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ACLU — Part 12
Page 3
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ulletin #1699
lay 23,"1955
Prohibition against sale of comic books to children under a certain age is.un
desirable. And a law banning publications devoted chiefly to criminal news and
stories of bloodshed, lust, and crime cannot meet constitutional standards:
"Certainly individual members of the community have the right to decide what they or
fare of the entira community.ooconstitutes sn attempt to enforce conformity, a prac?
tice alien to the American idea of free choice and our democratic tradition."
Nor is establishment of a comic book publishers' code commendable, according to.
the Union statement..
"Although a single publisher may prescribe for himself' any set
of. standards he may desire for the publicaion of material, a different situation
exists where a significant segment of' the industry agrees to abide by a coie.
Colle
tive adherence to a single set cf prsxciplas in a code nas the effect of limiting
different points of views, for individual publishers'.- as well as writers - are,fear
ful of departing from the.accepted norm lest they.be heid up.
to'scorn or attack and
suffer 'economic losse"...
The best hope lies in the home itself' "-parental control over the reading
habits of their .children," the AClu atatement concluded.
As the testimony of child
welfare experts attests, an env.ronmst which embraces.a wide range of interests will
make comics less of an attracti.on to children..
..To tnose who argue that not, every.
child's home environmens can meet his total needs and sonething must be done tosafe
guard children who, unfcrtunately, Lve in an unwholesomg environment, the answer
lies in the work of schools, churches, and community organizations. The creation
the healthy environment is their chalenge
NOTE To EDrroRs. This story is only a summary of the ACLU statement filed with the!.
Senate Subcoamittee. Because of the widespread public interest int.
the issue of comic booke and dalinquency, the fuil text of the Aclu statement, which
is being printed as a pamphlet, will be sent to you next week
..
MALIN HITS STATE LAIIS BANNING CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION
The Connecticut and Massachusetts laus which prohibit a doctor from giving con
traceptive information to his patienss violate the civil liberties guarantees of the
Federal Constitution, Patrick Murphy Malin, executive director of the ALU disclose
recently.
Addressing 8oo guests at the annual luncheon of the Planned Parenthood Federa
tion of America in New York City, the Aclu official said? :
"No one contends that Massachusetts and Connecticut must make Planned Parenthoo
services or information available tc their citizens. But there is a civil liberty
principle, embodied in the first and fifth amendments in the Federal Constitution,
that these states should not iterfere with the right to`disseminate information by.
them.
The two New England states are the only states'in the U.s. which still make.
1llegal for a physician to prescribe contraceptives. ' In Connecticut it is also a
crime to use any, device to prevent conception.'.
parenthood, but require lcqual defenso of the free speech of those who
crusadefor
"But, as the experience'of the American Civil Liberties Union abundantly shows
he continued, nthe pracrical.fact is that those who crusade fcr Planned Parenthood.
do' not attempt to suppress the crgument of those who crusade against, it, while those
.
and communication is more needed than the area of family life.". He described Ameri.
cans as "uniquely fortunate" in .the heritage of freedoms affecting family lifein
this countrye'?
nOne of the worst iags in the development of civil liberty as it affects.th
American family, he added, "is the suppression of free.speech about Planned Paront.
hood, and the practice of unwarranted discrimination against those who believe in.
for example, in medical employment.".
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