NPN’s Jendi Reiter reviews an essay by Sherry Lee Short, “Making hay while the sun shines: The dynamics of rural strip clubs in the American Upper Midwest, and the community response”. This essay is published in Christine Stark & Rebecca Whisnant, eds., Not for Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography (North Melbourne, Australia: Spinifex Press, […]
First Amendment
Letter to Gazette: “Restrictions can be placed on our constitutional rights”
Today’s Gazette publishes a letter to the editor from James J. Palermo of Florence. He writes,“Constitutionally protected rights are frequently regulated lawfully. For example, we have the right to bear arms, but we do not permit people to carry loaded guns within city limits, or to carry a handgun without a permit. While we have […]
Gazette Supports “Regulating porn stores”
The lead editorial in today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette throws its support behind recent efforts to regulate adult businesses in Northampton: Northampton is on the right track in using its zoning authority to discourage a proposed pornography shop from opening on King Street, but more work has to be done to ensure the city’s actions can […]
Yard Sign Gone Missing? We’ll Replace It Free
We’ve noticed several NoPornNorthampton yard signs have gone missing lately. Today we replaced our own sign for the second time. It would appear that in their zeal to defend free speech, some porn advocates have taken it upon themselves to censor us and those who agree with us.We are happy to replace any yard sign that […]
A Response to First Amendment Concerns
We would like to highlight an exchange of comments we had on 9/20 with “AC”. The points raised are substantially similar to those that appear in a 9/23 Gazette letter to the editor submitted by Peter Brooks.AC wrote:Your point of view, Nopornnorthampton, may be right in many respects. But pornographic material does make a social statement that […]
A Response to “Censoring Pornography Is Counterproductive” (explicit)
“paco” suggested we read “Censoring Pornography Is Counterproductive”, so we did. Before we begin our analysis, we repeat that NPN does not advocate censorship or banning of any kind of speech, but believes in education and self-restraint. This article is written by Joseph C. Sommer, an attorney and “humanist”, as defined here on his website. […]
A Response to Wendy McElroy’s “Banning Pornography Endangers Women”
As part of his defense of porn, “paco” suggested we look at Wendy McElroy’s essay, “Banning Pornography Endangers Women”. NPN’s Jendi Reiter did so and offers this analysis. Before we begin, we reiterate that NPN does not advocate censorship or banning of any kind of speech. We do mean to educate people about the nature […]
Bringing Compassion to the First Amendment
Blogger Hugo Schwyzer is a “progressive Anabaptist/Episcopalian Democrat (but with a sense of humor), a community college history and gender studies professor, animal rights activist, ENFP Gemini, avid marathoner, aspiring ultra-runner, die-hard political junkie, and (still) the proud father of the most amazing chinchilla on God’s green earth.”On August 25, Schwyzer reprinted the post that […]
“Committed to finding a middle ground”
Kelsey Flynn writes about her experience at NPN’s August 2 public meeting on Your Stories Northampton: Since I recently moved within half a block of the proposed [King Street porn shop] site, I went to hear the latest…. At seven o’clock, the room was full with more than twenty-five people in attendance, some forced to stand […]
US Court of Appeals Upholds Minneapolis Regulation of Porn Viewing Booths
In 1990, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld “the constitutionality of a City of Minneapolis, Minnesota ordinance which: (1) prohibited the construction, use, design, or operation of a commercial building for the purpose of engaging in, or permitting persons to engage in, sexual activities which include high risk sexual conduct;[Footnote 3] […]