[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5630]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  IN DEFENSE OF DR. LAURA SCHLESSINGER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, Americans must speak up for 
freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and traditional morality by 
defending Dr. Laura's TV show against politically correct antibigotry 
bigots. That is why I would like to read into the Record excerpts from 
an excellent column from the April 8 issue of World magazine by noted 
professor of journalism, Marvin Olasky. The article is entitled, 
``Support Dr. Laura: Don't back GLAAD, get mad at the anti-bigotry 
bigots.''
  Now I quote, ``Long-time World readers know that I advocate political 
alliances between religious conservatives and libertarians, and social-
issue alliances between biblical Christians and theologically 
conservative Jews and Muslims. We need such alliances, I believe, 
because God has not placed us in the ancient land of Canaan, the theme 
park that Israelites were told to make their own. Instead, Christians 
are called to live amid sin in a modern Babylon. . .
  ``Dr. Laura Schlessinger has reportedly surpassed Howard Stern and 
even Rush Limbaugh as the most-listened-to radio person. She regularly 
reaches over 20 million radio listeners on 450 stations in the United 
States and Canada with a message that emphasizes biblical morality. 
More Americans may soon hear that message: Paramount recently signed up 
85 percent of U.S. television markets to air her hour-long talk format 
television show. But homosexual activists are now campaigning to stop 
her influence from expanding further. . .
  ``Dr. Laura (now 53 years old) has become an Orthodox Jew--and that 
means she has increasingly presented an Old Testament-based critique of 
homosexuality. To those who disagree she says, rightly, `I am 
reiterating what God said. To them, that makes me `hateful.' I'm sorry 
--talk to God about it.' Since groups like GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian 
Alliance Against Defamation, don't want to talk to God about it, they 
have instead put pressure on Paramount to stop the Dr. Laura television 
show before it starts. GLAAD's posture is ironic in one respect; as Dr. 
Laura told our reporter Lynn Vincent earlier this year, `I think it's 
quite fascinating that a group that's talking about civil rights wants 
to curtail my right to make a living, speak my point of view, and to 
have my religious convictions.'
  ``Www.stopdrlaura.com, one of the new attack websites, bills itself 
as `a coalition against hate.' The Stop Dr. Laura movement lists e-mail 
addresses and phone and fax numbers for the Paramount offices, giving 
homosexuals and their apologists an easy way to maximize harassment of 
Paramount executives. One of the dot-com brains behind the attack, John 
Aravosis, said, `The show's going to be canceled. This is going to be 
living hell for Paramount for the next year at least. E-mails will keep 
flying and flying and flying. Everyone on-line who's progressive is 
going to know that Paramount is a bigot.' For progressives, of course, 
`bigotry' only goes one way.
  ``Former Member of Congress Pat Schroeder attacked Dr. Laura by 
saying, `The pledge of allegiance says, `with liberty and justice for 
all.' What part of `all' is unclear?' That question should be turned 
back to Mrs. Schroeder. What about liberty for Dr. Laura.
  ``If the attack just came on the Web, it would not be so serious but 
leading liberal publications have become lapdogs of the homosexual 
lobby. GLAAD in 1998 met with editors of Time magazine to tutor them on 
the politically correct way to cover homosexuals in their publication. 
Time editors followed up obligingly with a flurry of pro-gay coverage, 
prompting GLAAD to trumpet the magazine's `truly remarkable 
turnaround.' On March 20 Time had the predictable story, `Dr. Laura, 
Heal Thyself.' So, for that matter, did Newsweek, with its standard 
hit-piece use of adjectives . . . and out-of-context references . . .
  ``Dr. Laura issued an ironic statement: `We are all made in God's 
image, and therefore, we should treat one another with love and 
kindness.' But for activists, sincere overtures of peace will not 
suffice, and only Dr. Laura's unconditional surrender is acceptable . . 

  ``If a person of Dr. Laura's prominence and proven appeal can be kept 
off television, tyrants have seized control of the airways and no one 
who doesn't bow to political correctness is safe . . .
  ``The best way to ask Paramount executives not to be swayed by the 
GLAAD offensive is to send a letter to Mr. Frank Kelly, Paramount 
Television, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California 90038, or an e-
mail to [email protected].''
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise in support of Dr. Laura.

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