Editor's note: We recently asked readers ""What are your thoughts onlegislation drafted by a council-appointed committee to place new restrictions on adult bookstores?" Below are responses received last week.

PORNOGRAPHY IS EVIL

From: Regina Simon

Fallston

I agree with the proposed bill to regulate adult bookstores. Pornography is evil, not only in itself, but it often harms others beside the original "user."

Looking atit means wanting it (your challenge is to name a legitimate purpose for it), and wanting it means wanting to do it, and wanting to do it often involves the user's children or spouse (inappropriately), or other children, or neighbors, or little brothers and sisters, or niecesand nephews, or strangers.

The use of pornography leading to sexual abuse is beyond question. Sexual activity for an audience in a movie, video, book or magazine need not be protected at all -- since everything from the means of its production to any and all end results undermine, abuse and demean the true beauty and purpose of human sexuality.

The only change I would recommend would be to do whatever ittakes to get all adult bookstores out of the county, as well as all pornography from the video rental shops and convenience stores.

BAN ALL SEX MATERIALS

From: James R. Cook

Joppa

Without knowing the full particulars of the present bill or of the amendments, I wouldlike to address the adult book store problem.

First of all, the term adults only is a code word meaning not fit for human consumption.

Minors are forbidden, and adults should know better. I suppose the rationale is supposed to be that we will protect our children from these vices until they are adults but then let them afflict themselves with these poisons and then force the rest of society to pay for the human wrecks that result.

What a wave of protest results when our politicians want to put a garbage dump in our backyards, and rightly so. But how more should we protest to dumping of immoral filth in our communities. The garbage dump only pollutes our environment, but the filth of so-called adult bookstores pollutes the minds and morals of our citizens. Such garbage creates perverts and attracts already existing perverts to concentrate in our communities. These lead to increased sex crimes of all types, against our wives and daughters and children.

In my opinion, all merchandising of sexually explicit materials should be prohibited or at the very least built on our presentgarbage dumps so we can keep all of the garbage together. At least we will know that it's labeled properly.

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

From: Carole Eubert

Churchville

Oppose it. Against any bill. We do not need any more regulations from the government. Stay out of our personal lives.

DON'T LEGISLATE MORALITY

From: Frank W. Boltis

Fallston

Oppose it. No bill. We do not need police, elected officials or clergy to legislate morality. Next will be what goes on in our bedrooms.

IMPEACH BARKER

From: Charles Havens

Aberdeen

Can Councilman Philip J. Barker be recalled or impeached?

We really needairheads tilting at windmills when our times and financial resourceswould be better spent on matters of real importance.

BILL HURTS BUSINESS

From: Bob Fertig Jr.

Edgewood

I oppose the bill. I can't believe the county is wasting time and money discussing the subject.

I'm afraid this bill will scare away future business.