Swingers club raises serious questions
Before we break out the pitchforks and torches and camp out on the doorstep of Western Carolina Friends - a newly-opened swingers club in downtown Lenoir - several questions must first be answered.
Prior to writing another word I'll go ahead and share that I'm an active member of one of the churches adjacent to the adults-only club, and my youngest child attends preschool at another of the three churches that share a neighborhood with it.
Though the activities at this club, which according to its Web site take place from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Saturday night/Sunday morning, do not intersect with the majority of the activities at nearby churches - it still has parishioners, parents and local leaders very worried. And they have a right to be.
So far, the debate is one of morals. That's an argument I'd rather not get in the middle of. I'm already a complete failure at convincing my children that vegetables are yummy - so I'm not the best person for weightier issues.
I also want no part of judging others' personal preferences, whether it be sexual orientation, their taste in clothing or anything else. Is the “swinging” lifestyle wrong, or potentially damaging to this community? No more so than gambling or liquor-by-the-drink, both of which are quite available in the same neighborhood. Where do we draw the line?
Now's not the time to judge. Even Jesus Christ himself refused to judge a woman of questionable character while everyone else was ready to stone her to death.
The real issue is this. How in the world does this kind of establishment set up shop in the middle of a downtown historic district and within spitting distance of at least one church and preschool without the local government having some oversight in the matter?
Whether or not the swingers club “flew in under the radar” or the city's zoning regulations have some major loopholes is yet to be discovered. But regardless, this issue should spark some serious debate over policies regarding sexually-oriented businesses - both in the City of Lenoir and throughout Caldwell County.
The City of Lenoir and local business owners have made great leaps and bounds in the last five years revitalizing the downtown business district - burying powerlines, remodeling building facades and spending private dollars to bring new commercial development to the heart of the city. Business owners and taxpayers must be able to trust the zoning that is supposed to protect their investments, otherwise there are some serious problems that must be resolved before the downtown improvement can continue. And this isn't the first time it's been an issue.
As for the swingers club, if it's found that the establishment is illegal, whether it's due to zoning or the nature of the activities that are alleged to go on inside, then the neighbors won't have to worry about it much longer.
If the club is within its rights to exist at the corner of Ashe Avenue and Church Street in downtown Lenoir, then the City of Lenoir has bigger problems than a private club for adults looking to spice up their love lifes. If found to be legal, prayer will be about the only weapon those who disapprove can use to fight it.
Edward Terry
Editor