Almost every day right wing groups urge their members to bombard Congress with e-mails on subjects including anti porn, pro life, Supreme Court nominees and same sex marriage.
But, the Adult Freedom Foundation (AFF) is learning that approach causes more harm than good to those so called “pro family” causes.
“Bad grassroots practices may get noticed on Capitol Hill, but they tend not to be effective at influencing the opinions of Members of Congress,” according to a study by the Congressional Management Foundation.
“And, they sometimes damage the relationship between congressional offices and grassroots organizations,” the study stated.
“The Christian right wants people and politicians to think they are a major force in influencing public opinion against the Adult Entertainment Industry. But that’s just an apparent outright lie,” explained Paul Cambria, AFF general counsel.
The study noted, “Almost every congressional staffer told stories of grassroots campaigns that had frustrated, overwhelmed or even attacked their offices through targeted operations.
“These campaigns usually get an office’s attention, but they are far more likely to anger the Members and staff than to persuade them to support the cause being advocated,” according to the study.
“This is just one more piece in a pattern of deception that includes bogus claims of ‘porn addiction,’ phony stories of erotic materials triggering sex crimes and ongoing attempts to prevent the Adult Entertainment Industry from participating in government and public forums on these issues,” Cambria said.
Despite the report, the American Family Association and other pro family groups continue to encourage their members to e-mail Congress.
“It’s even better if the voter will add a personal note or two before hitting the send button on the e mail message. That really gets the attention of those in Congress,” said Randy Sharp, AFA’s director of special projects.
The study notes that attempts to overwhelm a congressional office with e mail “does attract attention, but hinders the organization’s ability to be effective in future efforts to persuade the Member.”
Last May an Adult Freedom Foundation investigation exposed the bogus claims of the Christian right that they influenced American newspapers and the general public.
That investigation revealed that 95 per cent of right wing form letters to the editors never saw the light of day.
Those letters were discovered and intercepted by the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW), according to the AFF investigation.
“The AFF is dedicated to defending the Adult Entertainment Industry and exposing the bogus claims and actions of the Christian right and other misguided groups,” Cambria declared.
