Strayhorn: Shut down the topless bars (Texas)

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF ^ | Thursday, April 22, 2004 | By Ken Herman and Michelle M. Martinez

[Vision]

I'd keep clubs in the shadows by not letting them advertise. No neon or sexual suggestive signs and only zone certain areas for their use.

[Blue Collar Christian]

"...and only zone certain areas for their use."

I knew you'd go there.

[Vision]

Don't you think you have to?

Here in Baltimore, there is one area of the city with a ton of strip clubs. Then there is this one club, on a main drag in the city near the Stadium. IMO, that one club shouldn't be so close to areas where families traffic.

[Blue Collar Christian]

Don't get me wrong, I don't want strip clubs anywhere. In 1971, when I was a kid, our family was on vacation, cross country with a camper trailer. When we were going up the coast from D.C. we had to pass through your lovely city and could not use the tunnel. We had to drive though that filthy section to use a bridge, and it was disgusting. We kids were age 6 through 15 and being from a very small town in the Mojave Desert, were not ready for what we saw.

No matter where these seedy joints are located, lots of families are stuck seeing them.

I work in an industrial zoned part of Van Nuys, CA, where there are two of these such units on our block, and only 1 block away form housing. I don't want these businesses anywhere near me or anybody's house, but could not see myself signing a petition from the neighborhood attempting to ban strip joints from the area. Noisey motorcycle shops could be the next business being banned from their neighborhood, and that would be ME!

I'm funny that way.

[Vision]

All I'm asking for is for common sense decency to return to the country.

[Blue Collar Christian]

Is this where we start? Alot more "families" see TV constantly, and more of that than anything else that is perfectly disgusting, and it's right in our livingrooms.

I see your point, and want decency in America as much as anyone else, I just don't see safety in censorship, or or any other excuse for making MORE laws.