If the words like “fuck” and “cunt” are perfectly legal under the first amendment, then why aren’t they allowed to be repeated on television? The people that decide what is decent on television are mostly the people that watch it themselves, not the industry themselves. The same could be said about zoning laws in the adult industry. Who makes the rules for “A Test” and how does a group of people agree on what is considered decent or right and wrong?
Zoning laws cannot get rid of adult establishments they can only restrict them. However, at a certain point, there can be too much of a restriction on where they can be placed because of complaints by neighboring people. For example, a school I can see to be a place where you might not necessarily want one of these establishments, but a bar or pub is a different story. I would consider a school to be much more significant than a bar.
There are also “Adverse Secondary Effects” that make it so you cannot outlaw any of these establishments without negative evidence. Through the first amendment, you can say anything and cannot restrict content. In addition, you can outlaw speech but you can’t outlaw the outcome.
One example of this was the non-porn obscenity issue with a music song back in the 1980’s. When the jury had to read aloud the lyrics of the song being prosecuted, they laughed and dismissed the case.
Sometimes the indecency level can go too far. People think that they can change the law for their own interest when it is going against amendments. There are many things supported by the first amendment like nude dancing and speech that people don’t agree with. However, it is not their right to go against something that is written in stone.
April 14, 2006 at 12:44 am
[...] After reading aslsblog, I agree with what they say about how words like fuck and cunt can not be said on television. Even when people say them in public they are seen as disrespectful and people do not like to hear them. I feel like if the person is going to say it on the television they might as well let us here it, it is not like we don’t know what is being said. I agree that zoning laws can’t get rid of adult entertainment, but I think it is appropriate to have. There are just some places that you shouldn’t have adult establishments near, such as schools, churches and in family neighborhood areas. I don’t really know why you would want to put them in places like that, but they shouldn’t be! [...]