Show It The Utah Statesman Wednesday U May HR Police not villains in filmstrip case For the last six days this campus has been feeling the effects of a controversy involving the teaching of human sexuality and claims of obscenity in the classroom The fat ts surrounding the case are well known but here is a short synopsis: Last Thursday two detectives from the Logan City Polite Department asked USU instructor Joe Wells to show them a filmstrip which he had used to teach his human sexuality and family relations course The filmstrip depit ted among other things heterosexual lovemaking positions Wells justifiably refused to show the officers the filmstrips at that time saying that the police needed to untlerstand the context in which the films were shown to his class Wells has now agreed to show the filmstrips to police representatives and County Attorney Lanny Gunnell on Friday At the same time Wells will discuss the course content and try to give the police and the county attorney an understanding of the context in which these filmstrips were shown of issues deserve attention and explanation in this controversy One however stands out as very important: the police are not villains in this case by any iwsu ITie police have been unfortunately portrayed as Gestapo agents out to entrap people using whatever means are necessary This characterization is not only unfair but it does not reflect a clear understanding of the case and the realities of police work The police upon receiving five separate complaints about the filmstrips had no option bur to investigate They rraW ho w very unltkety it in dial these filmstrips are pornographic but the law is clear: When complaints are made the police must at least look into the situation W hat else would we have them do? Should they ignore complaints just because they doubt they are justified? Of course not! The police are not supposed to function in that A lot way hat kind of lunatic world would this be if police could randomly pick and choose which complaints they were interested in and which they would rather let slide? Both the police and the county attorney realize that the oids are astronomical against the filmstrips being legally obscene They are well versed in the Celtjmnut ri M tiler Supreme Court derision which clearly protects material with s ientific value There can be no real doubt that these filmstrips have scientific value! Those people who castigate the police for “violating our civil liberties’ should realize that no such violation has taken place If criminal charges are ever leveled against the university or Wells — an improbable event — then we will le justified in worrying bg I Itah Statesman tsrs 532 I'An Rakt edited Ha &"" wrmeit jIHj ptudrtu of Old Stir I nitriwv hiifruij in nr ihswr rhrv tl I hr opinuMt rr 4 U btMrcJ 4mJ Mntrn with signed cannier no npmittfti of r ASt SL’ liTIfR norsunlv rrites t the C'th St air I'rmmiiv f he editor W)L1( the right to edit rrfuar or pruat cam letter letim that are and It noted to Htg nprritfrn Nrd or Ina will ret rive first Letter must he ogned rrv-nr- r 40 editor far oh y arfvarf mnh uthssr mimhrr A-m The t tmk nd Slateimnm true naan e phr w pubinhrd ilurm the xtxaC during finU ami holidays Quarrrr brraiu IXav 1 Kanlixiv in Oar and Problem' lav are ala4 lhnrr-rrrk- i rr frpi t4 faifafav tun or uiaOmcFaS ate in Taggart Student Onter butinru offue in 317 phone SWOND CLASS mailing paid Logan L’lah 84321 Rmm 31 5 750-17- Km irt "I ’n complmining curtairu often n nine ” blocks away is undressing ail b Drag Utah into modern world -- iMfc'- : v v - : i viewl— btCOIMl when it turn To the editor: philosophy I prefer to look upon it as a curiously inFirst the continuing conteresting variant American subculture troversy over Planned Parenthood Then ' whamroo” cord As Saturday evening's Interional Student Banquet ampNow nal immodesty ly demonstrated there is beau“pornographic’ films in a college level human sexuality ty to be found in diversity Bui class It would seem that the diversity — whether in food local contemporary community clothing or ideas — require standards are anything but contolerance Beauty to lie entemporary joyed requires freedom of exSome say that Utah is a social pression desert for those wfu do not Narrow mindednrss — a follow the official LDS preference for your feT w 4 It is ironic lhai within a week of Kd Grant’s 'amusing letter calling for personal discretion in dress thar Logan City Police would investigate a university class for evidence of pornography and later the same day the Izigan City Council "amends the law and bans dancing after midnight on Saturdays This become even more ironic when you consider that these vague lines are drawn in a part of the being country supposedly dedicated to removing governmental control for people’s private lives Clearly h depends on who you are before you can expert to have that control removed as church sponsored dances will still be able to continue after the mid- -' night curfew imposei! C redeeming social nke be dtapdbd may yet and screaming a c ! doubt into the nxdrt1® Now somebody btmt k sotnrtta d up and do those obscene sculpt® MkhadM-- l I hail the time and aitrnd every City to energy Council meeting and lake an active part in local government However believing in our system I voted for supposedly responsible people expecting them to act in the best interest of all concerned including myself Does the City Count il really have nothing better to do than debate how late the dale? I wish Unfortunately this is just the insult The injury occurs when ! non-suih- o the tame el the educational ol nwrnux trmpts to i he educational I® I1 mores may be others gtris Perhaps they were just chcckui up on the coeds’ morals I Merrill Librae brim crazv on Who is going to enforce the new pumpkin law? Many limes at local taverns I have seen the police enter and mill about They check a few IDs flirt with a few girls flirt with a few more 4 Fail! mindednest becomes blind laid Morality conflicts are ironic To the editor: f Hi SI ® However hools courses must rem the study-e- ven f® odf called sensitive ts that responsible pWF form opinions This is the proper®” free society and of the people no the people ' If adults inform®® mat ion— pertain® of study at unives! free society truly? I sincerely M ministration of VJ behind Wells this kind is ascC unaC ' |