|
Unsuitable Movies in Cullman
After
finding VHS movies of questionable moral value in
a Hanceville video rental store, two mothers
contacted the DA and local authorities to ask
for intervention when the owner wouldn't remove
them. Now, after several months, the Cullman
branch of the same store was visited and here
is what we found: a few videos with sexually
explicit parts were indeed covered with colored
paper as required. But, we found a great many
more movies with blantently explicit graphic
photographs in an unmarked 'adult' section out
of view of the checkout counter. The vast majority
were on the shelves in full view and easily accessible
to young children.
The
woman who owns the stores continues to knowingly
(see Section
13A-2-2(2)) disregard the Alabama
state code which may be harmful to minors (see
Section
13A-12-200.1, Part 11),
which is deemed obscene (see Section
13A-12-200.1, Part 13) and/or
exhibits sexual conduct (see Section
13A-12-200.1, Part 22b)
prohibits a store to have any sexually explicit
material where a minor can view it.
According
to Section
6-5-160, the
Legislature of Alabama finds and declares (1)
That in order to protect children from exposure
to obscenity, prevent assaults on the sensibilities
of unwilling adults by the purveyor of obscene
material, and suppress the proliferation of "adult-only
video stores," "adult bookstores," "adult movie
houses," and "adult-only entertainment," the sale
and dissemination of obscene material should be
regulated without impinging on the First Amendment
rights of free speech by erecting barriers to the
open display of erotic and lascivious material.(2)
That the premises in which a violation of Division
5, Article 4, Chapter 12, Title 13A occurs should
be declared a public nuisance. There were absolutely
no barriers when we visited.
Provision
is made for property forfeiture in Section
13A-12-200.8(a)(1) where "All obscene material
and material which is harmful to minors used, intended
to be used or obtained in violation of the provisions
of this division".
My
question is, "Why
is this woman being allowed to continue to
distribute this material through her stores?"
The
photographs below were taken Saturday, 12 June
2004 and show some of the movies children can easily
look through. The little boy in the photographs
had his eyes closed for these pictures and did
not see anything he shouldn't have. When I told
the manager (a young woman) that this was certainly
not the place for a little boy, she simply replied
that they had "a lot of children's movies".
Let's
clean up this filfth in Cullman and not permit
the garbage to come back. |
