Christians Decry Congressional 'Fairness Doctrine'
Christian and pro-family groups are up in arms over recent efforts by the Democrat-led Congress to re-instate a "Fairness Doctrine" that would require conservative and Christian radio talk stations to give air time to opposing views.
Christian groups say the law, which was discontinued in 1984 after the Supreme Court ruled it unnecessary to give opposing views airtime in an increasingly information rich world, would marginalize the freedom of Christian and conservative radio stations.
"If resurrected, Christian radio stations discussing topics like abortion likely would have to give airtime to a pro-abortion voice like Planned Parenthood," Focus on the Family Action said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Focus on the Family helped mail out thousands of petitions to Democratic Congress members urging them to drop their support for the Fairness Doctrine and instead help support a measure by Indiana Republican Mike Pence that would guarantee free speech on the air.
"Oppose the Democrat leadership's plan to censor the airwaves of American talk radio and American Christian radio," the group said in a statement. "Sign the discharge petition for broadcast freedom and help us send the Fairness Doctrine to the ash heap of broadcast history, where it belongs."
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, emphasized the importance of letting the voices of people be heard.
"The Democrat members of Congress need to hear from their constituents while they are in their home districts for the Independence Day recess," she said in a statement. "Members will listen to their constituents who speak up on this important legislation."
