Citizens for Decent Literature

Citizens for Decent Literature was a pro-censorship advocacy body founded in 1956 in Cincinnati, Ohio^[1] by the Roman Catholic anti-pornography campaigner Charles Keating^[2] which advocated reading classics, not "smut". Many priests were also involved in this organization.^[3]

It was later renamed a number of times to various names, the best known of which was Citizens for Decency through Law.^[4]

It would grow to 300 chapters and 100,000 members nationwide and become the largest anti-pornography organization in the nation.^[3] Over the following 20 years the organization mailed some 40 million letters on behalf of its position and had filed amicus curiae briefs. The organization was one of three national groups involved in the 1980's anti-pornography efforts which resulted in the Meese Report.^[5]

Under the name Citizens for Decency through Law, the CDL was still active as of 2002, although it did not have a website.^[6]

1. ^ Leach, Maurice. "Citizens for Decent Literature". www.mtsu.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
2. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (2014-04-02). "Charles Keating, 90, Key Figure in '80s Savings and Loan Crisis, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
3. ^ ^{a b} Binstein, Michael; Bowden, Charles (1993). Trust Me: Charles Keating and the Missing Billions. Random House. pp. 88. ISBN 0-679-41699-4.
4. ^ Bronson, Peter (2006-02-07). "Keating asks hometown to hear his side" (fee required). The Cincinnati Enquirer.
5. ^ "Group lashes out at 'censorship' movement - UPI Archives". UPI.
6. ^ "THE ENEMIES LIST, Part 1: These Are the Folks Who Want to Put You Out of Business". Adult Video News. Mar 1, 2002. Retrieved 2010-07-23.

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