Free Essay

Adult Entertainment and It's Effect on Society

In: Social Issues

Submitted By lindseymchapman
Words 2860
Pages 12
Adult Entertainment:
The Effect it has on Local Politics, Taxes, & Society
Lindsey M. Chapman
BUS 670: Legal Environment
Professor Kim Stock-Foster
May 21, 2012

While planning the development and growth of any city, most government officials do not keep the idea of adult entertainment type businesses at the top of their list or in the front of their minds; however almost any and every city of any size will have to encounter this type of business at some point in time. Adult entertainment type businesses come with their own type of issues when it comes to tax laws, business permits, and so forth, but in the past these types of businesses have been able to utilize their First Amendment Rights to defend their style of business, but when these types of businesses are utilizing local tax money to protect and defend their businesses when is enough, enough? It is well known that many people will turn to adult entertainment, not only for entertainment but for work for the simple fact of making a significant amount of money in a very short time; however what kind of impact do these types of businesses have on local governments and societies when the majority of the employees do not pay any taxes on their income? The following paper will describe the effects that adult entertainment businesses have on local governments, the tax laws, and the effects these taxes have on the society of the environment the business is in. Throughout history there have been many different types of entertainment for the masses. In recent years the idea of adult entertainment has shifted form to a style that is all in its own. With this new style of entertainment has come a high amount of changes that have had to be made by local government officials for the ethical and moral sake of the town they govern. Studies have shown that this type of entertainment has created its own type of crime around it, with more crime comes the need for more police and more legality to be set forth to try to keep crime to a minimum. “Civic leaders and urban governments have tried to control adult entertainment activities with a variety of 'command-and-control' techniques, including vice laws, licensing, zoning and land use planning powers. However, despite persistent efforts, they have failed to eliminate such activities. Recently, civic authorities appear to have had some success in closing down or down-sizing adult entertainment districts in many cities, but this success is more apparent than real” (Ryder, 2004). With that said however, where is the money coming from to have the extra law enforcement officer to enforce the laws, the engineers to re-route the zoning, the construction workers for the zoning, and so forth? This is paid for through the host city and the tax money that the residents of the city pay annually whether it is property tax, sales tax, or taxes that businesses pay to the city to be open. So this should be a problem that in a way takes care of itself if a business pays its taxes then the work is paid for through the city to allow such changes to take place. Then again, what if a business has found a way around participating in paying most of the taxes required by the municipality that the business is located?
As with most adult entertainment businesses, the majority of employees that work within the business do not pay any taxes on the income they take in. I, for example, do work in a gentleman’s club as a bartender and manager. I am paid a very small hourly wage, about four dollars below minimum wage due to the fact that I have the opportunity to make tips. I take home approximately $3,000 per month but only pay federal taxes on what my actual paychecks add up to be, which is about $500 per month. Now, I could keep record of what I make nightly and still report it to the IRS and the local tax office; however I consider myself a starving student who eat Ramen noodles too frequently so I do not. I am not the only one either. The entertainers that I work with do not make any sort of wage and only take home what they make in tips, which I have seen some take home over $1,000 in a five hour work period. They do indeed work very hard, despite my unrest about their dishonest money. Along with that comes, the youth that show up at the business because they have dollar bill signs in their eyes. My business had an entertainer that began working before she was even out of high school. Why? Her mother worked there as well. They had always been a poor family and never thought of doing anything better with their lives. One prominent cultural researcher noted that, “I did see the movie Dreamgirls with a friend who is African American and who grew up in the segregated South. Throughout the movie, I was intrigued by how differently we reacted to the various scenes and messages. For example, I had never heard of the chitlin circuit. But, for her, an avid music fan, the chitlin circuit was common knowledge. Then we shared our perspectives and interpretations afterward, I had an opportunity to hear about a part of her that is often hidden from those in my predominantly white, middle-class world” (Thompson, 2007). So since I am from an honest, hardworking middle class family, should I act differently in this type of business? I probably should, but I do not. I work hard for the money I make and eventually I will go further into a more honest living.
Back to the subject of income, our bosses, as with 99% of other club owners across the country, do not require the employees to report any income to them, so they do not have to report any income to the local tax and IRS office. Why, though? “If clubs had to pay dancers wages and benefits, they would be required by law to keep track of their tips” (Vogul, 2008). It is also due to these businesses being bogged down by local municipalities so they have started finding ways around the legislation that has set out to either straighten the businesses up or run them out of town? But is that an invasion of any sort of amendment? Supporters of adult entertainment have long used the First Amendment to assist in fighting their legal battles; some battles have even gone beyond small cities to be heard by the Supreme Court. With the Supreme Court getting involved, does this invade the rights of the states to set forth their own legislature on items such as adult entertainment? Nevada, for example, would want to write its own legislature which would differ greatly from a state like West Virginia. “When called upon to evaluate adult-use zoning ordinances, the Supreme Court must address a clear conflict between free speech values and the social and economic life of a community” (Smith, 1991). The Supreme Court can only do so much without invading the right of the states. The biggest difference in utilizing the First Amendment for protection is only that it protects freedom of speech, and nowhere near touches on the issue of taxation. But can the lines be blurred at all?
A case that appeared in front of the Supreme Court, “revealed a tension between land use and free speech values that has continued to appear in a developing line of first amendment cases. On one hand, zoning adult uses restricts speech because it limits the distribution of books and movies that are protected by the first amendment. On the other hand, failing to regulate such enterprises may endanger the economic and social vitality of the community” (Smith, 1991). So the issue of zoning can greatly affect tax payers but the First Amendment has nothing to do with the tax subject. How is this line being swayed for the adult entertainment businesses? There is always the ideal of corruption in local governments, but at the same time not every local government official in every town could be corrupt.
These types of businesses make money, lots of money. These types of business draw large and a social crock pot of society’s members. So if these businesses cannot be shut down because they are for some odd reasons severely popular, then governments have started finding ways to make sure that tax dollars will be paid some way or another. “Municipalities have enacted, in addition to fees and taxes, zoning ordinances that impose location and distance restrictions on adult businesses” (Carr & Griffith, 2007). By making it so these businesses have to be in a certain part of town, maybe an area where property tax may be higher or property values are very high, governments have started finding loopholes in getting these businesses under the government’s control. In the town where I work, there is only about a one half mile strip of land on a not so busy street where an adult focused business can open, and within that one half mile strip there are over four adult entertainment businesses squished together. This strip is away from housing subdivisions and is also about ten miles from the closest school; all due to the city’s zoning laws for adult business. In these specific areas where adult businesses can operate, the taxes are just a bit higher. This of course only due to the government stating the land is more valuable. Other cities, even in other states, are doing the same with zoning regulations, but also making additional regulations that can put more money back into the city’s tax fund.
“Starting in January, Shelby County began enforcing stricter adult-oriented business laws, including an annual $500 business permit, and $100 work permit for employees, background checks, a ban on beer and alcohol, no touching and all dancers must cover their private parts” (Anthony, 2012). With those sort of rules put forth for adult businesses, does that lessen their impact on society since it very slightly lessens the impact on the local government? For example, the club I work at, entertainers have always had to cover private areas and have never been allowed to touch customers or vice versa; however our local government has never required any sort of permit for any employee, unlike the state government. In Texas, we have what is known as TABC, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. This commission has been put in charge of regulating alcohol consumption regulations, and has also been tasked with regulating the laws set by the state for etiquette in gentlemen’s clubs. For instance, an entertainer is allowed to sit on a patron’s lap, but is not allowed to sit directly on what would be known as the genital region. If this occurs, the entertainer will be arrested on the spot for prostitution and the business where this occurred will face up to a forty-five day shut down and up to a $50,000 fine. This commission has undercover agents as well as agents that frequently stop by every establishment unannounced during working hours. These officers also make quite a hefty salary, more than local police officials at the least.
So who pays for this state wide commission? Tax dollars do. But not tax dollars from the businesses that this commission is set out to regulate. Granted, to be able to serve alcohol in the State of Texas requires a great deal of paperwork, the liquor license is quasi-easy to obtain as long as the person the license’s name is under does not have any felonies. The yearly taxes for any establishment that serve alcohol had to be dropped due to businesses such as restaurants up roaring due to the taxes being too high at first, due to governments trying to tax out adult centered businesses, so the taxes were dropped. So now the state was able to obtain some tax money for these types of businesses, but it was not really rotated around back into the cities that needed it.
This type of business does have its draw backs, but the most notable outside of the tax evasion, is the crime. There has been substantial research done that has supported the idea that adult centered businesses do have an increase of crime around them. “The secondary-effects doctrine holds that adult businesses cause harmful, secondary effects such as increased crime and decreased property values” (Hudson, 2012). With that, will come more issues for the local government. Decreased property values can drastically affect the tax funding in a city. Also with an increase in crime, more police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians with ambulances are needed. What pays for all of that? Taxes do. If these businesses are not participating in paying taxes and are directly negatively affecting taxes, then it can be difficult for local governments to want to protect areas with adult businesses.
“The offenders who are attracted to adult business sites lack legitimate means of livelihood and devote substantial time to illegitimate activities. By Sutherland’s (1937) definition, they are “professional thieves.” Otherwise, they are a heterogeneous group. Some are vice purveyors who dabble in crime; others are criminals who use the promise of vice to lure and lull their victims. Despite their heterogeneity, these predators share a rational decision making calculus that draws them to adult business sites (McCleary & Weinstein, 2009). Adult centered business can attract petty thieves all the way to very violent offenders. I have personally seen this first hand and it is frightening. There is a great need for additional legal personnel when an incident is taking place; however if the people involved have not paid their dues to the societies that are set out to protect them, should they expect the same response if the person were an ethical tax paying citizen? This question may never be answered fully due to the fact that emergency personnel have taken oaths to protect, serve, and assist all citizens, but if they are influenced by local government officials who believe that time is better spent with attention to tax payers, what can be done? Additional regulations could be set forward, but then it could also create more problems, like it did with the liquor taxes and restaurants.
In conclusion, adult centered businesses have been around for some time now and seem to thrive just as cockroaches would if there were an apocalyptic event. These types of businesses have been able to slither their way around all sorts of regulations and laws that were enacted and set forth to take down this type of business. Governments that have simply wanted their municipalities to be clean, ethical, and moral cities with small crime rates and straight A school districts have gone to great lengths to attempt to put these businesses at the least out of their towns. But all attempts have failed. Why and how? Governments have spent millions of tax dollars on attempting to severely limit these types of business to certain areas of town, to certain regulations that make patrons not necessarily want to go, and to even go as far as not allowing these businesses to serve any sort of alcohol. But this is all at the cost of the residents of the town that have paid their taxes and paid their dues to live in a safe environment. So when will this cycle begin to come out of the revolving door and possibly have an end in sight? That is a questions that I can only hope to be answered very quickly, but then again I have not paid the taxes I should have so do I deserve to see an answer?

References

Anthony, Kontju (28 February, 2012). Tennessee considers taxing adult entertainment. WMC-TV 5. Retrieved from: http://www.wmctv.com/story/17040085/tennessee-considers-taxing-adult-entertainment

Carr, Jennifer & Griffith, Cara (2007). Strip clubs, private dances… and taxation. State Tax Notes. Retrieved from: http://www.taxhistory.org/www/features.nsf/Articles/A1E06CD6D08697B08525727300691951?OpenDocument

Hudson Jr., David (22 February, 2012). Illinois Senate considers “pole tax” on adult clubs. First Amendment Center. Retrieved from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/ill-senate-considers-pole-tax-on-adult-clubs

McCleary, R., & Weinstein, A. C. (2009). Do “Off-Site” Adult Businesses Have Secondary Effects? Legal Doctrine, Social Theory, and Empirical Evidence. Law & Policy, 31(2), 217-235.

Ryder, A. (2004). The changing nature of adult entertainment districts: between a rock and a hard place or going from strength to strength?. Urban Studies (Routledge), 41(9), 1659-1686.

Smith, K. K. (1991). Zoning Adult Entertainment: A Reassessment of Renton. California Law Review, 79(1), 119.

Sutherland, Edwin H. (1937) The Professional Thief. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.

Thompson, P. M. (2007). The Influence of Popular Culture and Entertainment Media on Adult Education. New Directions For Adult & Continuing Education, (115), 83-90.

Vogul, Ed (26 September 2008). Stripper lawsuit gets OK. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.lvrj.com/news/15101156.html

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Generation Fun

...Summary Entertainment has often been regarded as a means of indulgence although it can prove fundamental to the development of ideas. Lack of entertainment can however cause the brain to shut down. Entertainment enables s sense of innovation. As a result, numerous ideas are created. Studies show that almost half of discoveries are done during entertainment when the inventor enjoys the task he partakes. However, over entertainment has its own pitfalls. This paper argues that society is becoming over entertained. Generation Fun: Are we as a Society Becoming over Entertained? In a society where we are overwhelmed by bright lights, images, and electrical gadgets it is worth questioning one of the most important parts of our society, Entertainment. Entertainment is multidimensional and could be personal or involve the general public. Playing a game of chess or scrabble could be viewed as a personal form of entertainment. Watching a movie however is a general form of entertainment as the experience is shared with the general public. As entertainment continues to become a trillion-dollar industry, the society has continued to live up to the entertainment culture of the “entertainment age.” The question, “Are we as a society becoming over entertained?” can be approached using different angles given its complexity. I have developed my point of view that as a society, we are spending too much time on entertainment or enjoyment. Entertainment can take an individual...

Words: 1492 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Bloody Pixels

...Pixels: Video Game Violence There are many speculations on video game violence and its harmful effects on the kids who have come addicted to playing them. Many people believe that video games are the ultimate cause of why we see aggression and violence from our youth today. In reality video games are not the main cause of this violence that is being seen. There are many factors that are not being accounted for when determining the cause of a child's violence. Factors such as abuse, depression, and environmental influences have more of an effect on children then actual video games. Violence in video games is not the reason children become violent. Said violence comes from the abuse, depression, and other environmental factors. My support for this claim is for many of reasons, but the big one being that I myself have played many violent video games as a child yet I have grown to be caring and refrain from violence towards other people. I have not committed a violent crime or acted aggressively towards another in any way. A major argument that comes up is that children act based on what they see. With today's advanced technology video games have become so clear and graphic that one could get lost into the "gaming world". Albert Bandura, a famous psychologist, did a study on children and aggression. The study showed that children who witnessed a bobo doll being abused by an adult also committed those same actions, sometimes worse and sometimes less when encountered with the...

Words: 1627 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How Does Masking Affect Society

...Masking for Effects Aspiring to idols and glorifying fictional characters has been the norm within society since Superman has been around. Little kids pretend play the roles of super heroes with hope that one day they may become one and even adults sometimes attend conventions with the same goals. They are loved for different reasons. Some being their powers, others being their appearance, but most commonly because it is someone to look up to. The start of WWI and WWII changed our countries face to a traumatic terror. Left and right loved ones were being sent out to defend the country and many weren’t returning. The public was in mental despair over the devastation and hope was greatly needed. Even though they were a fictional character it was still someone to turn to, Superman and Captain America soon became...

Words: 1041 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

A Review Of Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death

...people stopped to think of the negative side effects of television, until Postman released his findings. His novel repeats the words “the medium is the message”, which means that the way that we receive messages is going to change the overall meaning of the message. This applied directly to television, as entertainment was the way we received our information. Eventually, we began to prefer receiving our messages through entertainment, nearly cutting off many other mediums. His findings still apply to the more advanced technology we have today, such as the...

Words: 1533 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

The Influence of Sex on Television

...sexual explicit material on television and the effects that it has on children and families. Children watch hours of television a day and are influenced by its programming and advertising. Many children and teenagers are persuaded to initiate sexual acts that they see on television. They are also being educated by the programming on television versus their teachers and parents. The Influence of Sex on Televsion Introduction Even in the beginning of the life of television, certain individuals had dreams of making the television an entertainment phenomenon. Today, with more than 1 billion television sets spread throughout the world, and an average of 2.86 television sets in each household we rely more on television than any other communication device (Bleakley, Hennessy, & Fishbein, 2011). We use it for entertainment, communication, education, and recreation with entertainment being the main source for many people. With the television being the main focal point of so many households many individuals believe this common item is actually detrimental to our society. With its overwhelming depiction of sex, and how sex is portrayed in our society, it is enough to make one think that our world is being transformed into an entertainment reality. Although many individuals realize that television is not real, and they understand how to comprehend the difference between reality and fiction in our society the studies and facts speak louder that television...

Words: 2999 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Cannabis

...ages of eleven to eighteen. Youth tend to be easily pressured or influenced into smoking marijuana by entertainment such as movies and music, as well as friends and family members that condone the habit. Since it is nearly impossible to overdose on marijuana alone, it is most favorable among adolescents because it does not pose an immediate threat to their immune system compared to other drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy. According to http://www.guide4living.com, marijuana has an active ingredient in it called Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, which causes many temporary side effects such as fatigue, distorted perceptions, rise in blood pressure, and hunger. Once the THC is inhaled it only takes a several seconds to travel to the user’s brain then it gradually flows throughout the remainder of their body. When adolescents frequently use marijuana it causes a significant decline in their cognitive skills, because their brains are still in a premature state and still has ample time to reach its optimal potential, when marijuana is continually smoked throughout the early adolescent stage until early adulthood, the chances of becoming addicted rises. Now that the some states has made it legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, it is up to the adults of society to inform adolescents of the hazards this drug can have, and show them how to overcome the pressures of society. When adolescents reach a certain age they have the urge to become independent in a quest to find...

Words: 1086 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Religion

...What about Violence in Movies? Manabu Ozawa from Japan |[pic] | | |PHOTO BY THOMAS PETERS | | |"Action movies with violence take heat from adults who blame | | |them for real life violence because they are closer to reality | | |than other movies." | | "The question whether movie violence should be regulated or not is a difficult and complicated matter." Although many people criticize violent movies, if there is a movie which does not contain sex and violence, who will go to see that movie? Most major movies, such as "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard", and "Independence Day", were really popular in spite of the fact that the "good guy" killed more people than the "bad guy" did. In my opinion, Hollywood tends to produce few kinds of movies--action, panic, love story, and comedy. Whenever I watch a movie or a video, there is at least one murder in each movie. The biggest number of deaths are in the panic movies, in my opinion. Action movies with violence take heat from adults who blame them for real life violence because they are closer to reality than other movies. For example, in "Natural Born Killers" we can see around 50 deaths, whereas in "Independence Day" thousands of people die. In both movies, tons of people are killed, though the ways to kill are different. The big difference between them is about reality. |[pic] ...

Words: 20424 - Pages: 82

Premium Essay

Term Paper Sexuality

...become universal, it is a common use of communication within today's society. Media is a way for people to stay in touch with individuals from around the world, keeping people up to date on what is occurring, as well as informing individuals on what is going on throughout the world and different countries. There are many forms of media such as; the internet, which is available through devices such as the television, a computer, and a cell phone. Media plays a crucial part in today's society and is only expanding as time allows. Media has become so dependent for the younger generation in today's society that they have been known to become powerless towards it and vulnerable to what they are told and thus forth begin to believe easier than older adults. Adolescents who pay attention to what is being shown through the media seem to often start believing what they hear and see, creating a concept of what they see as society's norms and expectations, and thus believing they should intern act and look this way. Media affects all aspects of youths lives, from how they should behave, how they should look and what they should wear and own. Often it is hard to see the effects that the media has on youth because it is seen as normal, only because all youth are trying to copy the same set of standards they seen in the media that they are afraid to stand out or be different. The influence of the media in today's society is obstructing youth from acknowledging social acceptance and well-being...

Words: 663 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Agressiv Behavior Influenced by Violent Media

...“Effects of Violent Video Games and Media on Aggressive Behavior” Gabin ,Pauline Palma, Keirsha Jhoanne J. Perona, Jerril A. Ramirez, Ma. Bernadette Riverside College Inc. Computer 2: Internet Research January 9, 2015 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL In partial fulfilment of the requirements for Computer 2 - Internet Research, this research paper entitled “Effects of Violent Video Games and Media on Aggressive Behavior” with the following subtitles: 1. What are the elements that provoke the child to take interest in violent media and games? 2. Does playing and watching anything remotely violent really affect a child’s behavior? 3. What is the behavioral result if the child is exposed to violent entertainment? 4. In what aspects can a child be able to stop his aggressive behavior? 5. What measures does the media industry have to do in order to put a stop to this? Has been prepared and submitted by Perona, Jerril A. Palma, Keirsha J. Gabin, Pauline C. Ramirez, Bernadette G. APPROVED BY: Mrs. Maritess Pomada January 9, 2015Coordinator, Psychology Department | Introduction “Effects of Violent Video Games and Media on Aggressive Behavior” It’s not a new issue – in the 1950s, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham wrote a book called “Seduction of the Innocent”, which claimed that comic books were unnecessarily exposing children to violence and causing them to become delinquent. Although Wertham’s methods...

Words: 8449 - Pages: 34

Premium Essay

The Importance Of Critical Thinking

...real and that the legend of vampires was a series logical fallacies and false deductions. Over time, the vampire legend has been reproduced and used by media companies to make a profit, and to most of society the modern day aristocratic vampire and the 18th century version have little to no relation at...

Words: 1985 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Gambling Addictions

...tickets. Because of the hold it has on a person, it can cause several harmful effects such as health issues, emotional instability and astronomical financial burdens. Even though some have fooled themselves in believing that it is just for fun and enjoyment, the real truth is it can be a life changing experience. In 1998, people gambling in this country lost $50 billion in legal wagering and by 2003, the figure jumped to more than $72 billion. The number one gambling addiction is casino gambling. Gambling addictions which, is sometimes called compulsive or pathological gambling, is a disorder in which you cannot control yourself. The different structures and sounds once you enter into the casino surrounding gives an adrenaline rush that causes the urge to gamble. The urge to want more money comes about when a big jackpot is won. There are various symptoms of gambling addiction. One symptom of gambling addiction begins is lying when confronted about the problem. Another way of detecting addiction is when they gamble with money that is needed to pay bills, buy food or any necessities that are needed for everyday living. There are treatments for casino gambling addiction. Psychotherapy, which deals with showing the gambler how to reject the temptation and urges, is the most effective treatment. Gamblers Anonymous is another way to help combat gambling addiction. Internet gambling impact on society is growing rapidly. Technology plays a vital part in the advancement of internet...

Words: 1397 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The Mask You Live In And Miss Representative Analysis

...Jennifer Siebel Newson’s documentaries The Mask You Live In and Miss Representative are quite significant testimonies in today’s society. Both documentaries analyze the effect that society has on both genders, both male and female. It’s conspicuous that societal norms are form of confinement for the individuals that live with in it. It’s a prison for the children that must grow up with and follow the rules of such discriminatory ideals. Acknowledged as a convention to explore the religious, social, and civil problems and the rights of the Women all over the United States, the Seneca Falls Convection was the very first women’s rights convention. It garnered large amounts of widespread awareness and influenced several of the other conferences...

Words: 1249 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Visual Culture Let 1 Research Paper

...March 21, 2012 Effects of the Transition to a Visual Culture Lucinda Whitfield Western Governor University The world has begun to move to a culture full of visual images, this transition has even had an impact on literature and has shaped our world into a visual culture. In this paper, the writer will investigate the effects of visual literacy on society. Visual images are observed in many facets of global society. Vast amounts of information today is embedded in forms of media that does not solely rely on linguistics causing the new digital generation to have a need to develop new types of literacy skills. Messages that were once conveyed through literary texts are now communicated through other forms of media that are enhanced or supported by visual images. The emergence of a growing visual culture has led to a steady decline in literary culture and has several underlying effects. Mirzoeff argued (1998) “the visual culture defines and delimits the post-modern present in that the culture that we call postmodernism is best imagined and understood visually, just as the nineteenth century was classically represented in the newspaper and the novel” (p.5). Understanding what is seen versus what is read will likely continue to be an important acquired and needed skill for people of all ages. Several trends are believed to be contributors for the need to attain new literacy skills. In a time of reality television, movies, video gaming, and digital billboards, it is rare...

Words: 3257 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Drinking Age Debate

...opinions and debates in society. Questions, comments and concerns revolving around how and what the system should do about the limits teenagers have only added to the stereotypical yet evidently true battle between the youth and the more matured adults. In one case, teens have suffered losses as big as having to complete school or acquire a GED to reach a certain level of employment. While in other cases, the fight for earning one’s driving license at the age of sixteen appealed to the favor of teens. Currently, the dispute that is now being presented touches a subject that if ever addressed by the government, would change the way America operates forever: the age of consent for drinking. The debate is simple- the teens want it lowered against the adults who would like it to stay the same. The issue stirs major controversy mainly to focus on the safety of young adults, and how the consumption of alcohol can affect the mortality rate in their age bracket. However, there are firm rebuttals that show that lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen can not only benefit society, is the only fair addition to the list of rights and privileges one assumes when they reach America’s definition of adulthood. The pros and cons of the issue both have their strong and weak points aimed towards convincing their respective counter retorts. Yet when push comes to shove, it’s hard to deny that the law surrounding the drinking age in its standing, is not only unfair to young adults, but hypocritical...

Words: 1772 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Thinking Outside The Idiot Box Analysis

...In these words, The Weeknd is basically saying even though we are not in love, it’s lonely and the urge is stronger so we should act on that feeling. No feelings involved or emotions just sex. Secular music can cause you to act, or feel a certain way. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” In other words, what of those things through music and lyrics through make one feel when in one’s mind is it pleasant? Can the lyrics in a secular song be factual, dignified, right or pure? Whatever a person allows to dwell and reside in one’s mind will sooner or later determine their speech and their actions. In further words...

Words: 1321 - Pages: 6