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April 13th, 2003

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March 11th, 2003

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February 28th, 2003

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December 29th, 2002

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December 15th, 2002

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December 4th, 2002

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November 27th, 2002

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October 10th, 2002

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August 15th, 2002

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July 26th, 2002

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July 17th, 2002

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July 3rd, 2002

Editorial: Water Management District Trying Its Best
June 26th, 2002

Editorial: Bribery and Misuse of Public Office
June 25th, 2002

Editorial: Police Officer`s Improper Conduct Case Fades Away
June 24th, 2002

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Editorial: The Obscenity Conundrum

Editorial: The Obscenity Conundrum

Editor

Obscene, adj., based on the Latin word for filth. 1. offensive to one`s feelings, or to prevailing notions of modesty or decency; lewd. 2. disgusting; repulsive.

Complaints from citizens of Cedar Key about allegedly obscene signs have inundated city hall recently. The stimulus of the complaints is the name of a yet-to-open restaurant on Dock Street. The complaints are an echo of complaints about the name of a chain of restaurants called Hooters. The name Hooters as well as the local instance have been judged to be insulting to women, disgusting and repulsive.

Debates about obscenity arise from content of radio programs, newspaper cartoons and works of art. Deciding what is legally obscene depends on "one`s feelings or prevailing notions of modesty, etc." Gainesville radio station Rock 104 includes the Lex & Terry program, a nationally syndicated show, in which Lex and Terry use presumably simulated sounds of flatulence and recommendation of giving women physical abuse. This passes for entertainment and airs despite complaints from Floridians. On the international scene, a Danish cartoon depicting Allah caused an outcry and death threats from offended Islamic people far from Denmark. These examples demonstrate the difficulty in getting a consensus of what is obscene. Locally it is hard, globally it is impossible.

The U.S. Supreme Court has great difficulty in deciding what is obscene. The Cedar Key City Commission plans to have the obscenity issue on the agenda of a meeting in the near future. The current sign ordinance may or may not be adequate to limit the contents of commercial signs. If the ordinance is unenforceable then it should be modified.

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