# Go to hell, American Family Association!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 4, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397 "2006-09-04T13:56:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/1 "2006-09-04T13:56:39Z")
CBS is going to air the 9/11 documentary on Sept 10. This award-winning documentary by two French brothers was following the footsteps of a rookie New York firefighter when it became the front-row cameras to the attack on the World Trade Center. It contains the only known film footage of the first plane hitting the building.
I’ve seen this twice. I’m going to see it again. It’s raw, it’s painful, it’s in your face, and it’s unedited. There’s quite a few words uttered that one would not say to one’s grandmother.
Apparently, this offends the American Family Association. They’re getting ready to flood the FCC with complaints about the f-word, the s-word, and the g-d word.
Are they offended by the attacks? Are they offended by the wanton destruction? No. They’re upset that a firefighter says, “Someone’s got some fucking balls” as he suits up to run to a burning building.
[Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees!](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060903/D8JTKED81.html)
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### Author:  [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/2 "2006-09-04T14:05:46Z")
They showed it on TV here a couple of days ago - I hadn’t seen it before. A great film. Both the wider scale of things and the events personalised with the individual firefighters and the documentary makers.
Anyway, this just seems odd. As ivylass says, death and destruction? A-Ok! But don’t let off any _swears_ while you’re trying to save people’s lives, that would be crossing the line. I’m sure that the footage of firefighters standing around listening to people hitting the ground after jumping isn’t going to affect kids more than the occasional fuck. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/3 "2006-09-04T14:14:55Z")
[We’ve done this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=386056)
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### Author:  [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/4 "2006-09-04T14:35:56Z")
I got on their e-mailing list, I think because I once read an article on their site that had been linked to the straight dope and had to register.
There certainly is an odd mix of battles they decide to fight. They hate Ford Motor Co. (because they support the gay agenda by advertising in their magazines) and take credit for the company’s poor performance. I’ve read that GM actually as as much or more of its advertising in gay-targeted publications. Yet never a peep about GM. They also solicit money about twice as often as they ask their readers to send an email for or against some cause. And, of course, all their retoric is inflammatory and alarmist.
In short - they are primarily about prying money out of the pockets of the gullible by using scare tactics. They can’t picket the funerals of servicemen because another group beat them to that. So they’re trying the next best thing.
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/5 "2006-09-04T14:56:17Z")
Summary: Donald Wildmon is a shitbeetle.
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/6 "2006-09-04T15:27:05Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Summary: Donald Wildmon is a shitbeetle.
There is one reason and one reason only that I make [choice #13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6949846&postcount=258) every year: pure wishful thinking.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/7 "2006-09-04T15:27:45Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Summary: Donald Wildmon is a shitbeetle.
You’re not being [very nice](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=33716).
Robin
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/8 "2006-09-04T19:08:19Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> [We’ve done this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=386056)
Crap, day late and a dollar short.
In any event, what a bunch of narrow-minded fools. This isn’t gratuitious swearing, and I defy anyone who was riveted to the TV that day to sign an affadavit that “Holy shit” didn’t come out of their mouth at least once.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/9 "2006-09-04T19:47:34Z")
I skimmed the article and couldn’t find the documentary’s title. I don’t have cable, but I’d like to see it. Is there anywhere I could purchase the unnamed documentary in question?
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/10 "2006-09-04T19:52:17Z")
I don’t recall, did they raise a big stink about “Saving Private Ryan”?
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/11 "2006-09-04T19:56:39Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> Crap, day late and a dollar short.
>
> In any event, what a bunch of narrow-minded fools. This isn’t gratuitious swearing, and I defy anyone who was riveted to the TV that day to sign an affadavit that “Holy shit” didn’t come out of their mouth at least once.
Personally, i don’t give a flying fuck if it is gratuitous. What the hell is gratuitous, anyway? Plenty of movies and other shows have swearing that some would consider gratuitous, but that is a perfectly valid part of the performance.
I think it’s just as narrow-minded to protest against the screening of _Pulp Fiction_ or _Deadwood_ a Chris Rock standup comedy show. If you don’t want to hear swearing, don’t watch the fucking thing. I think it’s just as offensive to hack these shows to pieces, and ruin their continuity and their artistic vision, just to placate a bunch of morons who wouldn’t watch the shows even if they _didn’t_ contain swearing.
And **'luci** , i’m not sure whether or not they complained about _Saving Private Ryan_, but on a more general note, i’m also getting sick of Steven Spielberg films getting a pass when every other fucking movie on TV has all its swearing cut. Sure, he’s made some decent, thought-provoking films, but so have plenty of other people; why should his movies get special treatment?
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/12 "2006-09-04T19:58:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> I don’t recall, did they raise a big stink about “Saving Private Ryan”?
Yes, they did, and my ABC affiliate refused to carry it last Veteran’s Day. Grrrr…
[Here you go](http://www.amazon.com/11-Filmmakers-Commemorative-James-Hanlon/dp/B00006B1HI/sr=1-1/qid=1157399679/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4410368-0648628?ie=UTF8&s=dvd), **Diosa**. It’s hosted by Robert de Niro.
Basically, two French brothers were doing a documentary on the life of a rookie firefighter. It’s so hard to watch the mundane events up to Sept 11…first it’s July, then it’s August, then it’s September 10 (the brothers made dinner for the firehouse that night, but they didn’t make enough food), then it’s 8:30 in the morning and they’re investigating reports of a gas leak, then they hear the roar of a plane…
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/13 "2006-09-04T20:00:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> I don’t recall, did they raise a big stink about “Saving Private Ryan”?
Or _Schindler’s List_ which had nudity in it.
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### Author:  [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/14 "2006-09-04T20:10:29Z")
**Diosa** it’s called _9/11_ and will be on CBS next Sunday (9/10) at 7:00 pm (central) / 8:00 pm (est./pac.)
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### Author:  [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/15 "2006-09-04T23:16:36Z")
Also available on Netflix.
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### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/16 "2006-09-05T04:24:06Z")
The Michigan chapter has won a special place on my shit list.
When the “marriage is between a man and a woman” amendment hit the ballot in Michigan in 2004, among the concerns raised was that this would be used to strip gays and their families of helath benefits (because some public employers extend those benefits to same-sex domestic partners, and their children).
Oh no, assured the AFA. Heavens no. This is narrow! It’s about marriage! Nothing else! We have no other intentions here!
Fast forward a year after it passes, and now we have lawsuits against public entities who give domestic partner benefits on the basis of this amendment. Who’s initiating these suits? The AFA itself.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/17 "2006-09-05T04:42:27Z")
Thanks to those that filled me in. Unfortunately, I don’t have cable (or even the basic channels), so I’d have to buy the DVD myself.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/18 "2006-09-05T04:46:24Z")
> [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](#):
>
> The Michigan chapter has won a special place on my shit list.
>
> When the “marriage is between a man and a woman” amendment hit the ballot in Michigan in 2004, among the concerns raised was that this would be used to strip gays and their families of helath benefits (because some public employers extend those benefits to same-sex domestic partners, and their children).
>
> Oh no, assured the AFA. Heavens no. This is narrow! It’s about marriage! Nothing else! We have no other intentions here!
>
> Fast forward a year after it passes, and now we have lawsuits against public entities who give domestic partner benefits on the basis of this amendment. Who’s initiating these suits? The AFA itself.
If that’s the case, they might as well call themselves the ANTI-Family Association.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/19 "2006-09-05T10:58:45Z")
If you cannot say ‘fuck’ when a plane hits a skyscraper and is burning out of control, then when can you?
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-hell-american-family-association/371397/20 "2006-09-05T11:43:33Z")
I personally appreciated the headline of one of the California newspapers on Sept 12. (San Jose? San Francisco? I don’t remember which one.)
It had a picture of the towers on fire and only one word in the headline:
**BASTARDS!**
Pretty appropriate, under the circumstances.
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