Ann Redding: National White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Week Recap

The purpose of our gathering was to bring awareness regarding the harms of pornography and that October 27th through November 2nd is the national White Ribbon Against Pornography campaign. 

WRAP

On Monday, October 28, a small group from Christian Action League of Minnesota gathered on Lake Street in Minneapolis. The purpose of our gathering was to bring awareness regarding the harms of pornography and that October 27th through November 2nd is the national White Ribbon Against Pornography campaign.

As I was traveling by bus to Lake Street, I was carrying our signs.  One of them read, “White Ribbon Against Pornography Week”. A young woman on the bus asked about the significance of the signs. After satisfying her initial curiosity, she told me her pastor had spoken on the harms of pornography last Sunday. She asked if I had any literature about our ministry and I gave her an October Beacon.

On my first break from our sign brigade, I stopped into the White Castle for a hot chocolate. A woman asked about the WRAP campaign and after I explained our mission to fight pornography, she said, “I am against all forms of violence.” She confided to me that she had been forced into prostitution at age thirteen, and she emphatically declared she could not have made a “choice” at that age. When I told her that Washington, D.C. City Council was introducing  legislation to decriminalize prostitution, she was horrified, as everyone rightly should be.

Back on the sidewalk, I had many opportunities to hear people’s life stories and their opinions on pornography. Most were in agreement with Christian Action League of Minnesota’s view [that pornography is degrading and addictive] although we naturally had some naysayers.

Hundreds of newsletters and many “action step” cards were given to passersby. We received honks of affirmation and thumbs up.  Some of the passersby, even though their English was fragmentary, told us things like, “Backpage, closed!”  Or simply that they were in agreement with us.

Our first awareness campaign was successful on two levels: 1. The information we received from those who had time to dialogue, and 2. The important message that CAL of MN is working hard to address a serious social issue that many are still treating like the elephant in the living room.

Ann Redding, president

Christian Action League of Minnesota
Ann Redding