North American Scene from September 4, 1987

BOYCOTT

One Down, One To Go

A 1,600-member coalition of religious leaders has ended its boycott of one of the corporations it targeted for sponsoring television programs high in sex, violence, and profanity (CT, July 10, 1987, p. 36).

Christian Leaders for Responsible Television (CLEAR-TV), which includes the heads of 70 church bodies, called off a boycott of the Noxell Corporation. The cosmetics company “realized that they were not as careful as they might have been or should have been” in monitoring the programs it sponsors, said CLEAR-TV chairman Billy A. Melvin, executive director of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Carroll Brodie, vice-president and general counsel for Noxell, said the firm had given CLEAR-TV “our good-faith intent” to address the coalition’s concerns. “There was a great deal of inconsistency” in Noxell’s policies for program sponsorship, Brodie said, adding that for the first time the firm is developing a written policy. Noxell manufactures Cover Girl cosmetics and Noxzema skin cream.

CLEAR-TV is continuing its boycott of Mazda Motors of America, which Melvin called “the leading sponsor of sex, violence, and profanity [on television] for the last five years.” He said the automobile manufacturer has not responded to CLEAR-TV’S concerns.

NATIONWIDE

One Less Abortion Drug

The Upjohn Company has stopped domestic sales of a drug known as F2 alpha, which is used to induce second-trimester abortions. Robert McDonough, spokesman for the pharmaceutical company, denied that the decision was related to a two-year-old boycott called by prolife organizations.

While asserting that the boycott has had no impact on the company, McDonough acknowledged, “It’s a big issue. We’ve heard from a lot of people who say they are boycotting us.” But he added that Upjohn remains committed to providing “safe and effective means of pregnancy termination.” The company will continue to market two other abortion-inducing drugs in the United States.

Curtis Young, executive director of the Christian Action Council, said the decision to stop selling F2 alpha in the United States shows that Upjohn is feeling the effects of the boycott. “They’re trying to take a lower profile in the abortion industry by withdrawing one … abortion drug,” Young said. But he called it a “public relations move,” since Upjohn markets two other abortion drugs.

MINNESOTA

Disposing Of Fetuses

A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of a new Minnesota law requiring fetuses and fetal remains to be buried or cremated. Under the old law, which is still in effect, fetal remains can be disposed of through sewer systems.

U.S. District Judge David Doty granted a temporary restraining order against the new statute, saying certain issues needed to be addressed at a hearing. Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, which performs abortions at its St. Paul clinic, had filed suit against the law.

Said Planned Parenthood attorney Becky Palmer: “[The statute] equates fetal remains with personhood, and courts on numerous occasions have held that to be unconstitutional.”

The Minnesota attorney general’s office maintains the law is constitutional, and prolife groups have criticized the lawsuit. “[Planned Parenthood is] against anything that creates the impression that unborn babies are human beings,” said Nancy Koster, of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. Koster’s organization lobbied in favor of the law when the state legislature debated it earlier this year.

ACCIDENTS AND VIOLENCE

Leading Causes Of Death

Accidents and acts of violence have become the leading killers of young people in the United States, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that 75 percent of the 15-to 24-year-olds who die are victims of violence, including accidents.

“… Violence has overwhelmed illness to the point where this age group is the only one whose health status has not improved over the last 30 years,” said Robert Blum, author of the study. “Now that we’ve gained some control over organic illness and infectious diseases, we must learn to cope with different but more preventable causes of death.”

Blum said auto accidents account for about 60 percent of all accidents involving young people. More than half of those who are killed, he said, have blood-alcohol levels above the legal standard for intoxication.

Overall, accident rates involving 15-to 24-year-olds have climbed since 1950, reaching 61.7 deaths per 100,000 population by 1980. Homicide ranks as the second-leading cause of death, claiming the lives of 15.6 per 100,000 young people each year. Suicide ranks third, claiming the lives of 12.3 per 100,000 American young people.

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Briefly Noted

Declining: The public’s respect for television evangelists. A Gallup poll found that only 23 percent of those surveyed said television evangelists are “trustworthy with money,” while 63 percent said they are not. In 1980, a similar poll found 41 percent saying the evangelists were trustworthy, with 36 percent saying they were not.

Died: Peter Deyneka, Sr., 89, Russian-born immigrant who founded the Slavic Gospel Association, cofounded the Russian Bible Institute, and pioneered evangelistic radio broadcasts into the Soviet Union; July 26, in Wheaton, Illinois.

Filed: A lawsuit against the Cook County (Ill.) Board over its restrictions on a Cook County Hospital physician who has AIDS. The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, alleges that by prohibiting the doctor from performing “invasive procedures” on patients, the county board violated the Fourteenth Amendment as well as the federal Rehabilitation Act.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.