Wednesday, December 14, 2011 3:20:00 AM
Evangelical Zealot Who Got Ads Pulled From All-American Muslim Is A Recovering Porn Addict
Image via Benjamin Haas/Shutterstock.com
By Anna North
Dec 13, 2011 5:30 PM
Before Florida Family Association founder David Caton started protesting [ http://jezebel.com/5867200/christian-group-pressures-lowes-into-pulling-ads-from-all+american-muslim ] against the loving families shown on All American Muslim, he tried his hand at writing. His 1990 book, Overcoming the Addiction to Pornography [ http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-addiction-pornography-David-Caton/dp/1877717053 ], is a treasure trove of weirdness.
The book, published by Accord, bills itself as Caton's story of beating his own addiction to porn. Its cover boasts a section containing "special guidance to wives" (Caton seems to assume that wives can't be porn addicts themselves). Sadly, the text doesn't appear to be available online, but a reader review [ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ted-bundy-stephen-g-michaud/1008195749 ] of a book on Ted Bundy does quote from the book, in support of the notion that Bundy's serial killing was caused by porn use. The reader quotes Caton as follows:
The moral conscience of man becomes desensitized and seared from the use of pornography. Pictures which at one time were repulsive, obscene and vile become attractive to the porn user as his moral conscious erodes. By viewing soft core pornography, the porn user has opened the door for all wickedness and evil acts to become acceptable to him. The desire for harder porn becomes obsessive as the softer material appears less erotic to the porn user. Most often the porn user escalated his immoral behavior by indulging in hardcore porn, child porn, sadomasochistic porn, satan worship porn, and snuff (actual killing) films. The damage done through this escalation of immoral behavior is irreversible without Jesus Christ. The porn user has now become a prisoner to the spirit of bondage. Such bondage often leads the porn user to act out scenes in pornography, thus raping, molesting and even killing innocent people.
Also, the Nov./Dec. 1995 issue [ http://afajournal.org/1995/11-1295AFAJ.pdf ] of the American Family Association Journal (already a worthwhile read for its handy list of sexual innuendo in Disney films, and edifying articles like "Liberal philosophy makes flawed assumptions"), ran [this] ad,
which helpfully shows what porn addicts look like. The ad promises that the lessons of Caton's "17-year addiction to pornography" will offer "direction and hope for thousands of people who are addicted to pornography, for the wives of porn addicts, and for those who counsel people who are involved in inappropriate sexual behavior."
Sadly, the book seems not to have helped readers very much. One Amazon reviewer [ http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-addiction-pornography-David-Caton/dp/1877717053?tag=gmgamzn-20 ] says that reading it along with another book helped him with his addiction. Another, however, says, "Although it tries to help, I am still addicted to pornography. I seem to be using it more now than ever before." A third titles his review, "Made things sooo much worse," and explains,
My wife forced me to get this book because of my addiction. After reading it from cover to cover multiple times, I found myself loving pornography even more. My addiction became worse and now, I feel as if I am on the downward spiral to other, much worse things. Skip the book and instead, go to an adult book store and buy as much as you can. Trying to get bored of pornos is better than trying to wean yourself from it.
Fortunately, Caton has since diversified his efforts. In addition to claiming [ http://jezebel.com/5867200/christian-group-pressures-lowes-into-pulling-ads-from-all+american-muslim ] that All-American Muslim "is attempting to manipulate Americans into ignoring the threat of jihad, he's also taken issue [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/family-values-crusader-david-caton-now-takes-on-light-rail/1070834 ] with a plan to build a light rail system in Florida's Hillsborough County. Of the railroad proposal, he said, "I think it is immoral. He elaborated, "I believe it's immoral to tax, to take more away from the poor to give money to the special interests." It's good to know that in a world besieged by the evil influences of pornography, Islam, and rail travel, we have David Caton to defend us.
Copyright 2011 Jezebel
http://jezebel.com/5867750/evangelical-zealot-who-got-ads-pulled-from-all+american-muslim-is-a-recovering-porn-addict [with comments]
===
Lowes Bowed to Pressure from Man with THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS
Post by Sarah Posner
December 12, 2011 1:07PM
David Caton, the executive director of the Florida Family Association, the Sunshine State outpost of the American Family Association which pressured Lowes to pull its advertising from All American Muslim, runs an organization that is "made up of THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS across America who share in the same goal of improving America's moral environment," according to its website [ http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=94 ]. (Bizarre use of all caps in original.)
For Caton, Muslims are very scary, and so are gays. In fact, they may not even be people.
Newt Gingrich, who has traveled the country with Caton's inspiration, the American Family Association's Don Wildmon, pontificating on how to "redisover" God in America [ http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/4320/the_revival_of_the_pastors%E2%80%99_policy_briefings ], thinks Palestinians aren't real people, fertilized eggs are [ http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/5412/gingrich%2C_frontrunner%2C_touts_personhood_in_14th_amendment ], and that he is somehow anointed to define [ http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/newt-takes-noadultery-pledge-106920.html ] a proper marriage.
Like Gingrich, Caton can't figure out what a person is. The people in All American Muslim are not real to him. According to the FFA website, the show "profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks." The real Muslims, FFA maintains, are "Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish."
Caton is a big fan of the shari'ah scare industry, citing [ http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=108 ] Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer on his website. Following the Lowes cave-in, Caton now boasts [ http://www.detnews.com/article/20111212/METRO01/112120377/1409/Lowe%E2%80%99s-yanks-ads-from-%E2%80%98All-American-Muslim%E2%80%99--local-community-outraged ] that it has convinced 65 other advertisers to pull their ads, according to the Detroit News.
Caton is well-known in his Florida community for using his non-profit, tax-exempt (and therefore taxpayer subsidized) organization (which, according to its most recent tax return, has revenues of less than $200,000) to try to confuse big institutions that his THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS might stop buying their two-by-fours.
Lowes looks even more ridiculous for backing down under Caton's pressure given how his track record is actually pretty pathetic.
Last year, Caton's minions flooded [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/article1067240.ece ] the University of South Florida with emails protesting the teaching of queer theory. USF, as it should have, ignored them. In 2008, Caton recorded [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article888508.ece ] a robocall against a Democratic challenger for a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission because the candidate, Kevin Beckner, is gay. Beckner won [ http://www.kevinbeckner.com/page.asp?PageId=2 ]. In 2007, the Hillsborough County public schools blocked [ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4PFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wHQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4421,2858912&dq=david-caton&hl=en ] emails from Caton's group, and won a court challenge he brought on First Amendment grounds. Caton, who blamed Muslims for the secularization of the school's calendar, had sent more than 3,500 emails to the district protesting its decision not to make religious holidays official school holidays. Caton appealed, but rather than spend more money on his appeal, the school district convinced him to drop it in exchange for foregoing its right to demand he repay its court costs.
Caton may have some victories, like his campaign against Bubba the Love Sponge [ http://www.floridafamily.org/images/FFA_0304_Newsletter.pdf ]. But Lowes seems to have mistaken a gnat for a hammer.
© Religion Dispatches 2011
http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/5492/lowes_bowed_to_pressure_from_man_with_thousands_of_supporters/ [with comments]
===
Caton stoking prejudice and fears
David Caton
By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 14, 2011 Updated: December 14, 2011 - 12:00 AM
TAMPA --
It's easy to dismiss David Caton as a gasbag, divider, zealot or even a hatemonger. I'll try not to do that, although it is curious that he always seems to be against something. That just makes him perfect for these times.
Caton's philosophy seems basic enough. It's OK to believe whatever you want, as long as it's what he and those who follow him think you should believe. America is great, as long as it's their version of America. And so it goes.
He has a large following of true believers, though, and for every person who believes Caton is a crank, there is another who takes him seriously. The home improvement giant Lowe's certainly did, pulling advertisements from the TV show "All-American Muslim" under pressure from Caton's Tampa-based organization.
According to the website for Caton's Florida Family Association, the show is "clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and sharia law."
Not "all" Muslims, of course. Just "many" Muslims.
I'm sure that statement was well-researched.
David Caton says he is a religious man, and it's not my purpose to doubt that in any way. I do have a few questions, though.
I have read the Bible cover to cover, more than once. The Scriptures are pretty clear that Jesus hung out with undesirables of the day. Matthew was a tax collector, and those guys were despised as crooks and predators of the weak. Judas was a betrayer. Thomas had doubts. Peter ran and hid when the heat came down.
Jesus was a revolutionary who turned over tables in the temple. He challenged the pious and broke the rules by healing people on the Sabbath. He shamed a mob of stone throwers to walk away from a prostitute they were about to kill. And he was inclusive, inviting everyone to the table. It cost him dearly.
So given that Caton worships the man and his teachings, how can he make these judgments about the intentions of "many" when he has only supposition and innuendo to go on? That kind of absolutism is far too typical these days.
I tried to ask him about that, but he was in a hurry to do a Skype interview and a whole bunch of other stuff and must have forgotten about his promise to get back with me.
If he wants to campaign against nude bars, porn and I-75 billboards he says show too much skin, hey, it's a free country. Agree with him, don't agree, whatever. He has as much right to rail against these things as opponents have to rail against him. We must agree, the man does give a good sound bite.
This latest fight raises the stakes, though.
This isn't a campaign against stuff he believes is leading us down a path to decay and ruin, it's a wide net cast over a whole group of people. It preys on stereotypes and fear, and it's dangerous. It's straight out of McCarthy's 1950s playbook, and no good can come of it.
He has made national news with this, and a not-insignificant number of people are climbing on board. And because of what?
Because of a television show on TLC.
By howling at the moon, Caton brought more attention to the show than it ever would have received, but that's beside the point. His crusade alerted Us about Them and how They are out to destroy The American Way Of Life!
When I was a kid in Ohio back in the 1960s, I remember a man — a good man — standing in the Church of God on Sunday morning to tell everyone in the pews of a problem in our little town. It seems the white son of the local junior high school principal was dating a black girl. I remember the man saying we had to take a stand because this just wasn't right.
You see, it was about fear and stereotypes then, too. Maybe that never changes.
It's just a different group of people David Caton says we are supposed to be afraid of, and that's scary.
©2011 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/dec/14/menewso1-caton-stoking-prejudice-and-fears-ar-334562/ [no comments yet]
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Meet The Florida Family Association: A Faux Outrage Generation Factory
David Caton, President of FFA
By Zack Ford on Dec 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm
The Florida Family Association (FFA) has attracted national attention this week for convincing Lowe’s [ http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/12/13/388448/lowes-anti-muslim-stance-prompts-calls-for-boycott-sparks-fury-from-lawmakers/ ] and other companies [ http://www.mpac.org/issues/islamophobia/action-alert-stop-bigots-from-pressuring-advertisers-for-tlcs-all-american-muslim.php ] to drop its advertising on the acclaimed [ http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2011/11/10/366363/watch-all-american-muslim-this-weekend/ ] new TLC reality show, All-American Muslim. Claiming a membership of 35,000 individuals, FFA’s only paid staff member is its president, David Caton, and it is not affiliated with any national organizations.
FFA is an organization devoted to manufacturing faux outrage. Here is an extensive — though likely quite incomplete — list of the organization’s attention-grabbing complaints over recent years:
• Protests annual “Gay Days” at Walt Disney World: Every [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=126400 ] year [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551598 ], FFA objects to Walt Disney World’s “Gay Days [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Days_at_Walt_Disney_World ],” when gay and lesbian people create visibility for themselves throughout the theme park. Disney does not officially sanction the event, but FFA calls on followers to complain to Disney officials that it takes place. This year, the organization even paid to have a banner flown [ http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/19458801/florida-family-group-flies-antigay-banner-over-disney-world ] over the Interstate 4 corridor warning travelers that Gay Day was that weekend.
• Protested “Godless” Family Guy: FFA objects to Family Guy‘s “Godless, Christian bashing and depraved content” and has targeted advertisers such as Chrysler [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=653292 ], General Mills [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94399 ], and others [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93475 ].
• Claimed Modern Family “degrades marriage”: In 2009, the FFA complained about Toys R Us [ http://www.floridafamily.org/images/FFA_1209_Newsletter.pdf ] advertising on the Emmy-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family because it “degrades marriage and promotes same-sex couples and gay adoption.”
• Objected to Miss Universe Pageant’s HIV/AIDS advocacy: The 2009 Miss Universe pageant included a discussion on HIV/AIDS advocacy and peer education. The Florida Family Association joined other conservative groups in protesting that messages other than “abstinence only” were presented and objected to the contestants competing to inflate condoms as balloons, targeting Jet Blue, BSC Swimwear, Farouk Systems Group, Diamond Nexus Labs, and Nina Footwear for sponsoring the pageant.
• Decried LGBT non-discrimination ordinances: Numerous Florida municipalities have passed non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but the FFA firmly opposes them, often spreading harmful lies about LGBT people in the process. In 2009, the FFA said that Tampa’s new gender identity protections would allow “cross-dressing males [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=116370 ] to patronize women’s restrooms.” Responding to a similar bill in Gainesville in 2008, Caton called it “absolutely atrocious [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=45801 ]” that children would be exposed to the “social engineering” of respecting transgender people.
• Opposed Degrassi for LGBT portrayals and anti-bullying messages: FFA opposes the Teen Nick show Degrassi for its portrayal of gay and transgender teens [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/degrassi-boycott-florida-family-association_n_883252.html#s296800&title=Degrassi ] and its support of The Trevor Project [ http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/10/24/351306/so-called-family-groups-attack-suicide-helpline-for-promoting-%20%20gay-lifestyle/ ], a suicide prevention hotline aimed at LGBT youth. It most recently targeted retailer Target for advertising on the show.
• Monitored all of Logo TV’s LGBT-inclusive programming: Since its launch, FFA has closely monitored Logo, the TV network geared toward the LGBT community. Even though FFA is obviously not the network’s target audience, the organization has monitored hours of its programming, objecting to companies like General Motors [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=310058 ], JP Morgan Chase [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=257622 ], and Johnson & Johnson for supporting content that is merely LGBT-inclusive.
• Opposed The Girls Next Door for promoting Playboy: Between 2005 and 2009, FFA claimed to have convinced “over 325 [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=240274 ]” (326 [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=191198 ]) companies to stop supporting E!’s The Girls Next Door, which Caton objected contained nudity and was “nothing more than an infomercial” to promote the Playboy Enterprise. Microsoft Xbox did [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85545 ], in fact, drop its ads, but Arby’s did not [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=240274 ].
• Objected to bisexuality on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila: In 2008, FFA took fire at MTV for portraying Tila Tequila’s bisexuality [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=283092 ]. The organization claimed that 94 companies pulled off the program and took credit for the show going off the air, though in reality the show was merely in syndication after two successful seasons.
• Complained about explicit content on Nip/Tuck: Objecting to “explicit, uncensored [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=37524 ]” swearing, drug use, and sexual encounters, FFA targeted the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning drama Nip/Tuck‘s advertisers, including Quizno’s Western Union, Vonage, Sandals Resort, AutoWay, Car Fax, and the Bamboo club.
• Thought evolution should be taught as “theory,” not “fact”: Apparently completely unaware of what constitutes a scientific theory, FFA delivered close to 14,000 emails to the Florida Board of Education in 2008, urging it to approve the teaching of evolution only “as scientific theory [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56830 ] instead of scientific fact.”
People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch has additional examples of FFA’s anti-LGBT [ http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/meet-extremist-group-lowes-caved-over-all-american-muslim ] and anti-Islam [ http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/meet-extremist-group-lowes-caved-over-all-american-muslim ] tactics.
© 2011 Center for American Progress Action Fund
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/13/388710/meet-the-florida-family-association-a-faux-outrage-generation-factory/
===
(linked in) http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=69828532 and preceding and following
Image via Benjamin Haas/Shutterstock.com
By Anna North
Dec 13, 2011 5:30 PM
Before Florida Family Association founder David Caton started protesting [ http://jezebel.com/5867200/christian-group-pressures-lowes-into-pulling-ads-from-all+american-muslim ] against the loving families shown on All American Muslim, he tried his hand at writing. His 1990 book, Overcoming the Addiction to Pornography [ http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-addiction-pornography-David-Caton/dp/1877717053 ], is a treasure trove of weirdness.
The book, published by Accord, bills itself as Caton's story of beating his own addiction to porn. Its cover boasts a section containing "special guidance to wives" (Caton seems to assume that wives can't be porn addicts themselves). Sadly, the text doesn't appear to be available online, but a reader review [ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ted-bundy-stephen-g-michaud/1008195749 ] of a book on Ted Bundy does quote from the book, in support of the notion that Bundy's serial killing was caused by porn use. The reader quotes Caton as follows:
The moral conscience of man becomes desensitized and seared from the use of pornography. Pictures which at one time were repulsive, obscene and vile become attractive to the porn user as his moral conscious erodes. By viewing soft core pornography, the porn user has opened the door for all wickedness and evil acts to become acceptable to him. The desire for harder porn becomes obsessive as the softer material appears less erotic to the porn user. Most often the porn user escalated his immoral behavior by indulging in hardcore porn, child porn, sadomasochistic porn, satan worship porn, and snuff (actual killing) films. The damage done through this escalation of immoral behavior is irreversible without Jesus Christ. The porn user has now become a prisoner to the spirit of bondage. Such bondage often leads the porn user to act out scenes in pornography, thus raping, molesting and even killing innocent people.
Also, the Nov./Dec. 1995 issue [ http://afajournal.org/1995/11-1295AFAJ.pdf ] of the American Family Association Journal (already a worthwhile read for its handy list of sexual innuendo in Disney films, and edifying articles like "Liberal philosophy makes flawed assumptions"), ran [this] ad,
which helpfully shows what porn addicts look like. The ad promises that the lessons of Caton's "17-year addiction to pornography" will offer "direction and hope for thousands of people who are addicted to pornography, for the wives of porn addicts, and for those who counsel people who are involved in inappropriate sexual behavior."
Sadly, the book seems not to have helped readers very much. One Amazon reviewer [ http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-addiction-pornography-David-Caton/dp/1877717053?tag=gmgamzn-20 ] says that reading it along with another book helped him with his addiction. Another, however, says, "Although it tries to help, I am still addicted to pornography. I seem to be using it more now than ever before." A third titles his review, "Made things sooo much worse," and explains,
My wife forced me to get this book because of my addiction. After reading it from cover to cover multiple times, I found myself loving pornography even more. My addiction became worse and now, I feel as if I am on the downward spiral to other, much worse things. Skip the book and instead, go to an adult book store and buy as much as you can. Trying to get bored of pornos is better than trying to wean yourself from it.
Fortunately, Caton has since diversified his efforts. In addition to claiming [ http://jezebel.com/5867200/christian-group-pressures-lowes-into-pulling-ads-from-all+american-muslim ] that All-American Muslim "is attempting to manipulate Americans into ignoring the threat of jihad, he's also taken issue [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/family-values-crusader-david-caton-now-takes-on-light-rail/1070834 ] with a plan to build a light rail system in Florida's Hillsborough County. Of the railroad proposal, he said, "I think it is immoral. He elaborated, "I believe it's immoral to tax, to take more away from the poor to give money to the special interests." It's good to know that in a world besieged by the evil influences of pornography, Islam, and rail travel, we have David Caton to defend us.
Copyright 2011 Jezebel
http://jezebel.com/5867750/evangelical-zealot-who-got-ads-pulled-from-all+american-muslim-is-a-recovering-porn-addict [with comments]
===
Lowes Bowed to Pressure from Man with THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS
Post by Sarah Posner
December 12, 2011 1:07PM
David Caton, the executive director of the Florida Family Association, the Sunshine State outpost of the American Family Association which pressured Lowes to pull its advertising from All American Muslim, runs an organization that is "made up of THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS across America who share in the same goal of improving America's moral environment," according to its website [ http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=94 ]. (Bizarre use of all caps in original.)
For Caton, Muslims are very scary, and so are gays. In fact, they may not even be people.
Newt Gingrich, who has traveled the country with Caton's inspiration, the American Family Association's Don Wildmon, pontificating on how to "redisover" God in America [ http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/4320/the_revival_of_the_pastors%E2%80%99_policy_briefings ], thinks Palestinians aren't real people, fertilized eggs are [ http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/5412/gingrich%2C_frontrunner%2C_touts_personhood_in_14th_amendment ], and that he is somehow anointed to define [ http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/newt-takes-noadultery-pledge-106920.html ] a proper marriage.
Like Gingrich, Caton can't figure out what a person is. The people in All American Muslim are not real to him. According to the FFA website, the show "profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks." The real Muslims, FFA maintains, are "Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish."
Caton is a big fan of the shari'ah scare industry, citing [ http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=108 ] Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer on his website. Following the Lowes cave-in, Caton now boasts [ http://www.detnews.com/article/20111212/METRO01/112120377/1409/Lowe%E2%80%99s-yanks-ads-from-%E2%80%98All-American-Muslim%E2%80%99--local-community-outraged ] that it has convinced 65 other advertisers to pull their ads, according to the Detroit News.
Caton is well-known in his Florida community for using his non-profit, tax-exempt (and therefore taxpayer subsidized) organization (which, according to its most recent tax return, has revenues of less than $200,000) to try to confuse big institutions that his THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS might stop buying their two-by-fours.
Lowes looks even more ridiculous for backing down under Caton's pressure given how his track record is actually pretty pathetic.
Last year, Caton's minions flooded [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/article1067240.ece ] the University of South Florida with emails protesting the teaching of queer theory. USF, as it should have, ignored them. In 2008, Caton recorded [ http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article888508.ece ] a robocall against a Democratic challenger for a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission because the candidate, Kevin Beckner, is gay. Beckner won [ http://www.kevinbeckner.com/page.asp?PageId=2 ]. In 2007, the Hillsborough County public schools blocked [ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4PFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wHQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4421,2858912&dq=david-caton&hl=en ] emails from Caton's group, and won a court challenge he brought on First Amendment grounds. Caton, who blamed Muslims for the secularization of the school's calendar, had sent more than 3,500 emails to the district protesting its decision not to make religious holidays official school holidays. Caton appealed, but rather than spend more money on his appeal, the school district convinced him to drop it in exchange for foregoing its right to demand he repay its court costs.
Caton may have some victories, like his campaign against Bubba the Love Sponge [ http://www.floridafamily.org/images/FFA_0304_Newsletter.pdf ]. But Lowes seems to have mistaken a gnat for a hammer.
© Religion Dispatches 2011
http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/5492/lowes_bowed_to_pressure_from_man_with_thousands_of_supporters/ [with comments]
===
Caton stoking prejudice and fears
David Caton
By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 14, 2011 Updated: December 14, 2011 - 12:00 AM
TAMPA --
It's easy to dismiss David Caton as a gasbag, divider, zealot or even a hatemonger. I'll try not to do that, although it is curious that he always seems to be against something. That just makes him perfect for these times.
Caton's philosophy seems basic enough. It's OK to believe whatever you want, as long as it's what he and those who follow him think you should believe. America is great, as long as it's their version of America. And so it goes.
He has a large following of true believers, though, and for every person who believes Caton is a crank, there is another who takes him seriously. The home improvement giant Lowe's certainly did, pulling advertisements from the TV show "All-American Muslim" under pressure from Caton's Tampa-based organization.
According to the website for Caton's Florida Family Association, the show is "clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and sharia law."
Not "all" Muslims, of course. Just "many" Muslims.
I'm sure that statement was well-researched.
David Caton says he is a religious man, and it's not my purpose to doubt that in any way. I do have a few questions, though.
I have read the Bible cover to cover, more than once. The Scriptures are pretty clear that Jesus hung out with undesirables of the day. Matthew was a tax collector, and those guys were despised as crooks and predators of the weak. Judas was a betrayer. Thomas had doubts. Peter ran and hid when the heat came down.
Jesus was a revolutionary who turned over tables in the temple. He challenged the pious and broke the rules by healing people on the Sabbath. He shamed a mob of stone throwers to walk away from a prostitute they were about to kill. And he was inclusive, inviting everyone to the table. It cost him dearly.
So given that Caton worships the man and his teachings, how can he make these judgments about the intentions of "many" when he has only supposition and innuendo to go on? That kind of absolutism is far too typical these days.
I tried to ask him about that, but he was in a hurry to do a Skype interview and a whole bunch of other stuff and must have forgotten about his promise to get back with me.
If he wants to campaign against nude bars, porn and I-75 billboards he says show too much skin, hey, it's a free country. Agree with him, don't agree, whatever. He has as much right to rail against these things as opponents have to rail against him. We must agree, the man does give a good sound bite.
This latest fight raises the stakes, though.
This isn't a campaign against stuff he believes is leading us down a path to decay and ruin, it's a wide net cast over a whole group of people. It preys on stereotypes and fear, and it's dangerous. It's straight out of McCarthy's 1950s playbook, and no good can come of it.
He has made national news with this, and a not-insignificant number of people are climbing on board. And because of what?
Because of a television show on TLC.
By howling at the moon, Caton brought more attention to the show than it ever would have received, but that's beside the point. His crusade alerted Us about Them and how They are out to destroy The American Way Of Life!
When I was a kid in Ohio back in the 1960s, I remember a man — a good man — standing in the Church of God on Sunday morning to tell everyone in the pews of a problem in our little town. It seems the white son of the local junior high school principal was dating a black girl. I remember the man saying we had to take a stand because this just wasn't right.
You see, it was about fear and stereotypes then, too. Maybe that never changes.
It's just a different group of people David Caton says we are supposed to be afraid of, and that's scary.
©2011 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/dec/14/menewso1-caton-stoking-prejudice-and-fears-ar-334562/ [no comments yet]
===
Meet The Florida Family Association: A Faux Outrage Generation Factory
David Caton, President of FFA
By Zack Ford on Dec 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm
The Florida Family Association (FFA) has attracted national attention this week for convincing Lowe’s [ http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/12/13/388448/lowes-anti-muslim-stance-prompts-calls-for-boycott-sparks-fury-from-lawmakers/ ] and other companies [ http://www.mpac.org/issues/islamophobia/action-alert-stop-bigots-from-pressuring-advertisers-for-tlcs-all-american-muslim.php ] to drop its advertising on the acclaimed [ http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2011/11/10/366363/watch-all-american-muslim-this-weekend/ ] new TLC reality show, All-American Muslim. Claiming a membership of 35,000 individuals, FFA’s only paid staff member is its president, David Caton, and it is not affiliated with any national organizations.
FFA is an organization devoted to manufacturing faux outrage. Here is an extensive — though likely quite incomplete — list of the organization’s attention-grabbing complaints over recent years:
• Protests annual “Gay Days” at Walt Disney World: Every [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=126400 ] year [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=551598 ], FFA objects to Walt Disney World’s “Gay Days [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Days_at_Walt_Disney_World ],” when gay and lesbian people create visibility for themselves throughout the theme park. Disney does not officially sanction the event, but FFA calls on followers to complain to Disney officials that it takes place. This year, the organization even paid to have a banner flown [ http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/19458801/florida-family-group-flies-antigay-banner-over-disney-world ] over the Interstate 4 corridor warning travelers that Gay Day was that weekend.
• Protested “Godless” Family Guy: FFA objects to Family Guy‘s “Godless, Christian bashing and depraved content” and has targeted advertisers such as Chrysler [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=653292 ], General Mills [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94399 ], and others [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93475 ].
• Claimed Modern Family “degrades marriage”: In 2009, the FFA complained about Toys R Us [ http://www.floridafamily.org/images/FFA_1209_Newsletter.pdf ] advertising on the Emmy-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family because it “degrades marriage and promotes same-sex couples and gay adoption.”
• Objected to Miss Universe Pageant’s HIV/AIDS advocacy: The 2009 Miss Universe pageant included a discussion on HIV/AIDS advocacy and peer education. The Florida Family Association joined other conservative groups in protesting that messages other than “abstinence only” were presented and objected to the contestants competing to inflate condoms as balloons, targeting Jet Blue, BSC Swimwear, Farouk Systems Group, Diamond Nexus Labs, and Nina Footwear for sponsoring the pageant.
• Decried LGBT non-discrimination ordinances: Numerous Florida municipalities have passed non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but the FFA firmly opposes them, often spreading harmful lies about LGBT people in the process. In 2009, the FFA said that Tampa’s new gender identity protections would allow “cross-dressing males [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=116370 ] to patronize women’s restrooms.” Responding to a similar bill in Gainesville in 2008, Caton called it “absolutely atrocious [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=45801 ]” that children would be exposed to the “social engineering” of respecting transgender people.
• Opposed Degrassi for LGBT portrayals and anti-bullying messages: FFA opposes the Teen Nick show Degrassi for its portrayal of gay and transgender teens [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/degrassi-boycott-florida-family-association_n_883252.html#s296800&title=Degrassi ] and its support of The Trevor Project [ http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/10/24/351306/so-called-family-groups-attack-suicide-helpline-for-promoting-%20%20gay-lifestyle/ ], a suicide prevention hotline aimed at LGBT youth. It most recently targeted retailer Target for advertising on the show.
• Monitored all of Logo TV’s LGBT-inclusive programming: Since its launch, FFA has closely monitored Logo, the TV network geared toward the LGBT community. Even though FFA is obviously not the network’s target audience, the organization has monitored hours of its programming, objecting to companies like General Motors [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=310058 ], JP Morgan Chase [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=257622 ], and Johnson & Johnson for supporting content that is merely LGBT-inclusive.
• Opposed The Girls Next Door for promoting Playboy: Between 2005 and 2009, FFA claimed to have convinced “over 325 [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=240274 ]” (326 [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=191198 ]) companies to stop supporting E!’s The Girls Next Door, which Caton objected contained nudity and was “nothing more than an infomercial” to promote the Playboy Enterprise. Microsoft Xbox did [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85545 ], in fact, drop its ads, but Arby’s did not [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=240274 ].
• Objected to bisexuality on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila: In 2008, FFA took fire at MTV for portraying Tila Tequila’s bisexuality [ http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=283092 ]. The organization claimed that 94 companies pulled off the program and took credit for the show going off the air, though in reality the show was merely in syndication after two successful seasons.
• Complained about explicit content on Nip/Tuck: Objecting to “explicit, uncensored [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=37524 ]” swearing, drug use, and sexual encounters, FFA targeted the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning drama Nip/Tuck‘s advertisers, including Quizno’s Western Union, Vonage, Sandals Resort, AutoWay, Car Fax, and the Bamboo club.
• Thought evolution should be taught as “theory,” not “fact”: Apparently completely unaware of what constitutes a scientific theory, FFA delivered close to 14,000 emails to the Florida Board of Education in 2008, urging it to approve the teaching of evolution only “as scientific theory [ http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56830 ] instead of scientific fact.”
People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch has additional examples of FFA’s anti-LGBT [ http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/meet-extremist-group-lowes-caved-over-all-american-muslim ] and anti-Islam [ http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/meet-extremist-group-lowes-caved-over-all-american-muslim ] tactics.
© 2011 Center for American Progress Action Fund
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/13/388710/meet-the-florida-family-association-a-faux-outrage-generation-factory/
===
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