Dr. Michael Pill is a Shutesbury attorney retained by Capital Video to help them establish a porn shop at 135 King Street. Northampton’s Planning Board approved Capital Video’s Site Plan on December 14, but many citizens still have concerns about how Capital Video will respect their interests. Here we ask Capital Video and Michael Pill […]
Continue reading An Open Letter to Capital Video Attorney Michael Pill
Robert Jensen and Gail Dines discuss the weak boundaries between some legal pornography and depictions of pedophilia in “The Content of Mass-Marketed Pornography”, from Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (1998, p.87-89). A subgenre of pornography sexualizes differences in age. Because of strict laws banning child pornography, actual children are almost never used in […]
Continue reading Some Porn Hard to Distinguish from Training for Pedophiles (explicit language)
One of our more prolific commenters says that raising awareness is overrated, and claims that “there are a lot of things you could be doing that would have a much greater impact than what you’re actually doing”. Another commenter questioned how much impact one blog in one small town can have. Don’t look now, but […]
Continue reading Raynham, MA Selectman: “If Northampton has done something, we will look at it”
Raynham, MA (population 12,000) hosts a Video X-tra Adult Superstore. The Enterprise, a regional newspaper, reports today: The business–the town’s only adult video store featuring closet-sized video “preview viewing” rooms–has become an indoor meeting spot for men seeking sex with other men, a Sunday Enterprise investigation has shown… Larry Ravech of Stoughton, one of the […]
Continue reading Raynham, MA: “Shock, outrage over sex acts in store”
Robert Jensen interviewed 13 convicted sex offenders in Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (1998, p.119-134), to investigate how porn influenced their thinking. All of them had viewed “hard-core pornography”–sex presented in graphic detail. The average age of first viewing was 12, with a range from 8 to 19. From about age 21 on, […]
Continue reading Robert Jensen: Influence of Pornography on Sex Offenders (explicit language)
Writing in Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality (1998), Robert Jensen addresses a tactic we’ve seen a lot of in Northampton’s porn debate. Because “science” has not yet conclusively shown a causal link between the use of pornography and sexual violence, some pornography supporters argue, no collective action is possible… I will simply assert […]
Calvert manages “the nation’s largest family of socially responsible mutual funds.” They refuse to invest in companies that produce harmful products or that conduct business in a harmful way. Calvert believes that consumers have a right to products and services that are safe, of high quality, and not harmful to them or society at large. […]
If a business is violating the law, one recourse for citizens is to complain to Northampton’s Office of the Inspector of Buildings. Here is the complaint form: Northampton Building Inspector Complaint Form (PDF, updated on 2/27/07) Forms should be filed in paper with the Building Commissioner, 240 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060. In the case […]
Continue reading Northampton Building Inspector Complaint Form
Today’s Republican reports on how Northampton Planning Board members voted at the December 14 hearing on Capital Video’s Site Plan. Board members Kenneth Jodrie, Paul Voss and Wilensky voted against granting site plan approval. Chairman Francis A. Johnson and members Keith Wilson, George Russell, Frances Volkmann and Kohout voted in favor. Jodrie said yesterday that […]
Today’s Gazette reports on the December 14 Planning Board approval of Capital Video’s Site Plan. “Planning Board members David Wilensky and Paul Voss said, despite [Capital Video attorney Michael] Pill’s assurances, they were concerned whether Capital Video would hold to the city’s prohibition on sexually explicit or suggestive window displays.” The Gazette notes that “Although […]
Continue reading Gazette: Residents Can Ask Planning Board to Reconsider Capital Video Decision