The sex industry threatening lawsuits is the first strategy in their playbook and almost always successfully intimidates small towns along interstate highways. Now the Kansas "top cop,” Attorney General Steve Six, has flinched at the threatening roar of the Lion's Den interstate porn chain.

Six ran from defending the highway sex business signage law. Six did not do his homework. Six didn’t even show up prepared to give the expected vigorous or token defense. Six turned from what many see as the greatest social issue of our day. Six turned from what many see as the greatest social issue of our day.

This case can and will someday be won with the right argument — that argument being the constitutional basis for zoning restrictions on sexually oriented businesses for proven negative effects, including increased crime, increased sexually transmitted diseases, property devaluation, increased drug trafficking, general blight, etc. Tobacco and liquor are constitutionally restrained in advertising for their related negative effects. What about pornography? It is time that pornography and its negative effects on society are examined in the crucible of the courtroom and measured in the scales of justice. Perhaps, like tobacco, a class-action lawsuit against pornographers from the many violated children and broken families.

Why did Six give a wink, a nod and a pass to sexually oriented businesses? Why did the federal court records reflect three times during the evidentiary hearing that the attorney general's office didn’t present any evidence as to why this law was enacted? The 1,500 pages of evidence were provided to the Kansas legislators. I know because I provided it myself during the committee hearing. The entire Kansas Legislature voted for restricting sexually oriented business signage based on “negative secondary effects,” with only six members in opposition.

Why did Six contract out the case to a Lawrence, Kan., attorney outside the attorney general's office at an additional cost of $22,499.70 to Kansas taxpayers? What did Kansas get for their money besides, "I give up"? That same Lawrence attorney told one Kansas legislator that he had only talked to the Dickinson County sheriff and asked if the presence of the Lion’s Den (on the interstate) increased sexual crime in his county. Not a fair question and certainly not much research. Might as well have asked the sheriff if internet porn had caused an increase in sex crimes in Dickinson County. This “giving up” by Six’s stand-in seems to boil down to one sheriff's subjective opinion? The “thin blue line” led by the Kansas "top cop" retreated from its first duty of public safety. Not a good day for Kansas families. Not a proud day for law enforcement.

____________________

Phil Cosby is the executive director of the Kansas City office for the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. policies that would require unwilling Americans to fund the evil of abortion.