A sad note

[MK]

I was picking up some cool movies that you guys have recommended at my local video store. It is my policy not to patron BlockBuster because of their very effective agenda to wipe out all independent stores...and few of their other policies too.

Anyway...I have to drive across town past two of the fore mentioned evil empire stores to get to my local store. The problem is they have a large "adult" section behind some curtains. "Adult" is a poor adjective for smut. While I am perusing the classic motion pictures, endless numbers of men enter and leave the den of iniquity.

This is a very sad commentary on our culture. Morals and traditional American values are in a tail spin (no pun intended). Like the junkie, these men avoid eye contact on the way to getting their fix. Porn, like drugs are a temporary high or fix, that for a fleeting moment fill the void of loneliness. Of course the paper doll is no substitute for a real fulfilling relationship with your wife. But that takes work and commitment and smut is quick, cheap and easy.

I felt sorry for these guys. It wasn't because I think I am above it. I too am effected by the constant bombarment of sexual suggestion of billboards, movies, TV, magazine and every other form of media. I am a product of our culture too. That is why I understand their desire. The only difference is I see the influence for what it is and fight against it. I swim up stream against what liberal thought says is just "my business" or other equally warped sloguns like "everyone is doing it" or "What see doesn't know won't hurt her".

It is my belief that smut is poison to a man. It is a cancer that slowly eats away at your insides. It makes you weaker....not stronger.

I hate to see stores like this in my neighborhood. I think this will be my last rental there. I don't want to support that kind of business. I don't know where I will rent my classic movies now. I will have to drive even further to stand for my principles.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

....now back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[BD Jones]

:clap Well said my good man, well said.

 

[Skywlkrinc]

Personally I would rather rent from Blockbuster than give my business to a store that rents filth.:rage: I'm like MK in that I will go to the local rental place and steer clear of the large corporations. However, if the only local video store rented porn, I'd swallow my pride and go to Blockbuster. It's sad that the morals and values this country was founded on have been flushed down the proverbial toilet.

Luke

 

[ITG]

MK, BDJ, and skywlkrinc, it's good to know there are men of integrity out there. It's really disturbing that people actually buy into pornography and allow that seed to grow and poison them. I can tell ya from experience when you find out that the person you care about supports stuff like that, it can sting like a branding iron and make you utterly sick, not to mention destroy a relationship. A Poison, yes it is. MK, your wife and kids are blessed to have a man of integrity like you in their lives.

 

[MK]

Thanks for your kind and supportive words......but don't pat me on the back too much. I struggle like any other man. If it were not for Christ in my life, I would be standing in the same line with those guys.

I am glad to read that I am not the only one left who sees it to be the evil that it is. Thanks guys.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

I completely agree with you, MK. I've never heard an argument against that trash put so eloquently, or make so much sense. If it weren't for the Lord's love for me, I'd be in the same boat as those guys, too.

It's getting to the point these days that even regular cable has become so sexualized that there is almost nothing of value to watch on there. Pretty soon I'll be like Ned Flanders, saying: "298 channels of the devil's work, all of them blocked"

 

[LNBright]

You know, I hadn't thought about it, but I have no idea where in this area I could even find such a movie....

I suppose some people would "blame" it on being in a small backwater town in the Bible-Belt, but for me, I see it as a definite plus to being in a close-knit community.



-Leslie

 

[The_Edge]

Originally posted by MK
I am glad to read that I am not the only one left who sees it to be the evil that it is. Thanks guys.

Rest assured you are not. Your original post is exactly how I feel about the whole issue. Temptation and all. The devil is constantly whispering in our ears little choices and ideas here and there that if chosen will lead us away from our heavenly father. It's an ongoing war and, make no mistake, it is a war. I'm right there on the battle field with you my friend.

-Kyle

 

[mmarosy]

All I can add is that I'm so glad that I have a wife and family that I love and whom love and put up with me. They as well as my faith are my rock.

Mike

 

[Michaelson]

That's yet another reason many of us like the era we all discuss and enjoy, as during the 20's and 30's there were no crimes committed against the local citizenery anywhere. Even the hard core criminals had an unwritten code that all violence would be confined to the business at hand, and no citizen would be harmed if it could possibly helped. We've lost that type innocence during the age of 'enlightenment' that started in the late 50's onward, and by stages through this country. We now arrive at the state that soft porn even hangs from magazine racks in our grocery store check out lines, and don't blink an eye. Sad indeed. Regards. Michaelson

 

[The_Edge]

Originally posted by mmarosy
All I can add is that I'm so glad that I have a wife and family that I love and whom love and put up with me. They as well as my faith are my rock.

Mike

Amen!

 

[Bogie1943]

Morals, morals is a word that a lot of people these day do not store in their vocabulary and that indeed is very very sad. That's one of the great things about this group we have here, a group of people who have morals and good values. That's a part of the group that makes it so pleasent.:cool2:

 

[Chamorro]

We would all like to think that, armed with morality and common sense, we can tell what is pornography and what is not.

BUT

Who will be the the arbiters of what is appropriate or inappropriate for citizens to read or view? Who will watch the watchmen?

Not to pull out the oft-used Hitler card, but that sounds like Nazi tactics to me.

Pornography has been around ever since the first man scribbled on a cave wall. Legislating against ideas, which all pornography really is, is wrong. It is an intangible. It is not prostitution or abuse, which are physical acts, it's all in the mind. One can argue that women (and, God forbid, sometimes children) are exploited in that industry and, indeed, laws are on the books to prevent just that.

The market should decide if things like this should be around or not. Last time I checked, they aren't hurting. There are millions of people who consume this crap. Should one small group of people decide for the majority what ideas are right or wrong in a, supposedly, free society?

We have just gone through this very thing with the L.A. city council and their ban on strip clubs here.

How do you define pornography? How do you define art?

It's not that easy. Different people have different standards. Some people see a Michaelangelo, others see a lascivious painting. Some people see Ulysses as a great work of literature, others as a work of perversion. Some watch Lolita and think it's a great filmaking, others kiddie porn. Even the Bible has the Song of Songs. Take it out of context and I'm sure there are those who will think it is too racy.

I know no one here has suggested that we start a campaign to outlaw porn but this is how those well-intentioned but misguided laws start.

Bottom line is, each individual should be responsible for his own acts; his own morality or lack thereof.

For me, I'd rather not have book burnings. We've had too much fire here.

 

[Michaelson]

Well stated. It is indeed a matter of individual conscience and self determination. I'm sure we all enjoy those commercials about the town of 'Perfect', though, don't we? Seems like a nice place, but sadly, we will never get there.....we can try in our own way though...Good food for thought, Chamorro. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Chamorro]

Thanks Michaelson. BTW, "Senior Member?" That is too cool! Very appropriate. That was nice of MK to add that to your avatar.

Do you get a discount at Denny's with that?

 

[Michaelson]

I hadn't even noticed that! Let me tell a quick one on myself then....walked into a McDonalds recently and asked for a small coffee. The young lady smiled, and called out in the usual McDonald team type voice 'Yes sir, that's one senior coffee!' then hands me a HUGE cup. I stood there for a moment, not knowing whether to correct her or hit her with a chair, when she added 'That will be .85 cents, sir!' I looked at her, then at the HUGE cup she placed in front of me, handed her a dollar, mumbled 'thanks', and walked to the coffee pot. My wife STILL laughs about that one. All it took was that big cup to deflate my 'outrage' at the 'senior' sale crack. Oh well. (grins) Thanks MK, and you too, Chamorro! High regards. Michaelson

 

[MK]

That title has to do with the number of posts. It is the devault title that came with this board. I might have to change those to something more to do with the theme at some point.

It would be difficult to have a law regarding porn...but not impossible, yet I am not suggesting that a new law should be added.

As for market forces? Should we allow market forces dictate control of prostitution? I think we all know what the result of that would be. I think anyone would be hard pressed to try and say that porn stores and strip clubs are good for a community or neighborhood. Nobody other than a Larry Flint would do such a thing.

I think having a policy of go-peddle-that-smut-somewhere-else is a healthy policy. Perhaps that could be done through market forces. I suppose I could lobby the neighborhood via a flier urging people to not patron this place unless the lose the smut.

Also it should said that there is a gray area between art and porn....but that is very small. You can ask any 10 year old if Hustler is porn or art and you will get the correct answer everytime.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Thanks Michaelson. BTW, "Senior Member?" That is too cool! Very appropriate. That was nice of MK to add that to your avatar.

Does this mean he gets the senior discount at McDonald's?

 

[mmarosy]

To play devil's advocate here, and please don't think I'm trying to focus the lesser of two evils or anything, but I just considered something.

I almost wonder if it is due to the fact that this video store deals in smut that it's able to survive against the 'evil empire'-familiy friendly Blockbuster. It's a sad commentary on our times if a store has to pander to such lows to keep the doors open.

Mike

 

[Michaelson]

Oh, so I got a title change automatically, just because I'm a windy old, uh, bugger, eh? I can live with that... Regards. Michaelson