City's decency stripped down

Are you the type of guy who wouldn't mind a little topless entertainment?\nDanny Jordan, owner of newly established After Hours Topless Bar and Dance Club, is. And he's not ashamed to admit that he would rather have his son watching women dance in a liquor-free, smoke-free establishment than getting alcohol poisoning at a house party. \nThat's right. After Hours, due to problems obtaining the $40,000 necessary to install a sprinkler system required for a liquor license, is an 18-and-over establishment. This means all of those anxious freshmen looking for something interesting to occupy a Saturday night are free to take a gander at the wonders of half of the female body for a mere $10 cover charge and $5 minimum drink requirement (for soda and water). \n Some local officials have raised concerns about the location of Jordan's establishment. Nestled in at 213 N. Walnut St., less than a block from the Monroe County Courthouse, concerns exist that the strip club might lower the value of surrounding businesses. The opening of After Hours has prompted a close look at zoning regulations, none of which Jordan is violating. There are at least five other adult establishments in Bloomington, but none are as close to the heart of the City. \nBut Jordan wants us to remember that the topless club is only on the second story. The first floor is used as a smoke-free, alcohol-free underage dance floor -- a nightspot for those under 21 that offers a clean environment to have fun. One of the other benefits, Jordan claims, is for IU's female students to make a little cash beyond minimum wage. Many of his dancers are students. \nHere is a chance to see democracy versus morality in action. Part of the beauty of democratic capitalism is having the opportunity to open your own business or to patronize clubs like After Hours. And who's to say your neighbors are wrong for attending a strip club? What they do in their time is their business, and you don't have a right to control them. \nThe deeper issue is how having a strip club in the heart of Bloomington reflects on the City. Do we really want our man visitors strolling down Walnut to think that strip clubs are an important part of the culture of Bloomington? What businesses are located on the main strip of town says a lot about the values of the people who live in it. Strip clubs say that it's OK to leer at a woman's body, for a cost, instead of respecting her integrity. \nThere is nothing that can be done about After Hours now that it's up and running. A new ordinance banning the opening of strip clubs within so many blocks of the courthouse would only affect business owners that are looking to open up in the future. But at least it would do that. \nSo respect your neighbors' rights to attend a club and watch topless dancers, but if you see the moral outrage of allowing such establishments in the heart of your hometown, talk to your local officials and ask them to do something about it.\n-- Jessica Halverson for the Editorial Board