We published a story last week about a strip club that is trying to open in Bath, and although there is quite a bit of resistance coming from many residents, some don’t think the city has the right to prohibit business form coming in. 

It seems to me that it is, and should be, up to the people of a town to decide what kind of town they are going to have, so long as they don’t discriminate against anyone based on race, ethnicity, gender, or any other Constitutionally protected demographic. 

Admittedly, our U.S. Supreme Court has deemed pornography protected speech, so we cannot outlaw it; however, we can regulate it. Since we have a representative form of government and therefore cede certain responsibilities to those we vote into office to represent us, those representatives – in this case the members of the Bath City Council – have the right and responsibility to create the kind of town they believe is in the citizens’ best interest. This is the very reason towns and cities have the ability to zone certain kinds of development. 

Without zoning, a cement factory or other loud or generally unpleasant operation could open up next door to you in your quiet residential neighborhood, causing your home, your largest investment, to plummet in value, not to mention that it would be very likely to adversely affect your quality of life. This idea is untenable, and flies in the face of cultural and legal precedent going back at least to the 19th century. 

I had written my column for this issue about two subjects. The first was a commentary about the effort for a strip club to open in Bath, and the second was about Governor LePage’s support and the support of legislators from both parties for banning the use of food stamps for junk food. 

However, I discovered that we received several letters to the editor from students at Hyde School in Bath, and wanted to make room in the paper for as many of them as possible to encourage young people to engage in this process, the democratic process of advanced citizenship. Therefore, this is the extent of my column for the week. Tune in next week for further musings and thank you for being a reader.

Bruce M. Hardina 
Coastal Journal Editor & Publisher

I know some of you would prefer if I commented on the political issues of the day more, perhaps exclusively, in my weekly column. I certainly understand your passion, your exasperation with the state of things in our country, the world, even our own state. I share your frustration and that is why I write what I do about those issues. Who would not be angry about how unwilling some members of congress are to compromise, on both sides of the isle, to allow some positive and necessary progress? Who would not be angry about the genocide, terrorism and the general lack of justice that many of our fellow human beings, even children are forced to live and die with? Who would not be angry about how difficult it is to make a living these days? 

We watch the cost of nearly everything go up while our salaries are largely stagnant. The leaders that throw temper tantrums and use foul language and intimidation instead of leading, setting terrible examples for the rest of us, particularly our children. However, there are ample opportunities for any of us to read exhaustively about all of these from any and every perspective. Moreover, there are very positive things going on as well, especially on a personal level. We all have things to feel good about in our lives, certainly all of us in this region. I respect those of you that would rather only read about the unpleasantness in life. I just cannot join you there. I also must immerse myself in the reflections of what is good in my life, not to the exclusion of what is challenging, but in addition to it. And that is why I write about my family, my daughter, my life here in midcoast Maine. I invite any of you who wish to share your thoughts with the rest of us about those formally mentioned issues and their relatives to do so with a letter to the editor. I promise I will read them all, and with our huge readership, you will reach tens of thousands of others in our midst. The more voices there are, the more we can learn from one another.