$250,000 Stolen From Hazleton Bank

After Early Resistance, Ski Resorts Get On 'board 
Snowboarding Fervor Boosts Business

Sunday, December 12, 1993 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Wildmon apparently is offended by just about everything this side of the
``The &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 700 Club.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don Wildmon, don't touch my TV &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 My oh my, what would we do if we didn't have the omniscient Donald Wildmon
and his vigilant American Family Association to protect us from those evil TV &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 networks? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If we didn't have Wildmon, how oh how would we ward off the frightful,
corrupting influence of filth such as "Entertainment Tonight?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Entertainment Tonight?" That fluffy, puffy little half-hour of celebrity
chitchat brought to us each day by those relentessly wholesome co-hosts, Mary
Hart and John Tesh? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Rev. Donald Wildmon of Tupelo, Miss., and
his band of religious storm troopers now cite "Entertainment Tonight" as the
sort of smut-ridden, violence-infested TV show that is certain to destroy
civilization as we know it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wildmon is also enraged over a planned TV miniseries about two brothers who
SHOTGUN THEIR PARENTS TO DEATH. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's how it read in Wildmon's full-page newspaper ad calling for a
boycott of TV advertisers: "How DARE you at CBS plan a prime-time miniseries
where two brothers SHOTGUN THEIR PARENTS TO DEATH. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Goodness gracious! How in the world did those diabolical TV programmers
come up with such a grizzly idea? What sort of deviant sociopath would dream
up a story about two brothers who SHOTGUN THEIR PARENTS TO DEATH? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maybe Wildmon has been so busy policing other people's TV viewing habits
that he hasn't heard about Lyle and Erik Menendez, who blew away mommy and
daddy in the den of their Beverly Hills estate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Next thing you know, Wildmon will be trying to outlaw the news because it
features all those nasty stories about people who engage in criminal activity
and other sinful behavior. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wildmon claims that violence on TV causes violence in life. So it only
stands to reason that once he cleanses the airwaves of police dramas and
fact-based miniseries, he'll have to go after the news. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So. What would we do if Donald Wildmon weren't around to protect us from
our television sets? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why, we'd no doubt be left to our own devices -- devices such as those
on/off buttons and remote-control channel selectors that can make an offensive
program vanish from the TV screen faster than you can say, "Hasta la vista,
baby!" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As usual, Wildmon is embarked on a nationwide campaign designed to frighten
sponsors into pulling their advertising from TV programs that he finds
offensive. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And Wildmon apparently is offended by just about everything this side of
the "The 700 Club." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In his recent newspaper ad, Wildmon described ABC's critically acclaimed
new police drama, "NYPD Blue," as "softcore, violent pornography." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "NYPD Blue" might be a bit earthy for some viewers, but it is hardly
pornography. If Wildmon had any credibility left after lambasting
"Entertainment Tonight," he lost it with his outrageously overstated
condemnation of "NYPD Blue." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wildmon's goal is to mobilize 5 million families in a boycott of
advertisers who sponsor programs that he deems objectionable. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wildmon says this isn't censorship, but of course it is. If Wildmon can
intimidate sponsors into dropping programs that he doesn't like, then he is
depriving the rest of us of our right to see those programs. That's
censorship, and no amount of sanctimonious obfuscation can make it anything
else. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But what can we do about it? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Well, why not fight fire with fire? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Let's tell the sponsors of our favorite TV shows that we expect them to
resist Wildmon's pressure tactics. Let's tell them that we will loyallly
support their businessess and buy their products -- but only if they stand up
to Wildmon and the American Family Association. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Let's tell the sponsors that if they succumb to Wildmon's intimidation --
if they pull their advertising from quality TV shows in order to appease
Wildmon's disciples and keep them as customers -- then they will lose the rest
of us as customers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If there are 5 million Americans who are determined to inflict their narrow
view of the world on everybody else, then surely there must be 10 or 50 or 100
million Americans who are equally determinted to resist the dictatorial
impulses of this self-righteous minority. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bill Thompson, former associate editor of The Times Leader, is a columnist
with the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram.

Wildmon Apparently Is Offended By Just About Everything This Side Of The ``the 
700 Club.'' 
Don Wildmon, Don't Touch My Tv 
My Oh My, What Would We Do If We Didn't Have The Omniscient Donald Wildmon And 
His Vigilant American Family Association To Protect Us From Those Evil Tv 
Networks? 
If We Didn't Have Wildmon, How Oh How Would We Ward Off The Frightful,