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SALEM, Oregon, October 18, 2005, (LifeSiteNews.com)—- Oregon is becoming an increasingly confusing state with the decision last month to remove restrictions prohibiting “live sex shows” and close contact by nude dancers. The state also allows “assisted suicide” and has the most lenient drug laws in the nation. But then on the conservative side it has introduced a constitutional amendment prohibiting same sex marriages and has outlawed smoking. Oregon also prohibits pumping your own gas.

Regarding the latest rulings the Oregon Supreme Court, in a pair of 5-1 decisions, has declared restrictions limiting nude dancers a violation of the state Constitution’s guarantee of free expression.

On the question of live sex shows, and writing for the majority, Justice Michael Gillette said it “appears to us to be beyond reasonable dispute that the protection extends to the kinds of expression that a majority of citizens in many communities would dislike.”

In dissent, Justice Paul De Muniz said that he could not conclude that the drafters of the Oregon Constitution had in mind to protect explicit sexual acts in a “live public show” as a form of speech.

Another decision now allows nude dancers to approach customers where before they had to remain at least 4 feet away.

While various groups have complained about the rulings Oregon voters have three times rejected measures to restrict the adult entertainment industry. As a result of both court and voter decisions Oregon now has a well established sex industry.

Bill O’Reilly, commentator for Fox News, wrote in an article that “the driving force behind the sex in public deal was, no surprise, the ACLU, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief egging the Oregon judges on. The ACLU is big on expression as long as it doesn’t involve singing Christmas carols. Yes, you do have this right: The ACLU is bullish on public displays of sex but bearish on public displays of the baby Jesus.”

Read Bill O’Reilly’s article:
  Express Yourself
https://www.billoreilly.com/currentarticle

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