Letter to the Editor
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Opinion@Gazettenet.com
Dear Editor:
Until the recent controversy over the effort by Capital Video to establish a business in Northampton, I took pride in being a long time citizen of this city, having seen over the decades many dramatic and positive changes in the culture and infrastructure, and have always taken pride in the city's values of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.
The recent opposition to Capital Video’s plans, and the Planning Board's recommendations of 'adult' ordinances, seem in direct opposition to our community's values, and serves to solidify my views that diversity, tolerance, and inclusion have been increasingly defined by the city's 'progressives' liberal circle. There is, in my opinion, rank hypocrisy and sanctimonious statements of opposition to Capital Video by the one-party liberal elite who try to enforce their views on others.
I am proud to have made the first unsolicited contribution to TalkBackNorthampton, a group that I believe is wise in its formulation of the issues, and appropriately raises the issues of unintended consequences on other businesses in Northampton. As a clinical social worker, I am concerned about fairness, diversity, and tolerance. Rank hypocrisy is exhibited when opponents of Capital Video use an elitist argument of "...anywhere but in my backyard...", ie. put the establishment away from the central business district. And, “...doing it for the children...” is, in my opinion, a tired old-saw that political liberals and conservatives, alike, have used for decades.
The article by Drs. J. Wesley and T. Boyd, professors of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, in addition to other scientific research on the effects of pornography, are well-founded. The arguments against pornography are not based in logic, reason, or statistics, but in demagoguery. Ideas and values have consequences, and I hope this fair city can sort them out in a positive manner.
Sincerely,
David Banas
71 Leonard Street
Leeds, MA 01053
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2 comments:
If Mr. Banas is seeking logic, reason and statistics, I invite him to visit NoPornNorthampton.org, where he will find over 75,000 words of it.
We specifically rebut the arguments of J. Wesley Boyd at
http://nopornnorthampton.org/2006/10/04/a-response-to-j-wesley-boyd-the-sexism-of-porn-critics.aspx
Since when did encouraging people to use and dump women, to tie them up whether or not they like it, to celebrate cheating, to counter communities' legitimate concerns with frivolous lawsuits, match up with Northampton's values?
Adult-use zoning is neighborhood-neutral. It seeks to put a buffer zone around certain adult uses and *all* homes. I can't think of a more fair way to do it.
The weight of public opinion strongly supports NoPornNorthampton's position. Our petition has garnered 1,172 signatures as of October 5. As of today, TBN's online petition has garnered 20 signatures.
Adam, assuming you are correct at about public opinion, you mean to say this issue of banishing objectionable ideas and expression to the outskirts of town should be ruled by the tyranny of the majority?
Is your petition a a scientific poll? And where people and lawyers would be shunned by a significant portion of the community if they were openly pro porn (as Andrew Sirulink points out in his missive published in the Gazette), how can you be sure the majority agree with you?
You can't think of alternatives that are more narrowly tailored because you do not want more narrowly tailored alternatives to be considered. You hate porn and can't stand the idea of it being in your neighborhood.
The sources you draw upon for your statistics are so suspect that your statments based upon them do not merit even being addressed. In your hate, you are faililng to be critical of your own source material.
David is a clinical social worker who must be a critical reader of the social studies he is presented with - I'd trust his judgment before yours, or are you an expert with the requisit creditials and etc. behind your name and I don't know it?
Yours/AC
Yours
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