to air "Saving Private Ryan," depriving one-third of the country from watching it.

This kind of de facto censorship is wholly unacceptable.  We deserve a government that will stand up to these extremist groups, leaving the decision about whether or not to watch these programs up to us.  That's our right as Americans.  That right was secured by the sacrifice of the fighting men and women portrayed in "Saving Private Ryan" and by all of us who have served in America's armed forces.

I urge you to email FCC Chairman Kevin Martin by signing my petition below and demand that he end this de facto censorship.  Tell Chairman Martin that we will not stand idly by as the government enables the erosion of one of our most precious freedoms.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

A small but well-organized group of right-wing political operatives is denying our freedom to choose for ourselves what we watch in our own homes based on our personal standards and tastes. These people are stretching common sense to the breaking point and missing the fact that we can be trusted to make our own decisions.

The right to make these decisions for ourselves was, ironically, secured by the service and sacrifice of American soldiers like those depicted in "Saving Private Ryan" -- a movie that recently served as a primary target of these right-wing zealots, who found it "indecent."

Our government should respect those sacrifices and recognize that the real indecency is when a small minority of organizers can use their connections to keep films like "Saving Private Ryan" off the air.

The FCC must not be complicit in the undoing of one of our most precious freedoms. I urge you to put an end to this kind of de facto censorship, and allow the American people to make their own informed decisions about what we choose to watch in our own homes.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 18, 2005