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Editorial: Independence Day July 2nd, 2006
Editorial: Once Again... June 25th, 2006
Editorial: Home Ownership June 24th, 2006
Editorial: Mosquito Control in Cedar Key May 11th, 2006
Editorial: Will Gas Prices Go Up? April 30th, 2006
Editorial: Tree Ordinance Violations April 26th, 2006
Editorial: Why Worry about Global Warming? April 21st, 2006
Editorial: The Purpose of Government? March 23rd, 2006
Editorial: Air Boat Regatta, Guests or Pests? January 29th, 2006
Editorial: The East-West Management Plan December 21st, 2005
Editorial: Water, Water, Water December 13th, 2005
Editorial: Bad News for Print News, Good for Online November 14th, 2005
Editorial: A Bad Tradition November 10th, 2005
Editorial: For the Birds October 17th, 2005
Editorial: If It Killed the River.... October 4th, 2005
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The Obscenity Conundrum | The Obscenity ConundrumEditorial 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 has 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." Talk radio, Rock 104 includes the Lex & Terry program, broadcast from the University of Florida. Lex and Terry use presumably simulated sounds of flatulence and recommendation of giving offending 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, as will the City Commission 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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