I have lived in Clarksville for almost my whole life. When I was little, my mom and I would drive past it occasionally, but it wasn’t until I became a teenager I fully understood what it really was.

I’m talking about Theater X — a place where prostitution has allegedly taken place.

I remember when I was a teenager, the controversy began to grow hot among Theater X, the Clarksville Town Council and a non-profit organization, ROCK, designed to “Reclaim Our Culture, Kentuckiana.”

According to its website, ROCK “exists to defend and sustain the founding principles upon which our country was built.” For years, ROCK has tried to get the store closed because of the pornographic materials that are sold and the activities that occur inside.

It has been reported Theater X’s movie theater shows pornographic movies while viewers engage in alleged sexual activities. Also reported are private booths people pay to enter. These booths show movies and have a hole known as a “glory hole” where alleged anonymous sexual activity occurs. This is all according to affidavits from an undercover police officer on ROCK’s website.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been in the store part, but it’s just nasty to sit in a theater where other people can watch you engage in sexual activities.

My skin is crawling just thinking about it, and to go into a booth and get “serviced” by a stranger is just asking for “the clap” or gonorrhea.

Besides the disgusting factor, what’s the big controversy? Up until 2009, the Clarksville Town Council didn’t enforce the ordinance written by ROCK that was on the books in 2005.

At an April 21, 2009, Clarksville Town Council meeting, ROCK representatives spoke and offered help to enforce the ordinance, citing several violations the adult superstore is accused of.

Some of these violations include unsanitary conditions. The undercover police officer in his affidavits reported bodily fluids on walls, chairs and floors of the establishment.

Other violations included zoning violations, prostitution and drug use on the property. It wasn’t until an undercover story by WAVE 3 in 2009 that Theater X was cited for its violations, but the store sued the city and won. A judge ruled the ordinance was improperly passed by the council, and, therefore, not a current ordinance for the city. The city has appealed the ruling. ROCK’s main premise is Theater X is favored by the Clarksville Town Council.

ROCK  believe the activities reported going on inside the establishment will spill over into the community. ROCK is also concerned about the current Louisville ordinance  which limits nudity in strip clubs. They are worried the new Louisville ordinance will bring more businesses over the bridge.

According to a WAVE 3 report, Paul Kraft, vice president of the Clarksville Town Council said, “We always want to protect the people, and that’s what we intend to do.”

If Kraft and the town council really want to protect the citizens, why haven’t they devised a new ordinance? How long will it be until the town council realizes this establishment is promoting illegal activities and poses a threat to the town?

I also think Theater X should only sell books, movies and adult toys. Yes, it is someone’s right to purchase pornographic materials for themselves, but people shouldn’t have the right to go into a place and engage in sexual activities.

If the store sells only merchandise it must be regulated, and the Clarksville Town Council has a bad track record of doing this.

By AMANDA FRENCH

Features Editor

aafrench@imail.iu.edu