Cameras Aimed at Ending Sex Acts

NewsChannel 5 (WTVF - TV) Nashville, TN ^ | March 6, 2006 | WTVF - TV

[DBeers]

You might expect to see cameras taking pictures of beautiful scenic shots at a park. But installing surveillance cameras to prevent lewd behavior would be a first for the city.

Last year, nearly 300 people were cited for indecent exposure in various Metro parks.

So common are the complaints, it's earned Cedar Hill a reputation.

"This is about families taking their children to feed the ducks in the afternoon and being accosted by men doing things that you and I wouldn't even talk about on TV,” said Metro councilman Michael Craddock.

But that hasn't stopped the talk at city council meetings, where members unanimously approved surveillance cameras for parks to prevent public indecency, stopping public sex acts.

"Deviants. That's what these are. There's sexual deviance and you know Cedar Hill Park is listed on national Web sites for homosexual behavior as a place to go for an encounter,” Craddock said.

Cedar Hill is one of three parks that will get the new cameras.

That's where Lisa Osburn walks her dogs twice a week.

"It's hard to stop people from doing what they're going to do if they want to do it bad enough,” Osburn said.

That kind of persistence has kept police busy. Last June undercover officers arrested 12 people at the park for indecent exposure.

And last fall, 92 arrests were made for similar offenses. New surveillance cameras have some critics, but parents who bring their children to play at the park said it's about time.

"When you go out in a public place, I don't think, and when it's got to do with kids, I don't think it's infringing. Not when that kind of reputation's been developed. No,” resident Tom Terry said.

A reputation both parents and city leaders want changed.

"At some point, we're going to take the park back and give it to the people that own it. We're not going to let these deviants have this park,” Craddock said.

The cost for 10 to 15 cameras will be around $20,000. Cedar Hill, Hamilton Creek and Two Rivers will be the first parks to get them.

Cameras are likely to be installed in 60 to 90 days. The parks board is waiting on funding

[bayourant]

Ok you have a point as to that definition of homosexuality. However I think as a practical matter its not a good working definition. ALot of its cultural. For instance I read an entertaining entry on a milblog recently from a guy in Iraq. He had a Iraq American as an interpretor. One days the American troops were discussing that there seemed to be alot of weird homo stuff going on in Baghdad with alot of the arab men. Well the Iraq Americans guys response was classic. He stood up earnestly and with much gravity said "There are no Homosexuals in Baghdad" Well this became sort of a funny line for the troops to use in that unit when times were tough. You know the food sucks, its hots, the Arab govt officials are exasperating, and "there is no Homosexuals in Baghdad.
Now this is the point. An interesting discussion happened in the bloggers comment section. A alot of guys said hell yes there is queer stuff going on in Iraq. But to the Iraq and Arab mind to even say such a thing is unthinkable. Its there but not discussed. I have a theory its much like the Roman and Greek soldiers we read about. It happened but it was not viewed as an orientation. In the end the culture demands in a implicit way that they grow up and out of it and be family guys.

[al baby]

or log onto free republic

[gidget7]

We wouldn't be shocked. These people have been going for shock value for years, first toward their families, then the public, when families was no more of a challenge.

Oh and also, if they are doing homosexual sex acts, they are homosexuals. Straights DO NOT perform homosexual sex.

It's again, to heterosexuals, sex is something they do. To homosexuals sex is something they are.

[festus]

"This is about families taking their children to feed the ducks in the afternoon and being accosted by men doing things that you and I wouldn't even talk about on TV,”

This could all be fixed if they'd just let Cheney go duck hunting there for a while.

[spikeytx86]

In there defense, unfortunately I know alot of straight teen aged girls and guys who act the same way. Though perversion is much much more prevalent among gays, sadly its a becoming a much more common and excepted behavior of both straights and gays.