Perils of Censorship and Pornography

Re the “Stanton Anti-Porn” editorial of Feb. 5: I am in complete disagreement with the implication that pornography is more desirable than “misguided efforts to restrict it through censorship.” And that the “biggest threat to the community is the city’s attempt at censorship.”

A far greater threat to the city of Stanton, and every other city in our nation, is the threat of the crime, disease and human degradation that pornographic “sex shops” contribute to the community. Even the most casual observer in any city that is tolerant of pornography stores can see clearly evidence of the drugs, prostitution (both heterosexual and homosexual) and blatant crime that occurs in the regions in which the stores are located.

If the city is intolerant to the first business that wishes to profit off this perversion of marital sexual intimacy, then there is no encouragement to other businesses to follow suit and set up their establishments. It was a travesty of justice that took away the right of the city of Stanton to preserve itself as a city of decency.

Whether or not the material a store sells is pornographic is the question and the danger. To demonstrate the truth of this, simply tour any city’s “combat zone,” the porn retailers. Ask the city’s police department if it feels there is no danger.

ERIC R. SNYDER

Westminster