Aileen Coe objects to the confusion of no and yes in this week’s Sophian, the Smith College student newspaper. A Maryland court recently overturned a rape conviction because the victim initially consented. Her subsequent withdrawal of consent was not considered sufficient to sustain the conviction. Coe quotes the court as saying, “It was the act […]
Continue reading Smith Sophian: “Definition of ‘no’ should not be debated in cases of rape”
[Updated: 3/4/07, 6/1/08] The official site for Nye County, Nevada contains a large trove of research on adult-use zoning and the secondary effects of adult businesses. This compilation of studies (PDF) spans a wide range of times and places in America, and we have augmented it here with links from Community Defense Counsel. Some highlights: […]
Continue reading Secondary Effects Across America: 1977-1999
From “Is it Safe to Walk? Neighborhood Safety and Security Considerations and Their Effects on Walking”, Journal of Planning Literature, February 2006 (p. 225): The importance of walking and physical activity as determinants of good health has been well established in the medical and public health literature, but a significant number of Americans live sedentary […]
Islip, NY published a detailed strategy and rationale for regulating adult businesses through zoning (PDF) in 1980. Here are some of their findings which have a bearing on Northampton’s new ordinances, especially the desire to keep downtown Northampton pedestrian-friendly: Planning relies heavily on public participation, both by federal government mandate and by professional standards. The principle […]
In the adult-use zoning ordinances approved by Northampton’s City Council on November 2, some of the justifications are to preserve Northampton’s pedestrian-friendly character: The City has historically valued the preservation and expansion of dense, safe, pedestrian-scale neighborhoods and development that enable residents to walk to school, services, recreation, and other activities. More specifically, such pedestrian-scale […]
Continue reading Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Bookends Porn Shop in Enfield
Strictly Speaking Spanking, a magazine on sale at Bookends of Enfield, calls itself “entertainment for consenting adults”. On reading the magazine, however, one could be forgiven for becoming confused about the role of consent in the entertainment. SSS publishes a letter from Allison in California: “David, don’t you dare spank me!” I shrieked, feeling only […]
Continue reading Punishment Porn: “Whether-She-Wants-It-Or-Not” (explicit)
Some people question the reality of secondary effects of adult businesses. NoPornNorthampton would like to present a summary of some of our research into this issue. Secondary effects have been seen in towns as large as New York City and as small as Kittery, Maine. These effects have been seen in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, […]
Wayne Feiden, Northampton’s Director of Planning and Development, has released final versions of several adult-use zoning ordinances for our city councilors to vote on tomorrow. We invite you to download the file and look it over:Adult-Use Zoning Ordinances – Final Draft of 10/31/06 (PDF)Some highlights: Establishments with porn viewing booths (private or semi-private) must be located in […]
As we noted in an earlier post, Hollywood moved to beef up its adult-use zoning in 1990 to respond to crime and economic blight. This Wall Street Journal article from 1997 underscores how hard it can be for neighborhoods to recover when adult businesses have concentrated there. Sex shops weren’t the only factor in Hollywood’s […]
Continue reading Why Hollywood Reached for Zoning: Crime, Business Failure, Tourists Fleeing
If you wonder where people get callous attitudes towards other groups and those who disagree with them, a good place to start is with cartoons like those found in Hustler. We are indebted to Nikki Craft and the Hustling the Left website for bringing these to our attention. These images are explicit and should only be […]