Kuharski
Mary Ann Kuharski, the organization’s director, said Prolife Across America’s board of directors supported her decision to cancel after she learned this year about the pay-per-view offerings from one of the organization’s supporters.
“For our organization to in any way support that kind of [pornographic pay-per-view] material is very inconsistent with our position to be supportive to families and to helpless or vulnerable people,” she said.
Kuharski said she was also disappointed to learn that the Carlson Corporation, which owns the Radisson, is a contributor to Planned Parenthood.
She has written letters expressing her objections to both the Radisson Hotel and Carlson Corporation.
Sending a message
The annual banquet was held at the Radisson in Roseville the last three years. The hotel was in a convenient location, offered an excellent catering service and was a place where some supporters could spend the night following the event, Kuharski said.
Father Tom Knoblach, pastor of Holy Spirit, St. Anthony and St. John Cantius parishes in St. Cloud and a member of the Prolife Across America advisory board, said he fully supports the decision to change locations.
“It says that the connections and involvements of corporations matter to an educated public,” he said. “We have the right to choose our own involvement with those corporations, to send a message by where we spend our money and what kinds of alignments we choose.”
Christine Klaesges, a member of the Prolife Across America board of directors and a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, said she also supports the decision.
“We’re getting a lot of good feedback,” she said. “It was hard to change tracks when you’ve got something else set, but now we’re all set and ready to go, and we’re really happy we changed venues.”
Scott Henning, general manager of the Roseville hotel, said pay-per-view adult channels are included in a package from the hotel’s cable provider. He added that offering the movies as a choice for guests has not been an issue in the past, but the Radisson will now take another look at its cable contract.
“We have contacted our provider and asked them about it, to see if they were willing to drop that package with our lineup,” he said. “They may or may not; if they do not, we may have to play out the term of our agreement and take a look at it when the new agreement comes into play,” he said.
Online help
To help consumers, the Web site cleanhotels.com allows people to search and book hotels that do not offer pay-per-view pornography.
About 10,000 to 12,000 hotels are included on the Web site. But the prevalence of hotels that offer pay-per-view pornography is estimated to be at least as high.
Chris Myer, who works for a technology company that helps with cleanhotels.com, said LodgeNet, which is one of the main providers of premium movie services including, pay-per-view pornography, serves more than 10,000 hotels in the United States.
He believes that pay-per-view pornography is offered in most of the hotels that use LodgeNet’s services.
“We realize that there are travelers, whether with their families or traveling for business purposes, who want to stay in a facility that does not offer the hardcore pay-per-view pornography that many hotels offer today,” said David Miller, vice president of public policy for Citizens for Community Values, of which cleanhotels.com is a project.
“Not only do they not want the temptation, they do not want other guests viewing this type of material and possibly creating a safety risk for them,” he said.
In addition, many hotel patrons do not want the risk that their children will accidentally access pay-per-view pornography, he said.
The “Culture of Love” banquet is a fundraiser that brings pro-life supporters together and builds enthusiasm for the cause. This year, it will feature a keynote speech by Archbishop John Nienstedt.
Prolife Across America is a non-profit organization that promotes pro-life messages through billboard, television, radio and newspaper advertisements.
For more information about Prolife Across America or the banquet, call (612) 781-0410, or visit www.prolifeacrossamerica.org.
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