Standing For Our Standards

By Dale Bartscher, Executive Director Family Heritage Alliance

Our community has spoken decisively as to how we feel about the protection of our children!  In 2003 a Rapid City referred ‘Adult Oriented Business’ (AOB) measure was voted on and 67% supported our current AOB law while only 37% opposed it.  This point was completely missed, or purposefully overlooked, by Mr. Nickel in his November 27^th forum “Spencer’s Gifts, Rushmore Mall, and Nanny State”.  Our city’s AOB ordinance has common-sense regulations similar to 3,200 other communities who have taken steps to increase their public safety.  Yes, it was a landslide vote in favor of protecting our children against those who, in their greed, would only but financially profit from the fact that sex sells. 

As a Rapid City citizen I commend Mayor Hanks and the City Council for taking the bold, right steps in holding a local business accountable to our local AOB ordinance.  They have proven once again that no one is above the law; no one will be allowed to potentially harm our children and turn a blind eye to our community standards.  I sense that the City Attorney’s Office has crossed every ‘t’ and dotted every ‘i’ in going the extra mile with Spencer’s Gifts.  For at least a year they have attempted to obtain voluntary compliance by Spencer’s Gifts with the City’s AOB ordinance to no avail. 

Mr. Nickel, in his article, referred to Spencer’s Gifts as a “…world of creative and humorous gifts…” and yet a significant portion of this store’s inventory would prove him wrong!  The Rapid City Journal in their Opinion Editorial on Nov. 14 stated, “On Monday, the Rapid City Police Department seized more than 2,000 items from Spencer’s as possible evidence that the store now meets the definition of an adult-oriented business.”  One merely needs to go online and sort through Spencer’s Gifts’ inventory to realize that they are peddlers of adult merchandise.  I sense they would have us become a ‘society in denial’ about the great harms of pornography, especially as it relates to our children.  Val Farmer had an excellent article in the Rapid City Journal on Nov. 14 in which he stated, “Someday we’ll wake up and discover we put a whole generation through a form of electronic sexual abuse.  Innocent children are becoming sexualized by an uncaring and value-free culture.”  Sad but true! 

Yes, Spencer’s Gifts is a corporation with about 600 stores nationwide but this should not exempt them from adhering to our community’s laws and standards.  May we as a community stand for the hard right against the easy wrong concerning this situation.  Spencer’s Gifts is simply pushing the limits of decency in our community and I for one believe they ought to be held responsible for their actions.  I hold no ill will towards Spencer’s Gifts as they have every right to do business here in Rapid City.  I’m simply saying ‘comply with our AOB ordinance’ as you honor and obey our community standards thereby providing a safe environment for our children and families. 

The Family Heritage Alliance’s Board of Directors, along with a growing number of area Pastors, parents and grandparents stand with our city’s elected officials in their decision to hold firm to the protection and enforcement our community standards.  Thank you, Mayor Hanks and City Council Members, as it is a bright day in our community when we see you upholding our laws and protecting the most vulnerable in our community – our children.

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Editor’s Note: This article was first printed in the 12/3/2010 edition of the Rapid City Journal.