At least they've moved beyond the Gays...

::Updated::4/01/08::

The Palmetto Family Council sitting high after their huge success in enshrining discrimination within the South Carolina Constitution almost two years ago has shifted gears and focus. Thankfully they were no where around when Columbia City Council passed its ordinance of protection for Gays when it comes to housing.

It's plain to see now that their fearless leader has been hard at work researching their latest project. Out of anger and dislike for this organization, I like to imagine that that the grand poobah of moralism in SC and his cronies have done a lot of single handed first hand investigating. After all how else could their mouth piece say before a State House Committee: "There's documented evidence of illicit drug trafficking and those types of problems in these establishments."

But what do the club owners say:

A strip club owner said banning lap dances "would probably kill the business."

Who are we kidding folks if you get rid of the strip clubs right to give lap dances, then Myrtle Beach would shrivel up and blow away with the next Cat 1 Storm, which the more I think of it - that's a great idea! In the end though we have to remember:

"There's no constitutional right to a lap dance..."

I wonder what issue will be championed by Mr. Smith and his goons next. Whom will he impose his narrow views and values upon in our State. Here's hoping he stays away from the LGBT community. No one deserves the vitriol and contempt he gave them in his pursuit of 21st century Moral Segregationism.

Here's two money quotes from the State Paper (3/29/08):

“It’s nothing but a cheap election year ploy,” said Suzanne Coe, an S.C. attorney who has represented adult clubs for 14 years. “These clubs don’t have all of this crime. It disgusts me that this is taking up the time and effort of our legislators instead of the real pressing issues that are facing South Carolina.

-and-

“It imposes the misplaced morals of the minority onto the rest of us. Adult businesses are legal businesses held to a much higher standard, and time and time again they step up to meet the challenge. Make no mistake, this bill is designed to force the closure of these businesses. Adults have the right to be adults.” - Diane Duke, Free Speech Coalition.

I couldn't agree any more with Ms. Coe, this is a disgusting ploy by a group of fascists who believe that by employing such moralist tactics in an election year that the electorate will be myopic and stupid enough to excuse the political and fiduciary philandering they've done with their tenures in office.

Now for my own righteous liberal indignation:

The sad reality is that this will make sense to the plebeians and pastoral yokels that make up a majority of the South Carolina electorate. What an incredibly disingenuous ploy to draw people to the polls and manipulate them to vote the way you want them by raping their consciences with pontifications of moral superiority and political grand standing based on false assumptions that is tantamount to wiping one's arse with the Constitution of our Great Nation. Oh the pharisaic hypocrisy of these people, Oh the constitutional heresy. If we could only cull the political landscape in South Carolina and rid ourselves of the incestuous buffunory and chicanery of politicians within that sad and bankrupt institution which we so graciously (idiotically?) deign to call South Carolina State government. At least I'm not alone in my indignation, the crew at FITSNews are also rolling their eyes and share the aforementioned sentiments - and NVB has a roundup of other appropriate reactions to this legislative folly.

::Updated::4/01/08::
Vitriol aside, the legislation has thankfully hit a snag and has been sent to a different subcommittee for further review. From WIS TV

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - A bill requiring exotic dancers to stay six feet from their customers in South Carolina has stalled.

The measure would effectively ban lap dances and require strip clubs to close at midnight.

A subcommittee approved the idea last week. But House Judiciary Committee members on Tuesday eagerly sent the bill to a different subcommittee for further review.

Hmmm I suppose all the back lash worked? That or the legislators realized that they wouldn't get to participate in one of their favourite past times while wasting tax payer dollars in Columbia. Oh well, a victory is a victory, but I'm sure while the conservative theocrats are in the corner licking their wounds they'll be devising another plan to fearmonger and otherwise attempt mind control over the electorate in their efforts to impose their narrow values upon society. Perhaps they'll join in the other fight - to out law Salvia in the meantime.

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