Moral Values and Political Power

Most regulation of strip clubs is through a state's liquior laws. For example here in Missouri clubs are lame because you cannot get a liquior license for a club with topless dancing without pasties or nude dancing period. In NY a nude bar can only serve beer and wine while topless bars can have a full celection.

This is not likely to change und President Bush for two reasons.

1. The amendment to the constitiution which ended prohibition gave the states not the federal government very wide latitude in the regulation of liquior. The federal government mainly collects taxes on booze. The seal on a bottle of liquior signifies that the excise tax has been paid.

2. Given that the President had indicated that his domestic priorities are to revamp the income tax laws and social security, how much effort do you think he is going to devote to closing strip clubs?

I think what happened in Florida was a reaction to what were very loose rules in some clubs. Florida is the only place I have ever been with nude lap dances. And as we all know some dancers will go beyond the rules, so when you start out so far out things might get very wild. And when something is pushed too far, the push back can be much harder. Tha's what happened in Florida.

I thought Bush and the more moderate Republicans were in favor of less government and more power and freedom to the states. I heard that in Nevada they voted to legalize prostitution and elected Bush as well. I don't see alot of contradiction in that. Freedom to the people means they can do as they wish in their communities. Where the contradiction lies is in what the religious right thinks of their win. If they think it means they have power to impose their will upon the entire nation, then the entire nation will rise up against them in the next election. I believe I heard this morning that it was hardly noticed that Bush did say he was in favor of supporting rights for gay civil unions just not the granting of gay marriage rights. I heard that was a break from the rest of the Republican party. Less government is better goverment. The democratic leadership doesn't believe that so I didn't vote for them.

I want freedom though and I don't want to live where the religious right thinks they can impose their will on everyone else. That was a big worry about supporting Bush this time, will things go too far right? If they do, I'll never vote Republican again unless of course the democrats choose Hillary to run. She would definitely be in favor of shutting down all strip clubs. Clinton might have too much fun in them. He might even find an intern working there.

What's more important--where some gay guy puts his erection or your chances for better job selection? The opposition to gay marriage is just part of this effort to create a conservative morality that will enforce new restrictions at the local and federal level. One of the new Senators is quoted as saying that he would like to see legislation banning single mothers from teaching in public schools, because it sets a bad moral example. Magazines, websites and strip clubs will be targeted because it gets votes and people will be made to believe that this crusade is important, when it really isn't.

Makes you wonder why a nipple created more Shock and Awe than the Shock and Awe bombing campaign over in Iraq. You do wonder if it really was an accident. So is the nation being very moral by condemning anything sexual while our military is off on another bombing run killing people, destroying homes, and handicapping others in the debris? Does it seem strange for someone to say they have strong moral values but support all the bombing and killing over in Iraq? If it's ok if a few innocent people die from our bombings in Iraq, then why is anything sexual in the US so horrible that it needs to be banned or heavily fined? I don't think we are the highly moral country that some of the religious right would like to believe.

My guess is that local laws will become more restrictive and will be upheld by a more conservative state and federal judiciary. All of this got started in this election cycle with the "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl.

I've never heard W make any noise about strip clubs, and highly doubt he ever will. The best strip clubs are in states Bush carried.

Regulation of strip clubs is not done on the federal level, so no worries at all.

If I lived in Florida I'd be worried. The regs in FL vary from girls asking you to finger their bare pussies to girls with double bottoms and God-knows what smeared on their breast to cover the nipples. Here in Mass.-the democratic state with the republican governor (yes, we have our head up our ass) clubs in some areas are actualy allowing fairly liberal one way contact to compete with neighboring Providence-the most corrupt state in the country. The feds don't really have much to say in this matter, of course, W. and his moralists will try to make as much noise as they can for the next four years.

If the issue of strip clubs had been discussed during the election and one candidate was pro and the other not, I may have voted different. The last democrat in the white house didn't need strip clubs, he had an intern in training and gave her some private lessons. Stupidest thing he did was saying anything about it in the first place.

Here's an interesting thought, it seems all of our latest presidential leaders may have an arguable criminal trait but the voters often claim they vote for them for moral reasons. The Republicans will fight wars against other countries if it's in the US interest and the last democrat had illegal sex in the white house and possibly secret deals with foreign countries such as China giving away US nuc tech secrets.

If our leaders forget that more people voted against Bush than possibly any other election, they will be really sorry in the next election. The way I saw it, Bush is pro business and strip clubs are a business. Take a look at New York City where the so called liberals live at and they are trying and have been shutting down all the strip clubs that they could. I believe in treating your neighbor as you would like to be treated. Trying to impose your moral values on everyone else and hurting the economy in the process will guarantee people like me never vote for whomever that is. Same thing applies for the gay marriage laws, other people's morals were or are being imposed on everyone else. Many people across the nation didn't like that.

Just a thought, I would be in the category of people that claimed moral values were number one reason they voted they way they did and I go to strip clubs. I believe abortion is murder and don't like judges up in the northeast forcing everyone else in the nation to accept their definition of gay marriage too. Looking at other things too, Houston Texas has tons of strip clubs where Bush was governor while New York City close to where Kerry comes from has been busy shutting down strip clubs. Who is more against? Looks can be deceiving.

If a person is financially secure, then I don't see too much importance to whatever laws are passed including those that would eliminate strip clubs. Some of my buddies fled Cuba rather than fight against the communists. So instead of being dead, crippled, or incarcerated in some government prison they and their families are living fat in Miami. No country is worth killing or being killed for and that includes the good old U. S. of A.

I've met so many immigrants here in Miami. Perhaps its just this city, but by a large majority they have no love for this country and would prefer to live in their own countries, but for enough $$$ this country is tolerable like a ninety year old multi-millionaire is tolerable to some poor desperate 18 year old girl.

What is special about America is its wealth and that is about it. So as long as $$$ flows whatever laws are enacted is in the big picture small potatoes and besides many people will love the laws. Majority rule and that nonsense.

Just remember no matter what this is still the greatest country on earth and land of the free and home of the brave. :)

Gov. Jeb Bush may wish to renew his attacks ons strip clubs if he thinks that a "Moral Values" stand can help him succeed his brother in the White House. The new Supreme Court will not protect strip clubs as forms of artistic expression under the First Amendment. That will be gone in the first case after Rehnquist is replaced. The stage will be set for a real Crusader, i.e., Jeb Bush or Elizabeth Dole to take the Oval Office.

No.

Jeb Bush here in Florida was supposed to have declared a War on Strip Clubs, but it sort of faded away. But, just as quickly as it faded away it could spring back to life and perhaps the president's mandate will be that spark. Regulation and control seems very popular with most people in this country.

I like the idea of a real Christian strip club--Not a joke or fraud, but one centered in strong moral values of love of your fellow man and a focus on virgins. I think the bible is a little obssessed (sp?) with virgins. The profits would go to good causes like spreading the word of Jesus. Perhaps it could be a combination church and strip club. Sell salvation & sex.