Peeping on Porn Purchasers
With the current backdrop of child molestation at the hands of religious leaders, if you heard that a pastor was installing digital cameras with zoom lenses around his church, would you be a little worried? Well, here's the twist: The members of Pastor Jim Norwood's Oakcrest Family Church are breathing a sigh of relief at the installation of five cameras around the church parking lot, because his cameras are for snooping out sexually deviant behavior, not instigating it.
Norwood spent $1,500 on five cameras to photograph license plates of vehicles parked at adult businesses (sex shops, strip clubs, etc.) down the street with the intention of blowing the whistle on these pervs to their family and friends. Here, the time-honored tool of public embarrassment is being used to combat the development of pornography commerce in small town life. The church will be sending out postcards with the identifying photos on them, alongside a schedule of church services, to the car owner's address (obtained through the license plates). The goal? To get the smut shoppers to stop patronizing the adult shops.
Steven Swander, an attorney who represents one of the strip clubs, says that his free speech-protected clients take offense to the snooping, calling it a "Scarlet Letter tactic." On the other hand, ACLU attorney Roger Albright says Norwood isn't breaking any laws by taking the pictures and sending postcards.
So, is it a violation of privacy to take pictures of people and send them as postcards? Or do the same laws protecting free speech and association that protect sex shops and strip clubs make Norwood's actions permissible? And isn't spying on people a form of sexual deviancy in itself? It's called voyeurism, folks. Does this make Norwood a peeping Tom?
In the long term, these tactics will likely lose effectiveness. Assuming porn becomes available from more outlets, and purchasing of such material becomes less stigmatic overall, embarrassment will fade -- or Norwood will run out of stamps.
Jan 13, 2004 at 01:26 PM by Frank Meyer in Religion | Permalink
Comments
Excuse me, but how do they get addresses from license plates?
Isn't illegal for people other than law enforcement to have access to that information?
Posted by: Travis D at Jan 13, 2004 10:00:11 PM
That's my question, too. How is the good Reverend obtaining the addresses? You can't just call up the DMV and ask for it.
Posted by: JC Adams at Jan 14, 2004 1:36:35 PM
it will just take one person to press charges of harrasement! It kind of scares me to think someone can spot me in my car and find out where I live. Maybe the made the whole thing up andpromoted the hell out of it and media picked it up as a deterint.(ya I can't spell)
Posted by: kami at Jan 24, 2004 12:38:24 PM
If his (Rev. Norwood) weapon is public embarrassment, then people should counter with the direct opposite; pride. If he tries to take a license plate photo and notices a bumper sticker that says something like 'Porn purchaser and proud of it!', then his scheme will be rendered ineffective.
Posted by: Scott at Jan 25, 2004 1:15:29 PM
What ever Rev. Norwood, sex is healthy and a whole lot of fun. Sounds like the good Rev is lacking in a really small area so he has to compinsate for it by picking on good people.
Posted by: Paul at Jan 25, 2004 1:32:03 PM
In texas license info is public, although not free. The drug addict jim norwood is using church donations to look up the info via the internet. Jim Norton, self prcoclaime pastor, was a drug addict who would suck any dick for his next fix. The junkie fag probably has aids too...
Posted by: rob at Jan 25, 2004 2:19:49 PM
Guess what? The junkie pastor is listed on Yahoo People Search. Just go to: http://people.yahoo.com/ and type in the junkie pastors name and wahla. You can send some postcards of your own....
Posted by: rob at Jan 25, 2004 2:35:53 PM
Would anyone like to ride with me and follow Mr. Norwoods church members around town and take pitures of the "daily" life. We could put it on a we page, everything from their lics. plate to their address.
Whats good for the goose is even sweeter for the gander.
Posted by: kxm at Jan 25, 2004 2:48:13 PM
I see Rev. Norwood as a gentleman that cares about people, their families and the community. You people only need recognize true compassion when you see it. It is so foreign to you that you want to crucify this man and the congregants of his church.
In reality this establishment is in part responsible for tearing apart families and keeping property values low. This community cannot grow as the surrounding communities because of this S.O.B. This shows that there is something wrong with it. America was a greater nation when these shady sex businesses where on the other side of town in the dark corners. Our nation is in peril when the sexual perverts have lost what little conscience they have.
I’m going to drive over and visit his church to commend him for standing up against the spread of sexual perversion.
Rick Warden
Posted by: Rick Warden at Jan 25, 2004 3:55:02 PM
come on for real now. this is america last i checked it was. what someone does on his or her time is there buisness.
ive read the bible and if i remember correctly, the perversion of daughters getting their father drunk to have sex with or fathers having sex with their kids seemed to be a common practice in the bible.
besides sex and perversion has been around since the beginning of time. alot of women then as well now seem they have to work at strip clubs or be prositutes to make money. like i said this has been around forever.
drive on over to the church, your lic plate, name and address could be made public if i happen to be there. God bless america!
for those interested the site he gets information on people is probably www.publicdata.com you want to know anything about anyone its on that site!
Posted by: k_x_m at Jan 25, 2004 5:42:00 PM
Would you want someone looking over your shoulder at the supermarket checkout while you bought embarassing products, and making fun of you for it?
If personal info is just a matter of public record, Mr. Norwood shouldn't have a problem with me sharing some info I found:
Jim Norwood
813 Shady Creek Dr
Kennedale, TX 76060-5442
Home: (817) 483 - 7073
Maybe someone will send him a postcard. :D
Posted by: Spanky at Jan 26, 2004 8:32:53 PM
Okay Kennedale is locating between two of the slummiest high crime areas in the Fort Worth area. Kennedale is mostly white trash folk.....salvage yards,trailers parks,etc. Now if anything the strip club and the bookstores make a serious improvement. I don't think its right that a man who claims he is a Christian would stoop so low to stalk patrons just to embarass them. If I lived closer I would frequent those places more!
In the LA TIMES article he states that he knows what porn leads up to.....Whats up with that?
Norwood and his crusaders are an embarassment to Fort Worth. Sure he may have some supporters but most of us feel he and his bunch are making fools of themselves.
Posted by: Brown Eyes at Jan 27, 2004 10:07:13 PM
It sickens me to read these comments from so many non-believers. I can't believe anyone would be proud of porn, it is a destructive cycle that ends marriages and creates deviant behavior. If the person getting the postcard in the mail is embarrassed or angry...guess what? maybe they shouldn't be patronizing the place. Guilt comes from something you've done wrong. Maybe some of you should think of a better venue to vent your frustrations. Pastor Norwood is a man of integrity and character who is constantly helping those in need. His church is for families in crisis and he supports the prison ministry in his off time as well as volunteers as a jail chaplain for the past 15 years. In regards to any past issues, at least he publicly admits his sins, could we all be as forthright? And he is a changed man, GOD allows you to be forgiven of your trespasses. Before you point out the speck in his eye, why don't you look at the plank in your own. Are you all good people? Do you follow the word of the Lord? If you are judged on judgement day according to God's laws, would you all pass them? I think not. All of you need to get a life, get over your own deviances (pornography is morally wrong and it is a sin to look lustfully at someone other than you spouse). How you can support an issue as porn is absurd. Get on another bandwagon. Try reading the BIBLE, you might learn something about the righteous ways of life. He is not an embarrassment to Texans, we support his efforts, if he can change one life, get one person out of their lustful, dark behaviors and convert them to a life full of grace and mercy, then he has won the battle for us all. Look, he's got you talking about it...I guess it's working. "One soul at a time."
Posted by: Bradi at Jan 28, 2004 2:04:09 PM
I am not endorsing nasty folks....I ENDORSE FREEDOM! A person is going to what they going to do. Why should you guys be hanging out in parking lots snapping photos and behaving like bullys? I am starting to get the impression that its okay for you folks to pass judgement but its bad for the rest of us to?
Take you case to a county commissoner....They do have these meetings ya know? Or better yet retain some counsel and take your case all the way to the Supreme Court. I doubt you guys would do that because for people like you its much easier to harass patrons. You may think that people should not be going into these places...thats really not for you or anyone else to decide. How would you like if someone took one of your freedoms away?
I did read that your people plan on harrasing folks if these places change location....If it is that is just plain wrong. Apparently you guys have a lot of time on your hands and lots of disposable cash to waste on postcards.
Posted by: Brown Eyes at Jan 28, 2004 6:34:28 PM
By the way this my last comment to make against your cause....All I am doing is feeding into your games. I have better things to do...You would think you guys would as well!
Take Care, Brown Eyes
Posted by: browneyes at Jan 28, 2004 6:37:40 PM
One other important issue that is being missed is the question of whether there really is a 'God'. Every religion in this world has some sort of deity or god to worship and appropriate punishment for sinners and non-believers, such as Hell. If there are so many other religions and all of them seem to think they're the right one, then who is actually doomed to an eternity in Hell for choosing the wrong one?
There is the remote possibility that there actually is no God and that religion was something created by humans long ago to establish some sort of order by devicing a system of moral rules to follow that prey upon people's guilt. Before you start spouting off about me being a blasphemer, think about it; if there really is no heaven or hell and no god of any kind, what do you think the world would be like? That's right; total chaos. It would be the same as having no speed limits or stop signs or traffic lights and expecting people to drive their cars as safely as they do now.
What Rev. Norwood is doing is playing upon people's own personal guilt, like religion is notorious for doing, which is fine. But by being selective in who receives postcards from the church (i.e. the porn patrons), isn't Rev. Norwood passing judgement on who he thinks are sinners and who is not? Truth is, we are all sinners in one way or another. If he wants to save souls, how about sending postcards to everybody is his area instead of just the ones he thinks are in need of saving. Isn't it God's job to pass judgement?
Posted by: Atheist at Feb 1, 2004 8:17:44 AM
There is one small comment not being displayed about why Rev. Norwood is doing all the actions to the porn patrons. The church has been fighting for years to have these strip clubs closed as they are in violation to how close they are to the front doors of the church. They were suppose to be closed two years ago. But, somehow they have tied things up in court and have skipped through the moving process. There are places for such stores. The middle of no where. Please think of all the little children in your family right now. It might not be a daughter or son, it could be a niece or nephew. Now picture a sexual preditor leaving a strip club after looking at porn. Your little family member is the first one he sees. Do I have to draw a clearer picture? Not everyone that goes to these places is there for just that. Not everyone there can control their behavoir afterwards. There are children in theses neighborhoods. They need to be protected.
Posted by: Charity at Feb 9, 2004 7:03:05 PM
Gee, quite a few people here that don't go to church but sure are quick to bash it. "Everyone is free" yet so many criticize pastors standing in a parking lot. If someone was there protesting abortion, we have to "respect their right to do it." As far as so many religions and Gods and Hells, Atheist apparently has not been in too many churchs or spoken with too many "religious" people. God, just one, gave us one great commandment to love Him above all others. That is where my money is, where is yours? By your name, it sounds as if you have not chosen even one of these "many" Gods. You really think these complicated bodies, beautiful earth and food and water here to norish us is here by a bunch of gases exploding? Get real.
Posted by: bannditt at Feb 15, 2004 2:17:35 PM
Something that everyone needs to know, Norwood is now the mayor of Kennedale and is instructing his police officers to ticket store employees for running a S.O.B. but some of the store have been there for 30 years!!!!!!! This guy has a church several blocks away from any adult store. NOrwood has stated he is a "reformed"sex addict hmm sounds like he is unable to control his own actions so he has to try to control others. The city of Kennedale will lose alot of money because of this self proclaimed servant of god. The reason he wants the adult stores to move or close down is because he wants his church to build a half-way house for convicts. Listen some of the people that go to an adult store MIGHT be a criminal but everyone in a half-way house is. Do the citizens of Kennedale know this?
Posted by: William Duvale at Sep 17, 2004 5:01:52 AM
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