Regarding Indecency At The Checkout Counters

By: American Decency Staff

 

Several things that I have learned along the way about indecency at the checkout counters.

 

(1) Stores place the magazines at the checkout counters because magazine vendors pay a pretty good fee to have their magazines in such high profile places.

(2) It is possible to impact your local store(s) on this concern.  However, it does take speaking up to the manager and not to the checkout clerk.  It often also takes persistence.

(3) If the manager isn’t showing much concern, it can be helpful to show him receipts from your recent shopping ventures.

(4) Be firm but gracious.  If need be, too, you can have another friend or two accompany you sharing your concerns together.

(5) When you have success, understand that managers sometimes come and go and so the battle never ceases.  You may get good cooperation for a season and the decision maker(s) forgets or new decision makers come.

(6) As we give up on fronts like this,  it will only get worse.  People that care and care enough to speak up are few and far between.  So if not you, who? If not now,  when?

(7) It truly is disgusting to read the titles and see the images that are in so many of the magazines that line the checkout counters.  It shouldn’t even have to be a subject that we have to contend with.  Why should we have filthy titles and indecent/pornographic images foisted before our eyes and the eyes of those we love?

(8) Speaking up and standing up and being a voice, though difficult, is very good for us for it gives us an iron in our backbone that we wouldn’t otherwise have.  As you express concern, you are strengthened for further challenges that lie ahead.  Pray as you go into these situations that God will give you the words and give you strength.

Lastly, I didn’t hear from many as a result of yesterday’s email, but here are a few comments that I received.

http://bit.ly/Q7bSN7

A special thank you to each of you that responded.  Those who do care so deeply to write, even taking significant time to express very fully your frustration and sadness and personal stories, mean a lot to me.  Don’t ever give up!

Here is what others had to say:

#1:

Hello Mr. Johnson,

Greetings in Jesus’ Name! Thank you for your ministry.

Yes, our family is very concerned about the magazines at the check-out lines
and have taught our children to look away and guard their eyes. However, this
is still very difficult. We have spoken to managers of stores, but this
doesn’t help much. We have found that at Walmart, we go to the lawn and garden
check-out where there are no magazines. At other stores you may find aisles
that do not have magazines, or, we just have our children quickly walk through
the aisle and wait on the other side.

Thank you for working so hard for decency in America!

Guyton, GA

#2:

My friends and I as teens, would turn those magazines around so people couldn’t see the covers. I still do that if my son is with me.
-C.J.

#3:

I care!  Whenever I see what I consider an offensive magazine cover, I notify management.  They just about always agree with me and pull the magazine.  They just need people to speak up!
A.L.

#4:

In your last Email newsletter about Indecency at checkout lines, you mentioned how maybe that email would give those of us who DO care encouragement. I wanted to reply and say that your E-mail did in fact lift my spirits. It was encouraging! I loved reading about your wife, Jan standing up to places like Wal-Mart and speaking up. That was a major encouragement for me because I do the same thing. I have been on Wal-Mart’s case for over a year. I had an E-mail just last year from them telling me to rest assured that they will have those covers over explicit magazines at the checkout–a lie because it never happened. I’m from Georgia, Trenton to be exact. So our closest Wal-Mart is in Chattanooga and they have never put covers over the trashy magazines. My grandmother works at our other Wal-Mart in Chattanooga and she once said that they had so many complaints about the vulgar magazines that the manager finally done away with the ones like Maxim. That was a big inspiration for me too because it often feels so hopeless.

I’m 22 …. [editor’s note:  This was such a powerful email. Thank you dear friend!]

#5:

I have to say that the area I am in now (we moved) is very liberal, not
family friendly. I have had a hard time getting much accomplished. One
manager lied to me saying he would remove them but they were back up the
next week, I checked. It was the Sports Illustrated swimsuit magazine. I
confronted him and asked why they were back up. He blamed the owner. I said
well it seems I was lied to, and I reiterated my position if they carried it
I would boycott them for a year. I said that just lost you far more than
carrying the magazine profited you. I will boycott your store for 1 year.
That was 2 years ago and I rarely do [shop] there now.
Maybe I am not really trying hard enough. Not PRAYING enough about it
lately. I have as of late just not looked, trying to shield my own eyes. Who
will be the David and protect the others? We cannot just turn a blind eye.
If we do not voice our concern how will they know? Thank you for the
reminder of being ever diligent in this area. T.H.

A special thanks to each of you that took time to write!

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