| By Ed Hynes |
Bobbie Burbridge Lane has a plan for WRAP week and beyond. She's been preparing it for a long time, like an athlete getting ready for a big game. She won't be going into this one alone.
Mrs. Lane is president of the Burbridge Foundation in Oklahoma City and chair of Fight Against Pornography, American Mothers, Inc. In 2003, through Mrs. Lane's impetus, American Mothers joined forces with Morality in Media, the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, Focus on the Family, and I-SAFE, the non-profit foundation that combines classroom curriculum with community outreach to help make the Internet a safer place for youngsters.
With these partners and with the involvement of former FBI agent Roger Young and former Justice Department obscenity prosecutor Bruce Taylor, Mrs. Lane conducted grass roots training sessions for volunteer porn fighters in eight cities across the country, Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Louisville, Manchester (NH), and Portland (OR).
"I want to be clear about one thing," she says. "Bob Peters, President of Morality in Media, is the 'unsung hero' in this nationwide project. Without his leadership, we would never be able to succeed."
One other thing. She has the support of the previous Oklahoma County (greater Oklahoma City) District Attorney, Wes Lane, who happens to be her son. Mr. Lane is also past President of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association and served as Vice President of the National District Attorney's Association. He brings knowledge, experience and contacts to the game.
Mrs. Lane now has her eye on the 2008 national elections. Here's what she sees:
We are determined to reach all of the leaders who are dragging their feet or just flat refusing to put a stop to pornography, which is causing horrific destruction to individuals and families in our nation. We feel that if we don't succeed with this project before the election, we are going to be set back enormously, possibly by years, possibly beyond a realistic hope of success.Even with a current President opposed to obscenity (illegal 'adult' pornography), we have had relatively few prosecutions targeting commercial distributors of obscenity from the Justice Department. We must be determined to get the attention of the American people, to shout at the top of our lungs from now until the 2008 election and beyond, to let our leaders, who will stay in office, and our new leaders to come, know that they must listen to us about the devastation 'adult' pornography is having on our children, families and communities! Now is the time, before the election, to put pressure on our leaders to do what we ask as their constituents.
This is what she is doing:
American Mothers, Inc., The Burbridge Foundation, Inc., and Morality in Media have already begun a full 18 months of action, before the 2008 elections, kicking it off at the AMI Convention last April, 2007. From October 28 through November 4, 2007, the three organizations and other pro-family groups will also participate in the nationwide White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) campaign. We will then join together for a full 12 months before the elections.
We have chosen our own state of Oklahoma to be the pilot for the nation. We have asked our Governor, Brad Henry, to take the lead for all the governors in the nation, and he has accepted. We have asked key members of our state House of Representatives and State Senate to take the lead for all state governments.
We have asked our Oklahoma City Mayor, Mick Cornett to take the lead for all the mayors in the nation. Nationally, we have asked Congresswoman Mary Fallin to take the lead for our national leaders in Congress and the Senate.
We are proving that this is a doable plan for every state nationwide, because we are doing it in Oklahoma. I spoke to and trained women leaders from American Mothers, Inc. chapters all around the nation, and these incredible interfaith mothers, nationwide, who are 'on fire' for protecting families, are hard at work, duplicating in their states the pilot we set up in Oklahoma.
Here are some nuts and bolts of the American Mothers plan for now through November 2008:
Announce what we are doing at churches, synagogues, etc. Ask clergy to preach and teach against pornography. Have a victim of pornography speak at a meeting.Hold rallies at State Capitols and visit legislative leaders (Senate, House and/or Assembly, etc.)
Meet with mayors, prosecutors (Federal and State), chiefs of police, sheriffs, FBI, etc. Make complaints about obscenity to prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.
Send letters of complaint to local businesses that distribute pornography (cable TV systems, hotels, retail stores). Thank businesses that don't distribute pornography.
Petition signing, petition signing, and more petition signing
Volunteer to help in some way, large or small. Write: bobburlane@aol.com or 3701 N.W. 42nd, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
How does Bobbie Lane feel about all this?
If I let myself panic over the daunting job of covering the nation to get all leaders in all categories (political, religious, law enforcement, civic, etc.) to destroy pornography, I would be stopped in my tracks with FEAR of failure. But the truth is, God is so utterly behind this project that I have absolutely no fear, only enormous passion that is loving this huge challenge that serves as "wind to my back." I truly believe that God has revealed such an incredible plan that, if followed exactly, will win this nationwide fight against pornography.
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