COSTA MESA : Group Fights Pornography One City at a Time

Enough is Enough, a national organization that tries to curb the amount of pornographic material on the marketplace, has made some inroads in Orange County.

So far, the 20 female members here succeeded in winning passage of a few ordinances that have helped tone down the presence of pornographic magazines in different cities. In Costa Mesa, for example, the owners of newspaper racks that distribute adult magazines are required to paint the windows black so children can’t see them.

But since the ordinance was passed six years ago, Wendy Leece, 46, an active member and mother, says there is less and less paint on the newspaper racks with each passing year. “We don’t want to walk by with our children in our strollers and see this trash,” Leece said. “So we end up being the watchdogs for the city.”

In Newport Beach, liquor stores and convenience shops are required to put covers over adult magazines on sales racks, another of the group’s accomplishments. The ordinance was passed seven months ago, but Sarah Sansevieri, another member of Enough is Enough, said a recent check revealed most stores aren’t complying.

“You can see the magazines right next to the candy and the pretzels,” she said. “Many of the store owners just don’t care, and it gets to the point where you can’t send your child out for a loaf of bread.”

Leece and Sansevieri say the problem of pornography is getting worse in Orange County, despite the organization’s presence. They say they understand that it’s legal to sell the material. They’re just asking that the pornography be covered up properly.

“The biggest pieces of contraband being confiscated at our high schools aren’t weapons and drugs, they’re these adult magazines,” Sansevieri said. “Something’s got to be done--soon.”