Several major bloggers, including Ted Barlow, Jesse Taylor, and Atrios, noted yesterday that Focus on the Family, one of the religious right’s biggest powerhouses, sent out an alert to its (very large) membership this week that included Michael Moore’s home address. I wanted to note that this is not only true, it’s scary.
Here’s the text of the actual email Focus sent out earlier this week:
From: Citizen Link [mailto:citizenlink@FAMILY.ORG]
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 5:33 PM
To: LinkMembers@LISTSERV.FAMILY.ORG
Subject: Daily Update – June 29, 2004CITIZENLINK
June 29, 2004========================= EDITOR’S NOTE:
Write Michael Moore — at Home — with Your Opinions of “Fahrenheit 9/11”Filmmaker Michael Moore, writer/director of the new Bush-bashing documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11,” has made quite a career out of marketing himself as a man of the people, a populist everyman who fights passionately for the little guy.
That’s why we wanted to make sure “little guys” could let Moore know exactly what they think about his new movie.
So, if you have an opinion about the film — in which Moore plays fast and loose with the facts to build a case that President Bush is an idiot and the war in Iraq is all about oil profits — we suggest you send it to the following address:
Michael Moore
[address withheld by Carpetbagger]That’s his home — a condominium this man of the people, so critical of capitalism, spent $4.5 million on seven years ago. And please don’t worry that it’s wrong to use this address; it’s public record, obtained through New York State mortgage records and Federal Election Commission filings.
This is almost certainly not what Jesus would do.
I realize political debate can arouse strong feelings, but everyone has to leave home addresses out of this. There’s just no place for personal intimidation and/or coercion towards an opponent’s home.
If Focus wants people to boycott Moore’s multimedia message, fine. If they want to protest in front of movie theaters showing his movie, more power to ’em. But for Focus on the Family, which falsely sells itself as a champion of morality, to distribute Moore’s home address to millions of its fundamentalist followers is way past the line of decency.
Just to be clear, I oppose any and all of these stunts. Earlier this year, hundreds of protestors showed up at Karl Rove’s home to “talk” to the Bush advisor about the White House education policy. The police removed them, of course, but they shouldn’t have been there to begin with. Trying to intimidate someone in their private residence is just wrong.
Those who are responding by trying to publicize Focus President James Dobson’s home address are sadly missing the point. If it’s irresponsible for Focus to do this, it’s equally irresponsible for Focus’ critics to do this.