Adults only

Some communities have had enough. Enough of the moral bankruptcy, enough debauchery and enough violating the homey atmospheres that their communities portray.\nDale, Ind. will be working over the next few weeks to close the doors of an adult entertainment facility that refuses to shutdown, even after a Spencer County judge ordered it was in violation of city ordinance. The ordinance demands that establishments like The Adult Plaza not operate within 1,000 feet of churches, schools or homes. Advocates of the ordinance claim that the store does not adhere to the image and standards of a family-oriented community.\nA similar law is being challenged in Louisville that imposes strict regulations on adult entertainment facilities because of the assertion that they bring negative secondary effects such as drug use and violent crime. Opponents argue that the ordinance makes it financially impossible for such businesses in a market that is estimated to bring in a national revenue of four to $10 billion annually.\nMove now to our southwest Indiana home of Bloomington. The city and surrounding area contain several adult entertainment facilities that would be in thorough violation of Dale’s ordinance. From strip clubs to bookstores, if it’s adult entertainment you want, Bloomington’s got it. This situation raises the question, are college students in the 21st century morally bankrupt?\nThe driving force behind the restrictions in Dale and other cities comes from an adherence to perceived proper practices of raising a family. Much of the independent research having to do with pornography focuses on its effects on children. If those communities believe that the censorship of this sensitive material is necessary to achieve that end, their reason for protest is obvious. Though the First Amendment will protect the rights of The Adult Plaza and businesses like it, the voices calling the operations into question deserve to be heard. \nHowever, college students’ lack of morals is not the main cause for the high number of adult establishments in Bloomington. Rather the cause is that students, many of whom are single, are less likely to consider protecting their family to be a major concern. For them, academic or career-related issues are closer at hand. Another contributing factor is IU’s diversity, which has given birth to research facilities such as the Kinsey Institute, and likely correlates to more diverse forms of sexual expression. Students at IU either prioritize other issues or make a different judgment about the morality of sexual expression in those forms available.\nDale’s citizens believe the correct practice is to prevent the continued existence of The Adult Plaza. They face a serious battle with the First Amendment, no doubt. However, the IU community’s support of such shops (evidenced by the fact that they make enough revenue to remain in business) does not necessarily mean that its citizens are morally bereft. The communities merely view the establishments in different contexts.