It is unreal what customers see when waiting in the checkout lines at some of our neighborhood stores.
I wonder if other people are also concerned as to how various shops put pornographic magazines in full view of people of all ages, including children.
These stores have a reputation of supposedly being family friendly places.
But recently they don’t seem to care that these increasingly porn images are at the eye level of children. Airport gift shops used to partially cover the obscene magazines.
Now these sexist images are next to the candy racks.
This month the issue of Swimsuit has really pushed it with its lewd cover of a female afforded only a few strings. Really?
The American Decency Association has stated that Swimsuit magazine and Sports Illustrated have become nothing but erotic magazines with deceiving titles.
If someone talks to store managers about this concern, the managers are pleasant and promise to do something.
But then they say they are not really able to do anything because the magazine racks belong to the vendors, not the store.
Thus all decisions are left up to the discretion of the vendor. Yet someone in the stores always makes decisions as to what is sold or not sold.
Sadly, few people see anything wrong with this base treatment of women anymore because it is so commonplace. So not much is ever really done to improve the image of women in public.
But the more that people are silent about this sexist industry that exploits women to make money, the more than women will be considered as mere sex objects. And yes, even women have begun to believe this lie and buy into it.
Hopefully store managers who have the power to make decisions that impact families and children, we’ll take this degradation seriously.
Young people deserve better than to be exposed to trash at a supermarket.
Rebecca Gonzalez Weslaco
