For weeks, I’ve written and then deleted my thoughts on the strip club issue. One of my concerns was that no matter how fair I tried to be, I was going to elicit nasty, on-line comments from people who half-read a column and then attack the parts they find offensive.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. And, as Destin’s prima donna “fuddy duddy,” I’m sharing mine.
On the one hand, I’m all for First Amendment rights and the basic freedom of drunken, stupid fools to leer at gyrating, half-naked dancers. I also hate the idea of paying extortion to obnoxious people to go away, and I believe the place may have gone out of business anyway (like the doomed Club Overboard/ Twisted Palm).
But, more compelling, I believe in the rights of quiet-living residents, businesses, and church goers NOT to have the detrimental effects of a sexually explicit business in their midst.
It’s like, yes, you have the self-destructive right to smoke, but don’t be sitting next to me when you do it. It stings my eyes and nose and isn’t good for my lungs.
Having followed and supported the anti-strip club resolve of the Citizens for a Greater Destin, I’ll share their response to the recent controversy that followed the city council’s financial settlement with the club’s developers:
Our constitutional authors could have never foreseen the day that an adulterated interpretation of the First Amendment would result in a strip bar. When did freedom of speech get so twisted? With rights come responsibilites. At what point do judges draw a line in the sand and say that freedom of speech does or does not extend to lap dances and stripping for money in a public forum?
It is our priviledge to be citizens of the United States where the First Amendment protects our freedom to speak up, whether conforming or controversial, free from persecution. In the United States, we are also blessed with the variety to have geographic areas that reflect the local community’s “personality.” Those reflections range from very liberal to very conservative.
The United States founding forefathers believed in the Power of the People. Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Citizenship is not only a right but a duty. Complacency and apathy are killers. The greatest parts of this nation are the communities of families and businesses. We must all participate and take active roles in our schools, government, and community events to ensure that they will continue to be a reflection of our local and regional values. This is what occurred in Destin, Fla.
The cliché, “There is a time and place for everything,” is appropriate here. When the proposed strip club purchased the property directly across the street from neighborhoods, near a children’s park and church, directly in the path of children getting off school busses, it was shocking. Not one person can argue that this is the proper venue for this type of business. Would there have been as much community push back had it been on Highway 98? There wasn’t a choice. Ten years ago, the city council voted Industrial Park zoning the only place a strip club could operate. The city of Destin is so small, that Industrial Park is located across the street from two neighborhoods; next door to another, is a block away from Main Street, and has seven medical clinics on the front road. When adopting sexually oriented business zoning, the council first added six pages that detailed the horrible, detrimental, secondary, adverse effects that sexually oriented businesses have on surrounding communities.
Free enterprise is another right that we enjoy as Americans. The City of Destin bought a product. They purchased back the Settlement Agreement of 2010. The purchase price was exceedingly decadent, but ultimately priceless. The payment came from city unassigned reserve funds. George Washington said, “Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.”
Record setting crowds showed up at City Hall January 2014, providing public testimonials, none of which were complimentary to strip clubs. They were not just against the location, but against that type of business in our beloved town we call home. It was and continues to be crystal clear that the majority of concerned citizens of Destin are dedicated to ensure the integrity and safety of Destin. The power of the people passionately supports a cause that defends our values. Because of this commitment, Destin protected and secured our future. We will continue to be a family friendly paradise that we can all be proud of!
Mary Ready of Destin is a twice-retired English teacher and long-time area resident. Her columns are published on Saturdays.