Is it just me or do people who protest adult bookstores deserve the "Biggest Douche in the Universe" award? Couldn't they find something more hazardous to worry about, like those edgy and in-your-face flyers for local bands stapled to telephone poles?

If the places didn't look so smutty they might attract more conservative business. Then again people need to stop being so uptight, it shouldn't be a big deal, it's not a strip club nor a whore house - it's pron and toys'n such. Oh the horror!

It wouldn't feel so taboo or smutty if society didn't make it that way.

I prefer to shop online personally, but being able to see the product up close helps. Though granted I don't find much that I like in adult shops, I prefer to go to zetacreations.com for some animal related stuffz... >;)

Mmkay, time for my twopence, or something. I skimmed, but admittedly didn't read every post, so sorry if I'm repeating arguments.

I've been following this story with some interest, since the right and left seem to be fighting over who can make the most noise about it. This little Libertarian happens to believe that those yelling on both sides are making arses of themselves. The free market will prevail. If you want sex toys and porn without popups and spam, or even if you just want to make a show of support, by all means, shop at this place and support them.

If you believe this shop is a slippery slope that will end in tears, or a bloodbath, or your hometown degrading into a wretched hive of scum and villainy, then don't shop there. Simple as that, the market will decide if the shop survives or not.

Oh, and I do tend to lean the direction of the Right-Wing nutjobs in most cases... I'm rather conservative. In fact, the little woman and I have some very good friends, a staunch Repulbican couple who also happen to be devout Christians. The four of us frequent our city's sex shops quite often. A good sexual relationship is essential for a healthy union, and I personally believe what gets you and/or your partner off is your own business. Most conservatives I know will readily agree.

Now I don't know, but I would tend to speculate that perhaps the location isn't secluded enough to suit most people's consciences. In other words, it's not that people don't want the shop, they just don't want the awkward moment of seeing a chum or relative there... or being the aforementioned chum or relative, clutching a baggie of naughty goodness as you duck behind cars in the parking lot to avoid wary glances.

In any case, there's my take. Oh... and the protestor with the "Porn Contributes to Child Abuse" sign? I think perhaps this guy's got it the wrong way round. Child Abusers Contribute to Porn. That's more accurate. Hey, gets them all in one place, they're easier to corner, eh law enforcement officials?

All done! Toodles :)

ha I didnt know such a place existed

/lives in red state-like Grand Rapids, MI
//Grew up in conservative dutch home
//Grateful he didnt turn out like his parents

Hi, I'm a red-state republican kind of guy, and I'd just like to say I'm in favor of porn/sextoy shops, and the fundies can go fark themselves. Thank you drive through.

jst3p
It isn't the quality of strip clubs in Tampa that bothered me, it was the quantity.

(sigh) Yeah, I've been to a few strip clubs like that...

Well, I suppose I should have been more accurate and said the majority does not always win everything, nor should it. Rather, the contents of a community will end up being a fairly accurate reflection of the community. If 5% of the community likes sex and their business can keep a store open, then that's that. 5% won't be able to support a sex shop on every corner, and one tiny sex shop serving 5% won't turn your town into a seedy sex capital. And I think you might be able to find a way to avoid the one small sex store in your area. And if your area is ridden with sex shops, then it is pretty safe to assume that you are a tiny prudish minority and should move if it so offends you. Which leads me to....

Where have you compromised, since you seem to claim nobody will?
This pretty much sums up the two sides:
You:
No sex stores.

Sex shops:
Allow sex stores to open and allow the demand of the public to decide whether they can stay in business.
Stores do not display "offensive" objects in public.
Stores require you to be an adult to enter.
Stores put merchandise in bags so that the "offensive" items are not easy visible in public while the person puts them in their trunk.

Nobody is asking for public sex demostrations or dildo vending machines on street corners. If anything I see far, far, far more compromise from the side that supports sex shops. You don't even see the stuff that offends you, rather you are just offended at the idea that people use those things.

LowTech: dildo vending machines on street corners.

That's a lot of quarters!

I think one thing to keep in mind about situations where a community wants to keep their area what they consider "classy" is that it is much easier to not shop somewhere, then it is to want to shop somewhere that has been outlawed.

Abortions;
Legal: Those who think it's wrong, can decide to not have one. Those who feel they need it, can get one
Illegal: Those who think it's wrong, can decide to not have one. Those who feel they need it, cannot get one

Porn;
Legal: Those who don't want it, won't buy it. Those who want it, can buy it
Illegal: Those who don't want it, won't buy it. Those who want it, cannot get it

Church;
Legal: Those who don't want to go, don't need to. Those who want to go, can go
Illegal: Those who don't want to go, don't need to. Those who want to go, cannot.

Piercings/Body art;
Legal: Those who don't want to get pierced/inked, won't. Those who want to, will.
Illegal: Those who don't want to get pierced/inked, won't. Those who want to, can't.

Scented candle shops;
okok you see my point...

As far as the current topic, I think it should depend on the situation. How close is the shop to a school/homes? How discrete is their name? Is it "ADULT MEGA SEX EMPORIUM" with 40 foot letters that glow bright neon pink, or "Adam & Eve"?
To me, the first name is smutty, the second one sounds like it has a bit of class... but maybe that's just me.

I mean...Roe. Vs. Wade is over...it's decided...abortion is legal. Why don't you anti-abortion people just realize that the decision is made.

It's probably a good thing that the people who were against slavery and seperate but equal didn't subscribe to your kind of reasoning.

piercedgeek:

Does simple logic escape you? Of the four items on your list, three deal with what one does to oneself. Which one is not like the others?

jst3p

"class" was the wrong term. What I meant was "respect for the people around you".

While I may think that talking about a big black dildo with a friend is fine, we wouldn't do it loud enough for others to hear us in a public place.

Now you're talking about limiting your own freedom of speech out of "respect" for the people around you??

What do you think about couples making out in public? Or gays kissing in public?

You probably find that pretty distasteful right? There is nothing wrong with it except in the minds of religious nuts. Just admit you're a conservative prick and be done with the arguing already.

And if your area is ridden with sex shops, then it is pretty safe to assume that you are a tiny prudish minority and should move if it so offends you.

Interesting comment. If I were to say "If you want more sex stores, you should move to a community that embraces them more" how would you reply?

You:
No sex stores.

Sex shops:
Allow sex stores to open and allow the demand of the public to decide whether they can stay in business.
Stores do not display "offensive" objects in public.
Stores require you to be an adult to enter.
Stores put merchandise in bags so that the "offensive" items are not easy visible in public while the person puts them in their trunk.

First of all I never took the stance that there should be no sex stores.

Secondly if the sex stores were to follow those guidelines I would have no problem with them.

Thirdly I never said that I was offended by the idea that people use "those things".

If you want to have a discussion please stop putting words in my mouth.

What bothers me, and I have said this before in this thread, are the billboards and sinage that accompany the strip clubs and sex toy stores that I have seen in the Tampa area (which is my only relevant personal experience). They are everywhere and they make the community feel "smutty".

The store in this particular article probably wouldn't bother me, unless I was the owner of that Quiznos. I would be in favor of some kind of zoning laws that let a store owner know that some day his business might be next to a sex toy store. At least then if I thought it would negatively impact my business I would be able to choose a different location for it, in a not adult toy store zone.

Compromise is: Respect my desire to not have what I consider to be offensive material shoved in my face, and I will respect your desire to sell and buy what I consider to be offensive.

It isn't about "rights" it is about being a respectful member of your communitiy.

Now you're talking about limiting your own freedom of speech out of "respect" for the people around you??

What do you think about couples making out in public? Or gays kissing in public?

You probably find that pretty distasteful right? There is nothing wrong with it except in the minds of religious nuts. Just admit you're a conservative prick and be done with the arguing already.

It is fun to make assumptions out of the blue.

Just because we have the right to free speech, does not mean we always have to excercise it.

There is a thing called "context" and it separates the asshats from the people who want to coexist peacefully.

I CAN go to a memorial day service and burn the American Flag. If I choose not to I am not "limiting my freedom of speech", I am just choosing not to excercise it.

ilyag
There's a chance you don't see the point I'm trying to make. In most situations (most, not all) it is far more fair to allow people to CHOOSE if they want to buy/do something, rather than make it illegal.
All of the above should be left up to the choice of the individual, and not wiped off the face of the earth due to the loudest minority.

LowTech: dildo vending machines on street corners

That would kick ass.

"LowTech: dildo vending machines on street corners

That would kick ass."

Yeah, I am sure it could do that too.

jst3p:

The store in this particular article probably wouldn't bother me, unless I was the owner of that Quiznos. I would be in favor of some kind of zoning laws that let a store owner know that some day his business might be next to a sex toy store. At least then if I thought it would negatively impact my business I would be able to choose a different location for it, in a not adult toy store zone.

The problem with that: Almost any politician that wanted to keep his/her job would only allocate adult-store-free zones. Gotta play the "protect the family" angle regardless of the actual constituency.

Compromise is: Respect my desire to not have what I consider to be offensive material shoved in my face, and I will respect your desire to sell and buy what I consider to be offensive.

Again, it boils down to "what is offensive"? Some atheists are offended when they have to park next to a bigass church with huge crosses and signage just to go to the grocery store. Should the churches be required to scale back or relocate to a "church zone"?

It isn't about "rights" it is about being a respectful member of your communitiy.

I agree, but "respect" is just as subjective a term as "class".

khatchaturian: Does my hand count or that shower massager?


I'm withholding judgement until you provide us with more details.

moerty:

thanks to porn i found out that my ex was attracted to lesbian sex, everytime it would be a girl on girl scene she'd ask me to do "something" to her.

one thing led to another and the next thing i knew we were picking up girls toghether.

Yes, go on...

Chuck_The_Plant:

Preferably somewhere warm and relatively non-party oriented aka not panama city esque. my girlfriend has been getting on my ass about making reservations


The Ft. Myers area has a decent airport and a few different kinds of beaches (i.e. some for spring breakers and some old farts)

Needs an pwned tag, BIGTIME!

Compromise is: Respect my desire to not have what I consider to be offensive material shoved in my face, and I will respect your desire to sell and buy what I consider to be offensive. It isn't about "rights" it is about being a respectful member of your communitiy

This is why those same billboards that you're complaining about don't show full frontal nudity. They are "respecting" your communities standards for advertising which a fair because all businesses are held to the same standard.

Where your hypocracy is showing, is the point you skipped over. Couples kissing in public offends your type of people. Yet you wont go so far as to ban kissing in public because you'd have to acnowledge how confining your rules would be.

Sex shops are evil! As a former employee of one, I was repeatedly assaulted by genetically impared sex freaks, such as this one guy who liked to rent movies of busty women for his neighbor while he sucked him off, or this one ignorant little gay guy who kept trying to grab my crotch until I headbutted him and threw him headfirst onto the asphalt. I'm 240 lbs by the way, so you just don't fark with me. Or this funny fat guy who is always at the strippers drinking his one warm beer all night and never tipping girls, who would come to buy bizarre sex toys "for his friend" who was "too shy to come here", and would come back to return them the next day because they "weren't good enough" or he "didn't know how to clean them". So I advertised his address and phone number in various gay/bi magazines as a prostitute.

Yeah, sex shops are evil, but only because of the people who work there ;) but protestors are MORE evil. These jealous sheep should be shot on sight, that way they can visit their beloved God and Jesus sooner. It's not like they're having hot sex in the meantime anyways!

Oh man.... if there was a dildo vending machine, you know you're going to march up to that bad boy with the crispest dollar bill you have.... even better what happens when a dildo gets stuck in the machine.... could you imagine getting caught shaking the dildo machine.... good bye dignity.... and now for a little dildo vendning machine theatre:

Fade In:

Charlie ambles up to his local dildo vending machine with his best friend Steve. Charlie begins to inspect the machine.

Charlie: Oh man.

Steve: What?

Charlie: Why do they always put the good ones in the very back?

Steve inspects the machine.

Steve: Dude, I don't know. Maybe it's some sort of Dildo Vending Guy conspiracy.

Charlie: Oh, well... I guess I'll just go with, uh, E-5.

Steve: Yeah, that one always satisfies.

Charlie: And it's packed with nuts!

Charlie and Steve walk off giggling.

Fade out.

HEY! That's a picture of the guy who sucked me off in the video booth in the back of the store! I know a celebrity!

ColSlade1: could you imagine getting caught shaking the dildo machine.

Could you imagine the hilarity of the ER and the cops when they all have to collaborate in rescuing your flattened, broken, blue-balled ass from under the dildo vending machine you just tipped onto yourself?

What was the bad part about this again?

They should just park their cars in the car park, around the street and then in every spare inch of ground in a 3 block radius, also send a bunch of people in to browse loudly("Oh look, its a double ended 4 Footer!! I need one of these since Raoul left me last month..."), that way he can't tow their cars as they can claim to be customers, regardless of their intent to purchase.

Not having a functioning carpark for his customers would probably screw him over faster than protesting every day ever would.

I'd say good press, but not necessarilly good for buisness. Lots of people would be a little gunshy about passing protestors to get into the porno shop.

Lady Skank'nstein sez porno shop is gooder place to find Nipple Clamps and "Rubber" Pants for Mr. LOBO

I'm still working on forming a religion based on sexuality. And no, I don't mean the O.T.O. or Golden Dawn, either. Crowley was a freakjob.

I live about 5 miles from this store.

1.) At the most there are about 8 people out with protest signs with some of the dumbest things written on them.

2.) The A&E store is about the same size as the church (very small) Have no idea where the day care is.

3.) The A&E is in a strip mall along side a Golf Pro Shop, Quizzno's, Pizza Place and a Good Will Store. Its the smallest store out there. Bigger Strip malls are planned for that area. So, I guess no one in the business world cares.

If these people are worried about the future of our area, they should be biatching about of beaches. Thanks to Pres Bush, all of the fed funding to fix the beaches from the hurricanes has been cut. They are in sad shape and will hurt us far more than this little pron shop.

jst3p:

Respect my desire to not have what I consider to be offensive material shoved in my face, and I will respect your desire to sell and buy what I consider to be offensive.

It isn't about "rights" it is about being a respectful member of your communitiy.

I have a feeling that forcing your moral beliefs on neighbors who may not share them might not be regarded as 'being a respectful member of your community'.

jst3p, you have an extraordinary logical disconnect. You actually say, "Look, I'm a very tolerant guy! I'll let you live any way you want, just so long as you're classy and nobody finds it offensive and you are respectful to people who spend all day telling you that you're evil & going to hell and keep it outside of town and don't make the fact of your existence public and don't violate my totally arbitrary standards of decency and don't disrupt the perfect Disney-esque quality of my life".

Hello? Anybody home? Anybody? Bueller?

Every sigle argument I've seen you make could just as easily be applied to half the items in the bathroom aisle at the grocery store. I am not the least bit alone in finding the brainwashing that goes on in churches to be offensive, should I be able to get them banished to the outskirts if I can round up a few dozen people to picket one? You keep bandying about phrases like "respectful", "decent", "classy", and acting as if they are completely self-explanatory rules of public display. But you can't define them any better than the FCC can, and look at what a bang-up job they've done. The entire exercise is egotistical masturbation; that you are a prude does not make you the final judge on what everyone else can do.

anyone else notice that these drivers are making over $58,000 a year?
I'm in the wrong line of work, yeish.

and this would be the wrong thread, sorry about that, damn you firefox and your tabbed browsing!

Why are so many on this thread against jst3p. He's actually the first moderate I've ever seen on these boards. He talks about taste and class, and you take it to mean stifling freedom of speech. Yet you know that your freedom of speech is already stifled by society. Unless, of course, you are seen as a psychotic freak whenever you go out.

I will come out and say I am a moderate conservative. I don't like porn. When I was younger, it actually turned me on, but now that the shock value is gone, it no longer phases me. But I was addicted to it, and it wasted my time to no end. So now I don't like it at all.

I am also a Christian, but I believe that if the Bible didn't say something was wrong, then it isn't wrong. Porn was never mentioned in the Bible. So I can't say it is wrong. But it can lead to lust, i.e. wanting something you can't have. That just leads to an unfulfilled life.

As for sex shops? I definitely don't see anything wrong with them. The only thing I would like to see is that if a majority of people didn't like it, then it would have to get torn down. I like the idea of democracy. Too bad, as many farkers have pointed out, we no longer live in one.

I blame porn.