Dear Editor,
It really doesn't surprise me that Abercrombie and Fitch would directly attack the values of BYU students and alumni. This is a perfect example of calling good evil and evil good. I asked my kids to boycott A&F last year after a business associate informed me of their advertising practices that stink of 'kiddie porn.' His high school son was approached with a substantial modeling contract offer for the A&F catalogue. They enticed the son with the lucrative offer and then got the son to approach the parents with them. The catch: The modeling contract requires three-fourths nudity of all models in the catalogue.
Mind you, these are high school kids doing the modeling. I can't say that my somewhat liberal business associate was 'appalled' by the concept, but it did make him stop and discuss anti-'child pornography' laws with me. Now the parents are in the awkward position of helping their son weigh the benefits of modesty versus a substantial check that would more than cover college and likely even graduate education, as well as establishing a lucrative modeling career.
Shortly after this, CNN Headline News had coverage regarding A&F thong underwear for pre-teens with sexually suggestive phrases on them. Interestingly, I could find no record of the story on the CNN Web site. The following official release from the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina is the best synopsis of the A&F problem that I have read: http://www2.state.il.us/ltgov/StopAandF-SC.htm
The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois has even created a Web site called 'Stop A&F': http://www.stopaandf.com/
Perhaps A&F's targeting of BYU's values will open the eyes of the students and alumni to what A&F is and has been actively doing to negatively influence the values of America's youth. Maybe we will also see less A&F clothing on campus as a result.
Grant Whittle
Jacksonville, Ala.