Editor’s Note: Student Union’s weekly columns are a joint effort of the region’s high schools, the Bangor Daily News and Acadia Hospital. This week’s column was written by Brewer High School students. Their adviser is Sherri Thomas.

Citizens of South Brewer have opened Pandora’s box. However, instead of releasing demons into the streets of Brewer, they have released issues involving freedom of speech.

An outcry from some Brewer residents and members of the Second Congregational Church (a church located near the new adult video store, Pandora’s Boxxx) warns that the pornography store debases their neighborhood. An opposing view, in favor of the store, supports freedom of speech and the concept of free trade.

Pastor Scott Cleveland of the Second Congregational Church commented that he has been “protesting and praying.” Pastor Cleveland recalled three instances when the protesters have been harassed.

One case involved a man ripping a sign from the pastor’s hands. Another time a sign that read, “Church Parking,” was thrown into the nearby woods. The third incident entailed a car swerving toward a group of protesters.

Despite the unfortunate events, Pandora’s Boxxx is not responsible for any of them. In the few minutes that Pastor Cleveland spoke, he was unable to recall any negative influences for which Pandora’s Boxxx has been directly responsible.

Protesters are mainly concerned with Pandora’s Boxxx demeaning the neighborhood. However, local resident Nicole Witty, who lives a few houses away from the store, finds no problems with it.

Witty is the mother of a young boy, and the porn store has had no negative consequences on his youthful soul. She only complained that “the protesters asking people to beep their horns is really annoying.” Witty and other neighbors have been plagued by the constant honking of horns as drivers beep in support of the protesters’ requests.

Pandora’s Boxxx has gone to great lengths to prevent anyone under the age of 18 from entering the store and viewing pornographic material. The entrance to the store leads into a small room with a wall between the entry room and the rest of the store.

In this room, pornographic materials are not sold. Instead, T-shirts and other nonsmut materials are for sale. Immediately upon entering, younger-looking people are asked for identification. If they are not 18 years of age, or if they do not have an ID, they are asked to leave the store.

The store manager, Amy Shaw, feels that they have done nothing to soil the neighborhood around them. They are simply selling products like any other business. Ironically, Shaw remarked that “free advertising” from the protesters has only increased business.

Though Pandora’s Boxxx may sell materials considered offensive to some people, the store does nothing illegal. The U.S. Constitution grants all American citizens freedom of speech. Pandora’s Boxxx expresses this right. Despite the fact that someone may not agree with the actions of another, it is necessary to respect another’s freedom of speech.

Pandora’s Boxxx is not breaking any of the city’s regulations, either. When the store initially opened, the city of Brewer did not have an area designated for a store like Pandora’s Boxxx to operate. It is illegal to prohibit a business from selling its product.

Thus, Pandora’s Boxxx was able to stay open where they chose. If Brewer had challenged the porn shop’s decision, the city might have been sued and forced to pay $500,000 to the adult video store.

While the sale of pornographic material at Pandora’s Boxxx may seem inappropriate to some citizens, the video store has done nothing wrong, and is in accordance with the city’s laws.

The only negative consequences have been the result of protesting, which ironically attracts more business, and only aggravates nearby residents who claim the store has not corrupted their neighborhood.

Schools participating in Student Union include Hampden Academy, Brewer High School, John Bapst Memorial High School, Old Town High School, MDI High School, Stearns High School in Millinocket, Nokomis High School, Hermon High School, and Schenck High School in East Millinocket.