Although Congress has slowed its headlong rush to censor violence in the media, more legislation can be expected when the House and Senate return from recess after Labor Day. In the meantime, the drumbeat of demands for "voluntary" action by the producers and distributors of books, magazines, movies, recordings and video games continues. In July, former Education Secretary William Bennett and a number of U.S. Senators held a press conference to launch a petition campaign to pressure the media to adopt codes of conduct that "establish certain minimum standards for violent, sexual, and degrading material for each medium, below which producers can be expected not to go." (To see the so-called "Appeal to Hollywood," go to www.media-appeal.org.)

In reply, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and other members of the Free Expression Network (www.freeexpression.org) have issued an "Appeal to Reason" that warns against the danger of both government censorship and self-censorship. We urge you to read the Appeal and sign our petition to demonstrate to Washington that you oppose censorship in any form, www.freeexpression.org/reason.htm.